2008 Woodie Awards
MAC title the goal for gymnastics team
By: Justin Berndt
Issue date: 1/7/08 Section: Sports
Nothing short of a conference title will be accepted by the gymnastics team this season.
The Chippewas are confident this will be the year the team returns to the top of the Mid-American Conference after a third-place finish last year in last year's MAC Championships in Ypsilanti.
"We definitely want to come out big and win the MAC and we want to go undefeated in conference meets," said senior captain Jenna D'Alie, who will compete on the uneven bars after missing the last two seasons with injuries. "We haven't won the conference since I've been here so we're trying to go out with a bang and get it back."
CMU was 5-1 in regular-season MAC meets last season and won the regular season title.
Senior captain Danielle Espinoza, who will compete on the floor exercise and balance beam, also doesn't want to leave Mount Pleasant without a conference title.
"I haven't won a MAC Championship yet, so that's the meet I focus on, because I know we're good and we have potential," she said. "We want to come out, look good, stand out from everyone and start out nice and strong. We need to stay consistent throughout the season and know we are going up - not down."
Yet again, the elusive MAC title goes through conference rival Kent State. While the Chippewas lost three seniors, the Golden Flashes return every member from last year's team that finished second in Ypsilanti.
"Between us we've pretty much dominated the conference for the past 20 years," said coach Jerry Reighard. "We know that's the meet that will determine the championship."
This season, the conference championships are in Kent, Ohio. In the last three seasons, the home team has won the championship. Eastern Michigan won its first-ever title last year.
Another obstacle facing the Chippewas is the increased difficulty when scoring the routines. Reighard said each season brings a different scoring system, which brings with it the uncertainty of a perfect score.
The Chippewas are confident this will be the year the team returns to the top of the Mid-American Conference after a third-place finish last year in last year's MAC Championships in Ypsilanti.
"We definitely want to come out big and win the MAC and we want to go undefeated in conference meets," said senior captain Jenna D'Alie, who will compete on the uneven bars after missing the last two seasons with injuries. "We haven't won the conference since I've been here so we're trying to go out with a bang and get it back."
CMU was 5-1 in regular-season MAC meets last season and won the regular season title.
Senior captain Danielle Espinoza, who will compete on the floor exercise and balance beam, also doesn't want to leave Mount Pleasant without a conference title.
"I haven't won a MAC Championship yet, so that's the meet I focus on, because I know we're good and we have potential," she said. "We want to come out, look good, stand out from everyone and start out nice and strong. We need to stay consistent throughout the season and know we are going up - not down."
Yet again, the elusive MAC title goes through conference rival Kent State. While the Chippewas lost three seniors, the Golden Flashes return every member from last year's team that finished second in Ypsilanti.
"Between us we've pretty much dominated the conference for the past 20 years," said coach Jerry Reighard. "We know that's the meet that will determine the championship."
This season, the conference championships are in Kent, Ohio. In the last three seasons, the home team has won the championship. Eastern Michigan won its first-ever title last year.
Another obstacle facing the Chippewas is the increased difficulty when scoring the routines. Reighard said each season brings a different scoring system, which brings with it the uncertainty of a perfect score.
