Gymnastics coach unhappy with win over Ball State


gymnastics
Libby March/Staff Photographer Shelby Township sophomore Brittany Petzold launches herself backward, competing on the balance beam against Ball State Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Arena. CMU defeated Ball State with a team total score of 193.350 vs. Ball State's 190.100.

Just winning is no longer good enough for coach Jerry Reighard and the Central Michigan gymnastics team.

CMU defeated Ball State on Saturday afternoon in Mount Pleasant 193.350 to 190.100 to improve their record to 3-0.

But despite the win, poor performances made Reighard visibly frustrated.

“I was disappointed in the fact that we couldn’t close it, the way I know we can close it,” Reighard said. “We actually let Ball State believe they were competitive with us, and we can’t do that. That’s not CMU gymnastics.”

Senior Kristin Teubner scored a 9.8 on the vault and floor, but fell off the balance beam.

“It’s not the outcome we were looking for,” Teubner said. “Me personally, I can’t fall on beam, that’s not acceptable and it will definitely change.”

CMU wanted to achieve certain goals; one of them was to have an all-arounder score a 39 or better for the meet.

All three all-arounders for CMU failed to do so.

“We set some lofty goals for this meet that we did not obtain,” Reighard said. “I know that they are obtainable, and it’s my job to get those things to happen, and they will happen.”

The Chippewas were successful on the bars. Four out of six members scored a 9.7 or better.

“We had a few highlights today, some people scored better than their best,” Teubner said. “That’s something we are always striving for.”

Because of the poor performances a lot of pressure has been put on the shoulders of Teubner and sophomore Brittany Petzold.

That’s a big burden for Teubner which may have felt some of that pressure Saturday.

“Yeah there has always been pressure since I was a sophomore here,” Teubner said. “That’s my role here, I have to be the leader. I have to be the one getting the 9.8’s, I have to step up and be the senior I know I can be.”

Freshman Rebecca Druien had the top CMU all-around score with 38.725. Druien was pleased with her performance, but still has a lot to work on.

“Overall I did a lot better on certain areas,” Druien said. “I know my vault can be better, and I have to fix some form issues, the little steps.”

It is the little steps that will be driving Reighard the next few weeks to beat Kent State on Feb. 11. Kent State put a 194.150 in its meet.

“We are competing against a team that is in Ohio that scored a 194,” Reighard said. “I won’t rest until I know we are better than they are.”

The gymnastics team is back in action 7 p.m. Friday when the team travels to Eastern Michigan.

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