COLUMN: Gymnastics set for best postseason run in school history
If there ever was a year the Chippewas would achieve their goal of five individual champions and one conference championship, this would be it.
Gymnastics have had another season decorated with high scores and school records. Their national ranking and team scores over the season were the best since the legendary 2003-04 team.
CMU finished the regular season 14-3, losing one meet in Mid-American Conference competition – a heartbreaking loss to rival Kent State. One of the great rivalries in the MAC, the Golden Flashes beat CMU by the smallest margin possible in gymnastics competition (.025) to win the MAC season title.
Four seasons in a row and four championships in a row, the team likes to call their streak back-to-back-to-back-to-back. They want to make that list of achievements longer.
Even though they have lifted the trophy four consecutive years, Central Michigan has struggled in the next stage: the NCAA regional championship. The last three years, they came in last place.
In order to get to the NCAA national championship, they need to win or be the runner-ups in the regional championship, which they have never been able to do.
The No. 18 Chippewas have a rating percentage index, or RPI, of 0.5866, which puts them No. 13 in the nation. RPI is measured by winning percentage (25 percent), your opponents' winning percentage (50 percent) and your opponents' opponents' winning percentage (25 percent).
There are 12 teams that make it to the national championship and CMU is ranked one place away from the Top 12 in RPI. This year the Chippewas have their best chance since their 2003-04 seasons to make it to the big dance, if they come out and perform like they did in the Michigan-Illinois Challenge.
During the battle of Midwestern states, CMU scored 196.6 to win the meet by a long shot and recorded their fourth-best score in school history. The MIC demonstrated a MAC championship environment with multiple teams – a type of meet the Chippewas have been successfulf in this year, tallying their top two scores.
The only difference the MAC championships this Saturday is a bye. Because there are more teams than there are events, it forces teams to sit out twice during the rotations.
Last season, CMU won a tiebreaker against Western Michigan and scored .05 more than Kent State to take the title. This year, CMU ended its season and stomped the Broncos by almost two full points.
If the Chippewas compete like they have all season in meets with multiple teams, and get the revenge that so many of the gymnasts want against Kent State, they will lift the trophy for the fifth year in succession. They will give senior captains Brittany Petzold and Emily Heinz a perfect CMU career and the best chance to advance in the NCAA regional championship to the national championship.
That's quite a mouthful.
