Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Illinois State
Out Of The Chute With An Historic Performance
1/6/2018 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - After 34 years of coaching one team, there are very few firsts.
Jerry Reighard got one of those oh-so precious moments on Saturday.
Reighard's CMU gymnastics team posted the best opening-day score in program history, a shining message-sending 196.375, as the Chippewas rolled past Illinois State in a nonconference dual at McGuirk Arena.
"There's nothing like making history," Reighard said. "Very few people in the entire world get to make history, and this is one of those moments.
"I really don't enjoy very many gymnastics meets. There's too many things on my mind and on my plate. It was hard for me to keep my game face on today because I could see the momentum, I could see where we were going, and the comforting thing for me was as we kept going through our lineup I didn't have any doubts. It was a very enjoyable day for me."
The Chippewas swept all four events in posting their historic score, which shattered the previous opening-day best of 194.975 set in a 2013 win over Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Denelle Pedrick won the vault with a 9.875; Bryttany Kaplan captured the bars (9.850); Katy Clements won balance beam (9.875); and Macey Hilliker was first on floor exercise (9.925). The Chippewas scored 48.975 on both bars and vault; 49.025 on beam; and 49.400 on floor. Illinois State finished with 191.600.
Reaching 196 has long been the Chippewas' benchmark. Last season, they did not reach it until early March, which is not unusual as teams typically improve in any given season. But to start there is a very good sign that Saturday's performance may be a harbinger of things to come.
And that could mean a 197, which is rarified air.
"A 197 is basically each gymnast has to improve a half a 10th," Reighard said. "Gymnastics is kind of a funny thing. To score a 9.7, you've just got to get in the gym and do what you've always done. To go 9.8, there's a price. To go 9.9, that's the precious 10th. To go from 9.8 to 9.9 you're going to have to do something that you didn't do before, that you weren't willing to do before, and I'm convinced that they're ready to do that. I see that as being very accessible."
The Chippewas posted four of the five best scores on vault and bars on Saturday; the top four scores on beam; and five of the top six on floor.
The scores and the overall results did not come as a surprise to the gymnasts themselves.
"Back in April," said Clements, a senior captain, "we had our very first team meeting and we talked about where we wanted to be today. We talked about that we didn't want to be where we had been in the past, that we wanted to make a name for ourselves. I think it started this fire and people trained all summer. They worked so that we could have these moments."
"It wasn't a surprise to us. That's exactly what we've been doing in the gym and people carried that into here."
Said Kaplan, another senior captain: "We've been really emphasizing that people have the talent, that this team has everything we need and all we had to do is believe in ourselves."
A year ago, the Chippewas posted a rather pedestrian 192.075 in their opener and eventually finished third in both the Mid-American Conference regular-season standings and at the MAC Championships.
Saturday's score most certainly sends a message to CMU's MAC brethren, Reighard said.
"It's going to scare them to death -- there's no doubt in my mind," he said. "Many of the coaches won't believe it, it'll be a (perceived) homer score and that's OK. They have to face us head-to-head. It's a real boost for our team."
The Chippewas open MAC competition with a dual at Eastern Michigan next Saturday (6 p.m.). The Eagles have won the last two MAC Championships.
"Lip service is one thing," Reighard said. "And when you write down a goal, like to score 196 in your opening meet -- yeah we've written it down year after year after year -- and not until about 10 days ago did I see this team really start believing that it was possible. Things started to come together.
"We're in a really good position and one of the comments that a gymnast made in our last huddle was `We're going to come back and work hard; we're not resting on this.' And from a coach's standpoint that's what I needed to hear."
Players Mentioned
