2008 Woodie Awards
Gymnastics faces WMU for second time
By: Justin Berndt
Issue date: 3/21/08 Section: Sports
Jerry Reighard believes practice cannot simulate the pressure his gymnasts face in meet situations.
So for more preparation, the gymnastics team faces its rival for the second time this season - two weeks before the Mid-American Conference Championships in Kent, Ohio.
CMU travels to Kalamazoo today for an unusual 1 p.m. exhibition matchup with Western Michigan to end the regular season.
"This meet for us is purely a confidence building meet," Reighard said. "We get to practice our routines in front of judges one more time and then our freshmen truly will be sophomores."
The matchup does not count as a MAC meet, as the two teams already met on Feb. 9 at Rose Arena. CMU won 193.2-190.825. The rivals also met Feb. 2 at the State of Michigan Classic in East Lansing. CMU edged out the Broncos 191.95-190.05 in the five-team meet.
Reighard said that WMU will be "looking for revenge," from previous losses. Sophomore Laura Rogers, however, is not concerned.
"We're pretty focused on getting prepared for MACs," Rogers said. "We're not focused on beating WMU - we've already beat them twice."
In its Feb. 9 win, CMU was led by its three all around performers. Junior Jessica Neel won the meet with a career-high 39.025 total in the four events, and freshman Andrea de la Garza and sophomore Katie Simon placed second and third, respectively, with scores of 38.95 and 38.225.
On Feb. 2, CMU (6-11 overall, 2-4 MAC) totaled 191.95 and finished fourth out of five teams at the State of Michigan Classic in Ypsilanti. The one team it did beat, however, was the Broncos (4-12, 2-4 MAC), who had only nine gymnasts and finished fifth with a 190.05.
Simon finished second in the all around with a 39.025. It was also the last meet Rogers competed in the all around before breaking her left ankle on Feb. 7.
Neither team is realistically eligible to make the NCAA Central Regional Meet on April 12 in Baton Rouge, La.
"At this point the win is secondary," Reighard said. "We know that we need to score a certain point as a team and our gymnasts know what they need to score individually. We're not looking at it as a win-loss meet."
Reighard said the freshmen's progression will be key to the team's chances in two weeks.
"They're not an immature newcomer to Division I athletics. They've all been down that road and they know what they need to do," he said. "I'm most impressed with Cheryl (Conlin). She's made a great turnaround in the last month and we need to have all of our athletes look at her and say, 'Hey, why not me?'"
sports@cm-life.com
So for more preparation, the gymnastics team faces its rival for the second time this season - two weeks before the Mid-American Conference Championships in Kent, Ohio.
CMU travels to Kalamazoo today for an unusual 1 p.m. exhibition matchup with Western Michigan to end the regular season.
"This meet for us is purely a confidence building meet," Reighard said. "We get to practice our routines in front of judges one more time and then our freshmen truly will be sophomores."
The matchup does not count as a MAC meet, as the two teams already met on Feb. 9 at Rose Arena. CMU won 193.2-190.825. The rivals also met Feb. 2 at the State of Michigan Classic in East Lansing. CMU edged out the Broncos 191.95-190.05 in the five-team meet.
Reighard said that WMU will be "looking for revenge," from previous losses. Sophomore Laura Rogers, however, is not concerned.
"We're pretty focused on getting prepared for MACs," Rogers said. "We're not focused on beating WMU - we've already beat them twice."
In its Feb. 9 win, CMU was led by its three all around performers. Junior Jessica Neel won the meet with a career-high 39.025 total in the four events, and freshman Andrea de la Garza and sophomore Katie Simon placed second and third, respectively, with scores of 38.95 and 38.225.
On Feb. 2, CMU (6-11 overall, 2-4 MAC) totaled 191.95 and finished fourth out of five teams at the State of Michigan Classic in Ypsilanti. The one team it did beat, however, was the Broncos (4-12, 2-4 MAC), who had only nine gymnasts and finished fifth with a 190.05.
Simon finished second in the all around with a 39.025. It was also the last meet Rogers competed in the all around before breaking her left ankle on Feb. 7.
Neither team is realistically eligible to make the NCAA Central Regional Meet on April 12 in Baton Rouge, La.
"At this point the win is secondary," Reighard said. "We know that we need to score a certain point as a team and our gymnasts know what they need to score individually. We're not looking at it as a win-loss meet."
Reighard said the freshmen's progression will be key to the team's chances in two weeks.
"They're not an immature newcomer to Division I athletics. They've all been down that road and they know what they need to do," he said. "I'm most impressed with Cheryl (Conlin). She's made a great turnaround in the last month and we need to have all of our athletes look at her and say, 'Hey, why not me?'"
sports@cm-life.com
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