Central Michigan University
Ball State
Chippewa Gymnasts Nail It at Ball State
1/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
By Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MUNCIE, Ind. - In three weeks, the Central Michigan gymnastics team has gone from searching for itself to being very good.
Historically good, in fact.
Halle Moraw finished first in three events Friday as the Chippewas topped Ball State, 196.175-193.775, in a Mid-American Conference meet at the Cardinals' Irving Gym.
The win was CMU's third straight. The Chippewas are 4-1, 3-1 MAC. Ball State is 0-4, 0-1. The 196.175 equals the 11th-best team score in program history, and it puts the Chippewas over the milestone 196 mark they have coveted.
"I had no faults with this team today," CMU coach Jerry Reighard said. "We would have loved to be here the first meet and again, that's why I was not a happy coach (then). I know what we're capable of doing, the body was trained; the mind wasn't.
"Now the belief is really strong. It's showing through now. I can't emphasize how good it feels to be in January hitting that score. I think it's going to send shockwaves throughout the conference and it's going to raise some eyebrows nationally, and that's what we want to do."
Moraw won the vault with a 9.850 and the balance beam with a 9.875. She shared first place on floor exercise with teammate Kirstin Stambaugh and Ball State's Denasiha Christian. All three scored 9.9.
The 9.9 was a career-best on floor for Stambaugh, a sophomore. Moraw's 9.875 on the balance beam tied her career-best.
"Halle Moraw had a phenomenal day on all three events," Reighard said. "She has been here for four years and she gets it. She leads our seniors being a senior. She doesn't overwork. She knows how to control it and do what she's supposed to do. There's balance there and she's found that balance and it shows.
"It's certainly within (Stambaugh's) capabilities to be there (9.9) on a consistent basis. She barely competed for us last year. I think that was really good for her because we've been pounding on her; we've been requiring her to do extra tumbling."
Central Michigan's Kylie Fagan won the uneven parallel bars with a 9.925, the highest score recorded by a Chippewa this season in any of the four events. The Chippewas' Karlee Teet was second with a 9.875.
"Fagan is right where we want her to be and right where she wants to be," Reighard said.
CMU posted season-best team scores in vault (48.950), bars (49.150) and on floor exercise (49.250).
The Chippewas posted four scores of 9.8 or better on vault, as Kiki Petzold tied for second at 9.825 and Stambaugh was fourth at 9.8.
CMU posted five scores of 9.8 or better on floor exercise.
Taylor Bolender tied for fourth at 9.850, while Petzold and Becca Druien both finished at 9.8.
It was CMU's first road meet of the season and, not only were they competing in an unfamiliar gym, they started on bars rather than vault, as is their custom at McGuirk Arena. From bars they went to vault, then floor exercise, and finished on beam.
"The toughest thing is that reverse order," Reighard said. "There was some pumping up by the coaching staff to keep things going in the right direction.
"It was up to beam to anchor us and that's the first time they've been put in that situation. Not great scores, but I knew we needed a 9.73 average (they averaged 9.765) and some cut it pretty close. It was a great team effort."
Players Mentioned
