Central Michigan University Athletics
Gymnastics Travels to New Hampshire
3/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Watch: Gymnastics Insider
MOUNT PLEASANT – Central Michigan gymnastics heads out on the road for the final time in the regular season as it travels to New Hampshire on Monday, March 7.
The meet will also include Brown and is set to begin at 7 p.m.
With just two meets left in the regular season, the Chippewas know they need to take advantage of every opportunity to reach their peak performance for the conference meet.
“We have really focused a lot on the mental side of things in practice this week,” CMU head coach Jerry Reighard said. “One of the things that has hurt us the last few weeks is our personal confidence is a bit low at times. Our gymnasts have such high expectations; we can’t let one small mistake throw off a whole routine.
“Belief in one’s abilities is a big part of our sport and I have really tried to get our gymnasts to believe that they are a 196 team and can compete at the highest level. I want this team to have a top-level performance before we reach the MAC Championships, so we enter that event full of confidence.”
CMU has had to count a fall the last four meets, which has kept the squad from posting a score in the 196 range. Last weekend’s home quadrangular meet is a good example as the Chippewas scored a 194.875 despite having to count two falls.
“We can’t let our head get the best of us by over-thinking routines,” Reighard said. “One of the tough parts as a coach is each individual is different and getting someone mentally ready to compete requires different mental-training. Most of our falls have come from small mistakes that we let turn into big ones.”
One of CMU’s most consistent performers the last few weeks has been redshirt-freshman Meaghan McWhorter. Since returning from injury, McWhorter has tallied a pair of first-place finishes and a second place over the last three meets. She has scored at least a 9.8 each time and was named MAC Specialist of the Week after scoring a career-high 9.875 at Kent State.
“I am really proud of Meaghan because she has worked so hard and it is really paying off,” Reighard said. “She has come a long way since she came here and has always had a strong drive to get better. She is a great example of what hard work can accomplish and has been a great addition to our vault line-up.”
Coaching Milestone – CMU head coach Jerry Reighard earned his 400th career win at the CMU Quadrangular earlier this season. Reighard has a overall record of 400-199-3, which is the most coaching wins in Mid-American Conference history. Reighard is in his 27th season and is 183-49 in conference meets, another MAC coaching record.
About New Hampshire – The Wildcats are 9-6 overall this season after they fell at LSU on Friday, March 4, by a score of 196-194.350. UNH is a member of the East Atlantic Gymnastics League and is currently ranked 30th in the country with an RQS of 194.480. CMU is 4-0 all-time against New Hampshire.
About Brown – The Bears are 2-12 overall this season after taking third at the Ivy Classic last weekend. Brown also competes on Sunday when it hosts Southern Connecticut and Bridgeport. CMU is 1-0 all-time against Brown.
On the Verge – Central Michigan sits just outside the national top 25 as the squad is 29th, just .260 points behind No. 25 BYU. The Chippewas have a regional qualifying score of 194.490 this season, which puts CMU in a good position to qualify for regionals. The top 36 teams earn a spot at regionals and right now Southeast Missouri State ranks 37th nationally with a RQS of 193.405. CMU also has the 24th best RQS in the country on beam with a 48.580 and ranks 25h on floor with a 48.860.
