Central Michigan University Athletics
Gymnastics Travels to Georgia for NCAA Regionals
4/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – This isn’t some happy-to-be-here lark.
No, the Central Michigan University gymnastics team is in it to win it, or place second. They do that, and the Chippewas would earn a trip -- the first in school history -- to the NCAA Championships.
“I think we’re going into this meet to win,” said CMU coach Jerry Reighard, who has his Chippewas at regionals for a program-best sixth consecutive year and for the 11th time in his 30 seasons in charge of the program. This is the most consecutive regional bids and the most total appearances in Mid-American Conference history.
“I think that we have great potential to do that. We’re very, very focused. I’m the most optimistic that I’ve been in the last five years, no question about that. This team has incredible talent and we’re going to have to use every bit of that at this meet.”
The Chippewas will compete with five other teams on Saturday in the regional in Athens, Ga. The top two teams advance to the NCAA Championships in Birmingham, Ala., April 18-20. This is CMU's first trip to Athens to compete.
CMU is seeded third behind top-seed Georgia and No. 2 Michigan. The host Bulldogs are ranked sixth nationally, while the Wolverines are seventh.
This is only the second time in program history that CMU has earned a top three seed. CMU's only other top 3 seed came in 2005 when the Chippewas were the No. 3 seed in the Seattle region. Central Michigan finished the regular season ranked 18th in the nation with a regional qualifying score in 196.300, the best RQS in program history.
No. 4-seed Ohio State, No. 5-seed NC State and No. 6 Rutgers round out the six-team regional field. The Chippewas defeated Ohio State and fell to Rutgers earlier this season, and completed against Michigan in a December exhibition meet.
Facing off against the likes of Michigan and Ohio State, winning the Mid-American Conference championship, and having a veteran team are all factors that bode well for the Chippewas, Reighard said.
“It’s not going to be a surprise, we’re not going to go into the meet doting on people and looking at people and trying to figure out whether we belong or don’t belong,” he said. “We’re not in awe, and that’s very, very important for us.
“That experience is crucial. It certainly helped us at the MAC Championship. To have athletes that are capable of presenting to the judges, and doing their routines and saying ‘Watch me; you’re going to like what you see.’”
The Chippewas, who finished 21-3 this season, won their record fifth consecutive MAC title 11 days ago with a team score of 196.475. CMU is the first MAC team to win five-straight conference titles and the Chippewas have won a league-best 15 MAC titles.
Kylie Fagan was the lone individual MAC champion with a career-best 9.95 on bars. The Chippewas did dominate the podium with at least two gymnasts finishing in the top five on every event. Fagan was also named to the MAC All-Tournament team.
They will have to be even better than that in Athens, Reighard said, but it’s a legitimately reachable goal.
“We’re going to have to be better than we were there, which is really pushing our kids to the upper levels of their competitiveness,” he said. “I think it’s the character of our team. Each one of our athletes is really driven. In the last few years we’ve gone to the regional knowing that one of the teams seeded above us was going to have to make a mistake for us to move on.
“I don’t feel like that’s the case this year. I feel like we can contend with the top two seeds.”
The Chippewas’ rotation will begin with vault and move on to a bye, and then bars, beam, another bye, finishing with floor.
The order favors CMU, Reighard said, because starting on vault allows the Chippewas to work out any jitters they may have.
“Nerves are a good thing on vaulting because it’s an adrenaline rush and it’s: Run as fast as you can, get as high as you can, and go for a good landing,” he said.
With so many factors that would appear to be working in the Chippewas’ favor, this could be the year that Reighard gets a team to the NCAA Championships.
“There’s a point where you can meet the requirements, but not really stand out on all four events,” he said. “And in the past, I feel like we’ve just met the requirements and, if things went our way, we could have been in the position to advance. But we all know, and I know especially, that our difficulty level is very, very competitive with the teams we’re going to compete against.
“Georgia is very balanced and they’re at home, and that’s crucial. Their crowd is going to be supporting them. They’re going to be loud, they’re going to be raucous, they’re going to do everything they can to distract the other five teams.
“As I tell my kids, you’ve got to put them on the ropes, you’ve got to keep hitting them in the ribs. If you let them breath then we’re in trouble. If we can keep the pressure on, then I think that bodes well for us.”
