CMU Gymnasts Draw Columbus Regional
3/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Central Michigan gymnastics team is headed to Columbus, Ohio, for the NCAA Regional on April 4.
The 21st-ranked Chippewas learned their fate Monday afternoon. They will join the host Buckeyes, Michigan, UCLA, Arizona and Kentucky in the six-team regional.
The top two teams advance to the NCAA Championships, scheduled for April 17-19 in Fort Worth, Texas. Individual event champions on non-qualifying teams also gain a berth to the nationals.
Michigan, the Big Ten champion, is ranked sixth; UCLA, the Pac 12 runner-up, is ranked seventh; and Arizona, also out of the Pac 12, is ranked 18th. Kentucky and Ohio State are unranked.
The Chippewas have competed at Ohio State's St. John Arena in regular-season meets several times over the years, and partook in a regional there two years ago.
"The regional draw this is an exceptionally hard one," CMU coach Jerry Reighard said. "You've got the No. 6 and 7 seeds. Those are very good, powerful teams. When you get a No. 1 and, say, a No. 12 seed or something in that area, that's a different gymnastics team."
Michigan scored a 197.825 in winning the Big Ten Championships in its home gym on Saturday, and has finished at or surpassed the 197 mark in seven of its last eight events.
UCLA scored 197.350 at the Pac 12 Championships, marking the seventh straight event in which the Bruins have been at or surpassed 197.
"We're optimistic," Reighard said. "We're a potential 197 team and that's what we're working diligently for this week."