Drought’s over: CMU gymnasts win MAC title for first time since 2004

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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Jerry Reighard peered across the floor of Anderson Arena, watching Kent State’s balance beam routines during Saturday’s Mid-American Conference gymnastics championships.

With the rest of CMU’s gymnasts in a bye round, the coach watched MAC Gymnast of the Year Christine Abou-Mitri step on the beam with a chance to keep rival KSU on track with one event remaining. The defending champions needed a 9.85 from its star to tie the Chippewas.

One thought crossed Reighard’s mind: “Fall.”

“I’m just thinking, ‘Open the door. Go ahead, Kent. Open the door for us,’” he said.
Abou-Mitri had not fallen once all year on the balance beam. But on the season’s biggest stage, she lost balance and tumbled off, costing her team 0.5 points.

It gave CMU its first MAC Championship since 2004.

The No. 24 ranked team in the country finished with a 195.6, ahead of Kent State’s 195.05. Seven teams competed.

“I will sleep better until this time next year,” Reighard said. “There is no fiercer, uncontrollable gut ache than walking out of a MAC Championship arena in second place. Because you can’t change it for 365 days. So, for 365 days, I’m going to sleep really well.”

Central will compete in the NCAA Regionals on April 10.

The team will be assigned its competition and destination based on its Regional Qualifying Score.

CMU BALANCE BEAM

Two rotations prior, CMU had its own problems to worry about. Coming off a 48.45 score on the uneven bars, the balance beam loomed.

The team scored above 49 on the event just twice all season and it averaged less than 48.1.
But with Kent State leading by nearly a half a point, CMU needed a top performance.

Reighard, usually seen very intent on his gymnasts’ performances, closed his eyes and prayed things would go well.

“I asked God to send two angels, one on each side (of the gymnast),” he said.

Through four gymnasts, his prayer seemed answered.

Junior Cheryl Conlin scored a 9.75, junior Andrea de la Garza a 9.8, freshman Britney Taylor a 9.75 and senior Katie Simon a 9.85. But when sophomore Kristin Teubner scored a 9.6, pressure mounted on senior balance beam specialist and event anchor Jessica Suder.

“I went out (of the gym) by myself because the pressure gets to me sometimes … I was there for two routines and I walked out,” she said. “I mean, I knew we were doing good, but I didn’t know the scores — I didn’t know anything. Pressure? I mean, I was worried.”

But Suder, who scored a 9.8 or higher in three meets this year, delivered in the spotlight. Scoring a meet-best 9.875 and matching her season high, she saved her team 0.275 points.

“The crowd was tremendously loud,” Reighard said. “All the things, the distractions that we coached for, I think, really paid off. Jess was so tunnel vision.”

An event that gave the team problems all year seemed to be a rallying point, as it scored a 49.025.

“You win MAC Championships and you win big meets on balance beam,” Reighard said.
The Chippewas followed with meet-high scores on the floor exercise (49.175) and vault
(48.95).

“We try not to let other performances affect ours, but I think a couple people knew going into vault that Kent had two falls on beam,” Simon said.

LEGACY

Individually, CMU gymnasts cluttered the podium as well.

Simon, despite a 9.675 on the uneven bars — her first event — won the all-around for the second consecutive season (39.2).

“I know, deep down inside after her bar routine, she’s thinking, ‘I blew the all-around, I blew the all-around,’ … she put it behind her, she came out, she attacked the beam,” Reighard said. “She’s absolutely one of the most decorated gymnasts in CMU history.”

Simon said she thought of it as pressure being alleviated.

“I think there was kind of some pressure off me going into the other events,” she said, “because I didn’t have anything to lose on those events, so I just went for it.”

de la Garza and Taylor tied Kent State’s Christina Lenny for second with a 39.1.

Simon and Taylor also won the vault with a 9.825, and Simon, Conlin and de la Garza tied three other gymnasts for first on the floor exercise with a 9.85.

Eastern Michigan placed third overall (193.625), Northern Illinois fourth (193.175), Ball State fifth (193.1), Western Michigan sixth (192.875) and host Bowling Green seventh (191.85).