Central Michigan University Athletics
Gymnastics Heads To MAC Championships In Muncie, Ind.
3/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
March 18, 2002
THE TEAM: All seven gymnastics teams in the Mid-American Conference will head to Ball State to compete in the MAC Championships this Saturday, March 23 at 2 p.m.
Last year, CMU (194.900) finished second to Kent State (195.675). The Chippewas defeated KSU at home this season (195.725-193.900) but Bowling Green is the team to beat this year. BGSU sports a 6-0 MAC record for first-place in the regular season.
The Chippewas have hit a mark of 195.0 or better four times this season.
THE COACH: Jerry Reighard enters his 18th year at the helm of the CMU gymnastics program. Reighard is assisted by Christine MacDonald and Debbie Milligan. Reighard has compiled a 226-136-2 record and a 95-33 MAC slate.
LAST YEAR AT THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIP: CMU came home with four title-winners last year. Tammy Verrinder won the vault (9.925) and tied for first on bars (9.875). Laura Chow won the beam (9.925) while Sarah Dame (Maple City/Jr.) tied for first on the all-around (39.150). Three CMU gymnasts were named first-team All-MAC and Chow earned ?Senior Gymnast of the Year? honors.
LAST WEEKEND: The Central Michigan gymnastics team finished the regular season with a victory over Ball State on Saturday afternoon, 195.200-194.425.
CMU completed the season with a 4-2 MAC, 11-9 overall record which claimed second-place in the MAC.
Sarah Dame (Maple City/Jr.) won the all-around competition with a 39.025. She nailed a career-high 9.90 on the floor exercise for first in the event. She also tied for fourth on vault (9.700), eighth on bars (9.700) and fourth on beam (9.725).
Kara Reighard (Mt. Pleasant/Fr.) finished second in the all-around with a 38.625. She tied for fourth on vault (9.700), 10th on bars (9.475), third on beam (9.775) and tied for 10th on floor (9.700).
Central took a first-place finish in each event. Shanna Duggan (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont./Fr.) took first on vault (9.800), Sara Burtinsky (Oshawa, Ont./Fr.) tied for first on bars (9.850), Michele Orloski (Clifton Park, N.Y./Jr.) took first on beam (9.850), and Dame finished first on floor.
Ball State's Amy Bodus finished third in the all-around with a 38.075.
REIGHARD ON MAC CHAMPIONSHIP: ?We're excited for the MAC Championships. This is what we're here for. We solidified second place in the conference after this weekend's meet which gives us a great choice of rotation at the championships. We are holding on to sixth place in the region. This meet will also affect our rankings and our chances of making it to NCAA Regionals.?
UPCOMING: The Chippewas will head to the NCAA Regional competition if they maintain a spot in the top-six in the region. Currently, CMU ranks sixth with a 194.920 average.