No, the Central Michigan University gymnastics team is in it to win it, or place second. They do that, and the Chippewas would earn a trip -- the first in school history -- to the NCAA Championships.
“I think we’re going into this meet to win,” said CMU coach Jerry Reighard, who has his Chippewas at regionals for a program-best sixth consecutive year and for the 11th time in his 30 seasons in charge of the program. This is the most consecutive regional bids and the most total appearances in Mid-American Conference history.
“I think that we have great potential to do that. We’re very, very focused. I’m the most optimistic that I’ve been in the last five years, no question about that. This team has incredible talent and we’re going to have to use every bit of that at this meet.”
The Chippewas will compete with five other teams on Saturday in the regional in Athens, Ga. The top two teams advance to the NCAA Championships in Birmingham, Ala., April 18-20. This is CMU's first trip to Athens to compete.
CMU is seeded third behind top-seed Georgia and No. 2 Michigan. The host Bulldogs are ranked sixth nationally, while the Wolverines are seventh.
This is only the second time in program history that CMU has earned a top three seed. CMU's only other top 3 seed came in 2005 when the Chippewas were the No. 3 seed in the Seattle region. Central Michigan finished the regular season ranked 18th in the nation with a regional qualifying score in 196.300, the best RQS in program history.
No. 4-seed Ohio State, No. 5-seed NC State and No. 6 Rutgers round out the six-team regional field. The Chippewas defeated Ohio State and fell to Rutgers earlier this season, and completed against Michigan in a December exhibition meet.
Facing off against the likes of Michigan and Ohio State, winning the Mid-American Conference championship, and having a veteran team are all factors that bode well for the Chippewas, Reighard said.
“It’s not going to be a surprise, we’re not going to go into the meet doting on people and looking at people and trying to figure out whether we belong or don’t belong,” he said. “We’re not in awe, and that’s very, very important for us.
“That experience is crucial. It certainly helped us at the MAC Championship. To have athletes that are capable of presenting to the judges, and doing their routines and saying ‘Watch me; you’re going to like what you see.’”
The Chippewas, who finished 21-3 this season, won their record fifth consecutive MAC title 11 days ago with a team score of 196.475. CMU is the first MAC team to win five-straight conference titles and the Chippewas have won a league-best 15 MAC titles.
Kylie Fagan was the lone individual MAC champion with a career-best 9.95 on bars. The Chippewas did dominate the podium with at least two gymnasts finishing in the top five on every event. Fagan was also named to the MAC All-Tournament team.
They will have to be even better than that in Athens, Reighard said, but it’s a legitimately reachable goal.
“We’re going to have to be better than we were there, which is really pushing our kids to the upper levels of their competitiveness,” he said. “I think it’s the character of our team. Each one of our athletes is really driven. In the last few years we’ve gone to the regional knowing that one of the teams seeded above us was going to have to make a mistake for us to move on.
“I don’t feel like that’s the case this year. I feel like we can contend with the top two seeds.”
The Chippewas’ rotation will begin with vault and move on to a bye, and then bars, beam, another bye, finishing with floor.
The order favors CMU, Reighard said, because starting on vault allows the Chippewas to work out any jitters they may have.
“Nerves are a good thing on vaulting because it’s an adrenaline rush and it’s: Run as fast as you can, get as high as you can, and go for a good landing,” he said.
With so many factors that would appear to be working in the Chippewas’ favor, this could be the year that Reighard gets a team to the NCAA Championships.
“There’s a point where you can meet the requirements, but not really stand out on all four events,” he said. “And in the past, I feel like we’ve just met the requirements and, if things went our way, we could have been in the position to advance. But we all know, and I know especially, that our difficulty level is very, very competitive with the teams we’re going to compete against.
“Georgia is very balanced and they’re at home, and that’s crucial. Their crowd is going to be supporting them. They’re going to be loud, they’re going to be raucous, they’re going to do everything they can to distract the other five teams.
“As I tell my kids, you’ve got to put them on the ropes, you’ve got to keep hitting them in the ribs. If you let them breath then we’re in trouble. If we can keep the pressure on, then I think that bodes well for us.”
MAC Championships Cinematic Melt
Monday, March 24
Lia Kmieciak Post Championship Interview
Saturday, March 22
Coach MacDonald Post Championship Interview
Saturday, March 22
Hannah Appleget Post Championship Interview
Saturday, March 22