Gymnastics picked to win MAC
Central Michigan gymnast Denelle Pedrick performs an exercise on the floor Jan. 6 at McGuirk Arena.
Central Michigan's gymnastics team was selected to win both the regular season and Mid-American Conference Championships in a poll of conference coaches.
In 2019, the Chippewas were picked to finish third in the MAC and won the regular season title before finishing second to Northern Illinois in the MAC Championships.
Senior Denelle Pedrick is one of the top returners as she was MAC Gymnast of the Year last season. She was the all-around and vault champion at last year's MAC Championships.
Another strong returner is sophomore Morgan Tong, last year's MAC Freshman of the Year.
Since 1990, the Chippewas have been a perennial force in the conference. Winning a combined 25 titles between regular season and conference championships.
Christine MacDonald, who is taking over the program after serving as an assistant for 25 years, said she is focused on the team and its goals for the 2020 season.
"We appreciate the respect of our peers in the conference, as well as the recognition," MacDonald said. "We have a very competitive conference and there are multiple teams that challenge and compete for the title every season."
The Chippewas open the campaign Saturday with a dual at Michigan State and opens MAC competition with dual at Eastern Michigan on Jan. 19. CMU's home opener is a MAC dual against Kent State on Feb. 16.
