Gymnastics dominates floor routine to beat George Washington
The Central Michigan gymnastics team dominated floor competitions to defeat George Washington 193.600 to 192.075 Sunday afternoon at McGuirk Arena.
After struggling on beam, the Chippewas nailed their floor routines with four out of six gymnasts scoring a 9.8 or better. All six scored a 9.65 or better.
Senior Kristen Teubner and sophomore Brittany Petzold and freshman Halle Moraw led the way, each scoring a 9.875 on the floor.
“Coach told us we had to look past the last event,” Petzold said. “I knew we could do what we do in practice, and that’s what we did. It worked out and everyone was excited after the floor.”
The total score for the floor event was a 49.125. The Chippewas had yet to score over a 49 on any event this season.
“That was huge for us, and that was one of the things that really bothered me this season,” head coach Jerry Reighard said. “We didn’t have a go-to event. I think the team really believes that we have a closer to use now in a meet. That’s really going to help us down the road.”
Both Teubner and Petzold have been the most consistent for the Chippewas this season. The duo are the top two scorers and Reighard had nothing but praise for them.
“I call Brittany my senior, even though she is a sophomore,” Reighard said. “I look to those two as the two nails that the team can count on in events. It’s Kristen’s job to handle the pressure and adversity. She is doing the job that the team needs her to do, and we all appreciate that.”
CMU struggled on the beam, in what Reighard called a “fall fest”. As a coach Reighard saie he will make sure that doesn’t happen again for the Chippewas.
“I think after the first one fell it did get into their heads a little bit,” Reighard said. “We were frustrated on beam, and that’s not typical. We’re not going to do that again, I think it will be remedied.”
Teubner has won back-to-back Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week awards, and this is her third straight meet scoring more than a 39 for an all-arounder.
Reighard quickly shot down the notion that Teubner was peaking.
“No, no, no, this is not peaking,” Reighard said. “She is performing, and being consistent. Peaking will happen against Western Michigan, that’s the meet that they need to peak at, one week prior to a championship.”
Before the team faces WMU, the Chippewas have a three-meet road trip that includes California and Washington. Both Teubner and Reighard will try and prepare the team, but neither are sure how yet.
“We haven’t even stayed at a hotel yet this year,” Reighard said. “This team doesn’t really know what being on the road is. I know it’s going to be different, we are just going to have to show up confident.”
Teubner acknowledged that the team likes to be home more than on the road.
“I don’t know why, but we always perform better at home,” Teubner said. “We’ll have to come prepared to win on the road.”
