Defending MAC Champions Announce 2020 Class

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Central Michigan gymnastics coach Jerry Reighard has announced the signing of five student-athletes who will join the Chippewa program for the 2020 season.

"This was a highly recruited group," said Reighard, who is in his fourth decade as the Chippewas' coach. "We're very fortunate to have landed them. Each of them were recruited by 3-5 schools strongly, and they were all non-MAC schools. We had quite a battle on our hands and we feel fortunate that we were the final selection of each of them."

These athletes are winners, and I mean that they know how to win; they have winning in their background, and they don't like to lose, and that's what I'm looking for when I recruit. Sure, they're athletically talented, there's a lot of talented athletes out there, but when you have the attitude that you're coming here with a purpose to keep our legacy going, that's what I'm looking for."

The class consists of Michigan-native Hannah DeMers of Canton, Brenna Hauser (Westfield, Ind.), Taylor Pitchell (Wethersfield, Conn.) and New Yorkers Christie Tini (East Northport) and Ashley Veglucci (Coram).

Last season, the Chippewas captured the their 16th Mid-American Conference championship under Reighard on their home floor of McGuirk Arena and did it in dominant style and historic fashion, posting a winning score of 197.025, a team total that ranked third all-time in program history.

Hannah DeMers • All-Around • Canton, Mich./Canton HS
Trained with Splitz Gymnastics Academy … 2018 Level 10 Junior Olympic Nationals: 5th on floor.… 2018 Level 10 Regionals: 5th in the all-around, 2nd on floor, 4th on vault, 4th on Beam… 2018 Level 10 State meet: 9th in the All-Around, 3rd on vault and beam … 2016 Level 10 Regionals: 9th on Bars… 2016 Level 10 state meet: 6th on floor and 7th on vault.

Coach Reighard on DeMers:
"Hannah is a very powerful gymnast. She is a strong all-arounder and shows great promise to be a top contender on all events. Her strongest events are bars and beam."

Brenna Hauser • All-Around • Westfield Ind./Westfield HS
Trained at the Jaycie Phelps Athletic Center … six-year Level 10 for JPAC ….2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 regional, state and Junior Olympic National Qualifier … a part of five-time Indiana state championship team JPAC … 2018 Level 10 Regionals: 5th on bars and 6th on vault… 2018 State Meet: 2nd on Bars...2017State champion on the uneven bars … 2016 Junior Olympic Nationals: 10th on Bars…2016 Regionals: 3rd place in the All-Around …2015 Level 10 Regional champion on the uneven bars.

Coach Reighard on Hauser:
"Brenna is a very dynamic and consistent bar worker. She has a great deal of competitive experience and will be a leader on this event. She will be a strong addition to the other three events as well. She is a calm and confident competitor."

Taylor Pitchell • All-Around • Wethersfield, Conn./Wethersfield HS
Trained with Gymnastics Express Too … 2018 Level 10 Regionals: 5th on vault, 2nd on floor… 2018 Level 10 State Meet: 4th on vault, 3rd on floor and 8th in the All Around…. 2017 Level 10 Regional, State, and Junior Olympic National Qualifier … 2017 Level 10 Regional Vault champion … 2016 Level 9 Regional vault champion.

Coach Reighard on Pitchell:
"Taylor continues to develop into a standout athlete. She is a very dynamic vault and floor worker. She has the potential to lead the team on both of those events."

Christie Tini • All-Around • East Northport, N.Y./Northport HS
Trained with Infiniti Elite Gymnastics … 3x Level 10 Junior Olympic National Qualifier .… 2018 Junior Olympic Nationals: 15th in the All-Around and 8th on floor… 2018 Level 10 Regionals: 1st in the All-Around, 2nd on beam and 4th on vault…2018 Level 10 State Meet: 2nd in the All-Around, 1st on bars and 5th on vault … 2017 Level 10 National Qualifier….2017 Level 10 Regionals: 2nd on floor and 5th on beam, 4th in the All-Around…2017 Level 10 State: 1st on bars and 2nd on floor, and 3rd in the All-Around… 2016 Level 10 Junior Olympic Nationals: 16th in the All-Around… 2016 Level 10 Regionals: 2nd in All-Around, 1st on floor, 1st on beam, 2nd on bars and `4th on vault… 2016 Level 10 State: placed 3rd in All-Around, 4th on bars and 5th on floor… member of the National Honor Society.

Coach Reighard on Tini:
"Christie is a very hard worker with great potential on all events. Floor is her standout event with high-level tumbling. She will vie for a starting spot on all events."

Ashley Veglucci • All-Around • Coram, N.Y./St. John the Baptist HS
Trained with Gold Medal Gymnastics Centereach … 2018 State, Regional and Junior Olympic National qualifier … 2018 Junior Olympic Nationals: 9th on floor…. 2018 Level 10 Regional All-Around champion, 2nd place floor and bars, 4th on vault…2018 Level 10 State meet all-around and floor state champion, 2nd place vault and beam… 2017 JO National Qualifier: 5th on Vault... 2017 Level 10 Regional: vault champion, 3rd place floor and 2nd in the All-Around…2017 State meet: All-Around, Vault, and Floor state champion,3rd place bars and beam… 2016 JO Nationals: 4th on vault…. 2016 Level 10 Regionals: 3rd place in the All-Around, 2nd on vault and 3rd on bars … 2016 State Champion on vault and bars, 3rd place in the All-Around… summa cum laude academic honors … member of the National Honor Society.

Coach Reighard on Veglucci:
"Ashley is a very strong all-arounder. She doesn't have a weak event. She will make an immediate impact on vault and floor. She features very high-level tumbling."

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