Chippewas Aim to Right the Ship
2/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Which Central Michigan gymnastics team will show up?
That's the question on the mind of Chippewa coach Jerry Reighard as CMU prepares for a Mid-American Conference dual meet with Northern Illinois Friday (7 p.m.) at McGuirk Arena.
The Chippewas scored a season-best 196.175 two weeks ago in rolling to a MAC win at Ball State. Last week, they slipped to a 194.000 in finishing second at the four-team Illinois vs. Michigan Classic at Illinois State. The Chippewas are 6-2 overall, 2-0 MAC.
"I think the best-case scenario for us to recover from a loss is to be at home," said Reighard, whose team is the five-time defending MAC champion. "We're still 6-2. I mean, that's a great record, and our athletes are doing a really good job.
"I just hate to lose. And not because of a loss, but because it makes our opponents believe that we are vulnerable. And for the last five years, no (conference) opponent that we've ever faced has felt that we're beatable.
"And that's the part that concerns me the most. I think that in this meet, we have to make a statement, we need to come out strong, we need to be on top of our game."
Two events in particular, beam and bars, cost the Chippewas last week at Illinois State. CMU posted a pedestrian 48.075 - not their worst score, but far from their season-best, and well below Rieghard's expectations - to open the meet on beam.
They followed with a season-best 49.000 on vault and a 49.050 - good again, but not great - on floor. That left the Chippewas needing a solid-to-great performance on bars to pull ahead of first-place Eastern Michigan and win the meet.
But it didn't happen. In fact, the Chippewas' 47.875 on bars was its worst total of the year in any of the four rotations, and it was substantially lower than their bars scores in the previous two meets.
"We're a much better bar-working team than any of the three opponents that we had, but we didn't show up," Reighard said. "That's the lowest score I think we've had on bars in years. And so for that to occur at a crucial time, I hope, will help them grow up.
"I have great faith in them and they have done a great job all year."
CMU senior Halle Moraw won both the vault and the floor at Illinois State and was third on beam. She earned the MAC Gymnast of the Week Award.
Friday's opponent, Northern Illinois, is 3-1, 1-1 MAC. The Huskies' season-high score is 193.375. In the five of the six times CMU has competed this season, its score has exceeded NIU's best. The Chippewas are averaging 194.415.
Players Mentioned
