Gymnastics team looks to rebound from balance beam problems


A white 8-by-11 sign hangs from the door of the gymnastics room inside Rose Arena as the team prepares for its meet against Western Michigan.

It reads in big black letters, “Kent St. What did you do?” The note from coach Jerry Reighard, also adorned in several other locations around the practice facility, was meant to question his gymnasts’ efforts following last weekend’s loss to rival Kent State as it hosts WMU at 2 p.m. Sunday.

“They got the message,” Reighard said. “Their coaching staff was not too impressed with what happened on Saturday.”

The practice week began with an intense focus on the balance beam, an event which cost the team last weekend against Kent State. CMU had four falls on the event, posting a 47.250.

However, Reighard sought to help the mental recovery. He changed the location of the apparatus several times in practice to force a new atmosphere upon the gymnasts. Junior Andrea de la Garza said she realizes the struggles that occurred last weekend in the event and focused on the new practice strategies.

“We moved the beam around so it would be a new surrounding, like in a competition,” she said. “And we just have to keep it clean and stay on.”

Uneven bars

Following scores of 48.75 (State of Michigan Classic) and 48.950 (Kent State), the Chippewas will depend on their uneven bars lineup to help solidify points Sunday.

Reighard said he has high expectations for the group and has been pleased with the increase in points throughout the season.

“I think we’re really close to breaking loose and getting someone in that 9.9 area,” he said.

The Broncos enter the meet at 3-10 and 1-3 in the Mid-American Conference. Sitting in fifth place, they rely on junior all-arounder Kristine Garbarino and redshirt sophomore Meghan Donovan (uneven bars). The only other meet between the teams occurred in the State of Michigan Classic, where CMU defeated WMU 194.975-190.875.

CMU has a 5-1 record against the Broncos the past four seasons, with the loss coming in 2007, when the Broncos won 192.600-190.325. Despite the winning record against Western, de la Garza said the team must move forward from last weekend’s loss.

“We just have to move forward,” she said. “The past is the past, so we have to keep the rest of the season undefeated.”

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