Gymnastics finishes third at MAC Championship
The Central Michigan gymnastics team needed a solid performance at the Mid-American Conference Championship to qualify for the NCAA Regionals.
The Chippewas finished third with a score of 196.100. It was the third consecutive meet where CMU scored a 196 or better. The Chippewas will find out if they made the regionals on Monday when the NCAA releases the field of 36 teams.
CMU started on the uneven bars and finished with a 48.675. The high score would come from sophomore Kasey Janowicz. Janowicz scored a 9.875, but early struggles and three scores that would fail to reach the 9.7 mark would hurt the Chippewas.
CMU moved on to the beam, needing a big score to keep their regional hopes alive. Following a slow start with two of the first gymnasts failing to reach the 9.8 mark, three upperclassmen leaders would step up.
Following a 9.825 by senior Kirstin Stambaugh, senior captain Caroline Fitzpatrick would post a 9.9 and junior captain Katy Clements would score a 9.8, raising the Chippewas score to 49.050 on the beam and a 97.725 as they went into their first bye for a round of rest.
After the bye, Central Michigan would move onto their strongest event in the floor routine. The Chippewas would prove why floor has been a staple for the team with the lowest score of a 9.75. CMU posted a 49.400 with big scores from Clements, who earned a 9.900 and fellow junior Macey Hilliker who tied her career high with a 9.95. The Chippewas would head into another bye with a team score of 147.125.
CMU would finish the day on vault. The Chippewas would find themselves in a good position once again on vault as three scores were over a 9.8. Clements scored a 9.8, Janowicz earned a 9.850 and freshman Denelle Pedrick posted a 9.825.
The Chippewas are still seeking their first MAC title since 2014.
