Central Michigan University
NIU
Sensational Senior Day
3/11/2017 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Lindsay Gerber, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Central Michigan senior gymnasts left on a high note, an historically high note, in their final meet in McGuirk Arena on Saturday.
In fact, it was the highest note of the season and the fifth-best in program history.
CMU posted a 196.575 to top the Huskies, who finished at 196.150. It was the fifth-best total in CMU history and the best score for a Mid-American Conference team this season. The previous season-best, 196.375, came last week in CMU's nonleague win at McGuirk over Rutgers.
CMU improved to 9-4 and finished 3-3 in the MAC. NIU, which could have clinched at least a share of its first-ever MAC title with a win, is 10-7-1 and finished 4-2 in the league. The Huskies entered Saturday's meet tied for first in the league with Eastern Michigan, which is 4-1 heading into its regular-season finale against Bowling Green on Saturday night.
"The panic of a coach is when you have a peak like (last week), often times there's a letdown, like `Oh, we've got this,'" CMU coach Jerry Reighard said. "That was part of my battle, to make sure that we didn't let down.
"These girls came into the gym every day with the goals. When athletes can do that and deliver the same in practice, especially at the end of the season, you have a really good feeling about what's going to happen and it turned out really well for us."
The Chippewas recorded season-best scores on both the vault (49.100) and the balance beam (49.200).
Kasey Janowicz led CMU with a career-best of 9.875 on vault, placing second.
Chippewa senior Caroline Fitzpatrick won the balance beam with a career-high tying 9.900, while teammate Katy Clements was second at 9.875.
"My confidence level just got lifted tremendously," said Reighard, whose team will take a full head of steam into next weekend's MAC Championships at Bowling Green. "About six weeks ago, as I looked at the MAC, I told the team that it would take a 196.600 to win (the championship).
"For us to have already done that - it's not like we have to create something. We know what to do and there's places we could get better, but quite honestly I'll take a duplication a week from today and I think we'll be in the driver's seat."
CMU's Bryttany Kaplan tied her career-high on the uneven bars, posting a 9.900 and placing second overall. Jamyra Carter recorded an impressive 9.950 bar score for the Huskies, tying for the highest bars mark this season in the MAC.
NIU's Courtney Dowdell won the floor exercise with a 9.900. Janowicz, Clements and CMU's Macey Hilliker tied for second at 9.875. It was a season-high for Janowicz, who posted an all around score of 39.050.
Players Mentioned
