Gymnasts face four ranked foes at Regionals
The CMU gymnastics team faces a daunting task Saturday at its NCAA Regionals tournament.
Four of the No. 24 ranked team’s five opponents also are ranked in the Top 25. The main challenge comes from No. 1 Alabama (regional qualifying score of 197.25). However, No. 12 Nebraska (196.355), No. 13 Illinois (196.255), No. 20 Kentucky (195.600) and unranked Michigan State will pose a few challenges when CMU competes in Lexington, Ky.
But CMU coach Jerry Reighard said the team will not shy away from the spotlight.
“I think that after what we showed at the MAC Championship meet — we are prepared for this stage,” he said.
CMU has scored some of its highest marks this season when facing ranked opponents. It tallied its season high on the vault against then-No. 14 Denver, scoring a 49.2. It scored its second highest floor routine against then-No. 23 Arizona State, when it notched a 49.075.
Many individual records were set against top competition, with senior Katie Simon and junior Andrea de la Garza putting up high scores against Denver and Arizona State. de la Garza posted 9.8 or higher in each event against the Sun Devils on March 5. Simon posted her highest score on the vault against Denver and Brigham Young (9.875).
While Simon remained steady through the regular season, one of her goals from the beginning was to place well at Regionals with the hopes of moving on as a team to the next level. The team needs to finish in the top two to advance to Nationals.
“We want to go to nationals as a team,” she said. “We have never done that as a team, and that is the ultimate goal.”
The team’s RQS of 195.365 placed it into the tournament for the seventh time in the program’s history. Reighard said he was happy with the ending to the regular season and excited it was able to close out as MAC champions. The team has to repeat its success to stay alive.
“It will be an absolute team effort, so everybody has got to hit, and I am confident we can do that,” he said.
TOUGH COMPETITION
The NCAA National Championships take place April 22-24 in Gainesville, Fla. CMU’s highest finish at Regionals came in the 2003 season, where it tied for second with Auburn.
Alabama comes into the meet averaging 49 or higher in all events, with an average score of 196.877. Leading the Crimson Tide is Ashley Priess, who averages 39.422 per meet in the all-around category. Priess also ranks second nationally on the balance beam with a score of 9.89 per rotation.
Nebraska may pose a threat on the vault, where Erin Davis averages a 9.9, tied for third nationally.
Kentucky comes into the meet ranking in the top 25 in four statistical categories, its highest spot in the floor exercise (14th). It is led by senior Hillary Ferguson, who posted a 9.8 or higher per meet in the floor exercise.
Michigan State enters the meet having lost earlier in the season to CMU, on Feb 7, in the State of Michigan Classic. The team was previously ranked in the top 25 before the loss, and it sits at No. 27 with an RQS of 195.110.
ROTATION
The lineups for the tournament were announced March 29, which slated CMU to lead off the meet on the balance beam. Although the Chippewas struggled on the beam during the year, they won the event at MAC Championships (49.025) and senior Jessica Suder placed first with a 9.875. Simon placed second, scoring .025 behind her teammate.
Reighard said the fate of the entire meet lies on the first rotation.
“The tell-tale event will be the event you start on,” he said. “We’re going to know where we stand after the first rotation.”
The remainder of the meet will see the Chippewas compete on the floor exercise, uneven bars and vault in that order.
