Chippewa Gymnastics 'Excite Night' set for Thursday
12/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Fans of Central Michigan gymnastics can get an up-close look at the 2017 squad on Thursday with Excite Night at McGuirk Arena.
The event begins at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
All 20 student-athletes on the Chippewa roster will participate and all four events -- bars, beam, floor and vault -- will be on display.
The event will take on an entertaining and fun vibe, coach Jerry Reighard said.
"It's to get the gymnastics community and fans back into sync - the gymnastics season is coming up," said Reighard, who is in his 32nd year as the Chippewas' coach. "The second thing it does is it prepares our athletes for competition, that there are fans out there, there are people that watch them and there's an entirely different psyche than doing it in practice."
The evening includes plenty of opportunities for fan interaction and there will be giveaways and an autograph session along with a mass Zumba in which audience members are encouraged to participate.
And, Reighard will take the microphone and explain some of the ins and outs of the events and field questions from audience members.
"There's a lot of audience participation that we can't do in a competition setting," he said. "I will be on the mic talking about gymnastics and how a routine is put together and what judges are looking for. I try to explain what it takes to get a 10.0. Everybody loves it because it's educational."
CMU opens the season at home on Sunday, Jan. 8, against Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Hamline.