Gymnastics hosts first "Tumble Craze"
The Central Michigan gymnastics team will be hosting the first ever “tumble craze” event on Sunday Nov. 20 inside McGuirk Arena.
Tumble craze is similar to “midnight madness” a popular college basketball event. The goal is to gain enthusiasm for a Chippewa team looking to win back to back to back Mid-American Championships.
Head coach Jerry Reighard is excited to host the first tumble craze.
“It’s a chance to remind our fans that another gymnastics season is starting,” Reighard said. “We are helping people remember that we are the current two time MAC champions. It’s going to be an educational and fun time. We are hoping it’s not our regular fan base. It will blow them away.”
The inception of tumble craze came from Reighard.
“It was kind of my brain storm,” he said. “It’s not traditional gymnastics, it’s not a gymnastics meet. We are going to be doing only the fun stuff, which means the big skills that people come to watch. It’s going to be non-stop fun, no judges.”
While tumble craze will help educate newcomers to gymnastics, fans will be very involved in the event.
Games, dancing, prizes, and an autograph session will all be part of the event.
Reighard says the event will be very fan friendly.
“We are going to be doing everything from group dances, to people in the stands doing to Macarena, we are going to have contests and games where fans come on the floor and interact with us. We are going to teach them a little dance and have an autograph session.”
Sophomore Meaghan McWhorter is one of the girls that will be performing stunts and interacting with fans.
McWhorter is excited to be part of the first tumble craze.
“It’s completely different from what we have done in the past years,” she said. “I like the fact that we are involving more of the crowd and it’s a showcase. It will be really fun and interactive.”
McWhorter said she is especially excited to interact with the fans.
“We have a lot of our gym school girls coming and we work with them once a week, it’s nice to see the younger generation getting into gymnastics.”
Admission is free and tumble craze begins at 2 pm.
After tumble craze the team will have it’s first meet on January 8th.
McWhorter has been training year round for the season and is ready to compete.
“We are always training, it never ends,” she said. “We won last year, but this is a different team with different dynamics and you just have to keep training. I’m looking forward to competing after all the hard work.”
During Jerry Reighard’s reign as head coach for CMU, the Chippewas have won 12 MAC titles.
McWhorter is proud to be part of a successful program.
“It’s amazing, it’s a championship culture, and it’s a life style that you eat, live and breathe it. It’s a privilege to be on the team.”
Reighard is in his 28th season coaching for CMU and still loves his job.
“The spotting is getting a little more difficult now,” Reighard said. “I’m still very much excited about this sport and the team. I’m trying to keep Central Michigan at the top.”
CMU is currently at the top of the MAC after winning titles in 2010, and 2011.
The chippewas are looking at another championship caliber team and season.
“I’m really excited, this is a great group of athletes,” Reighard said. “We are returning most of our MAC championship team from last year. Expectations are really high, it’s another trip to the NCAA tournament and another MAC title.”
