Gymnastics team opens MAC competition
The CMU gymnastics team’s goal to win a Mid-American Conference title has not changed since Jerry Reighard started coaching.
“They (goals) haven’t changed in 25 years,” he said. “We want to go undefeated in the conference and we want to win the regular season championship.”
The team will take on that mission this weekend when it faces Eastern Michigan to open MAC competition at 7 p.m. Saturday at Bowen Fieldhouse in Ypsilanti.
The Eagles lost their first meet of the season to defending MAC champion Kent State, 195.175-191, on Jan. 22.
Senior Katie Simon said the team’s performance must be consistent with its goals.
“I expect to win the MAC and go to regionals,” she said. But Reighard said personal performance and improvement from each gymnast is just as critical.
Reighard said the approach does not change whether it is a conference meet or a non-conference meet.
“We need to face the rest of our schedule as a nameless, faceless opponent,” he said.
Simon helped pace the Chippewas last weekend against Denver and BYU, scoring a 9.85 on the uneven bars and a 9.875 on the vault.
Freshman Darrian Tissenbaum scored a 9.8 on the vault in the tri-meet. Her performance in Denver won her the MAC specialist of the week award. The award honors gymnasts who compete in one or two events during a competition, but are not considered all-around performers.
“We strive to win those things,” Reighard said. “And those specialists who are great athletes have a way of getting recognized.”
CMU’s 49.2 team score on the vault marked the third-highest event score in the program’s history.
The Eagles
Led by senior Erin Grigg, who posted a 38.175 all-around score in the team’s only meet, EMU looks toward junior Nikole Viltz and freshman Kaylyn Millick. Viltz posted a 9.750 on the balance beam and Millick scored a 9.725 on the uneven bars.
CMU registered two wins last season against the Eagles — its first coming in the State of Michigan Classic (193.925) and the second coming in the Eagle Invitational (195.675). CMU has yet to hit the 195-point total this season. However, it broke the 194-point plateau last week in Denver (194.025).
