Gymnasts Post Victory At Kent State

Sunday, February 10

Kent, Ohio

1 p.m.

Central Michigan University

195.175

194.925

Kent State

Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf

2/10/2019 6:50:00 PM | Gymnastics

CMU improves to 9-1, 2-0 MAC; returns home on Friday

By: Nick Vuylsteke, CMUChippewas.com

KENT, Ohio -- Denelle Pedrick posted a season high all-around score on Sunday as the Central Michigan gymnastics team edged Kent State, 195.175-194.925, in a Mid-American Conference dual at Kent State's Memorial Athletic and Convention Center.

The Chippewas improved to 9-1, 2-0 MAC. They won the vault, the bars and the floor exercise, setting season highs in both vault (48.875) and bars (48.800).

Kent State is 4-5, 0-2.

"Kent State vs. CMU is therivalry in the MAC," said CMU coach Jerry Reighard, whose team posted its second-best score of the season. "It's sort of like Central vs Western (Michigan) in almost any sport. And we always bring out the best in each other. I didn't expect anything less, I knew it was going to be close."

LEADERS
Pedrick's all-around score of 39.275 was her season best, surpassing the 39.100 she posted two weeks ago against Western Michigan.

She tied for first on both vault and balance beam, and finished second on floor exercise and third on bars. Her 9.800 on vault was her season best, and she tied her season best scores on both beam and floor, posting a 9.850 in both.

"Pedrick is an individual who is maturing on a weekly basis," Reighard said. "What I see from her is that she's figuring things out. Last year she came in and competed, but this year she's out to win events, and that's what we needed today: 'Get out the way, because I'm the winner of this event,' and that's what Pedrick did today."

BEAM
CMU swept the top three spots on the balance beam on the final rotation of the meet as Pedrick and Morgan Tong shared first place and Gianna Plaksa tied for third with a 9.800. Tong's 9.850 was her season best, as was Plaksa's 9.800.

"We started out in a very close contest heading into the last rotation," Reighard said. "And Plaksa was instrumental in that, rising above and she did a great job on the balance beams for us. As well as Pedrick and Tong. Those three individuals definitely put us over the top."

UNEVEN BARS
Plaksa tied for first on bars with a score of 9.825, matching her season high. Pedrick was third, and teammate Hayley Porter was fourth, equaling her season best with a 9.750.

VAULT
CMU's Sierra Demarinis and Pedrick were among four gymnasts who tied for first place on the vault with a score of 9.800. It was a career-best score for DeMarinis, a freshman. Chippewas sophomore Kennedy Rae Johnson also posted a season best 9.775, placing fifth.

FLOOR
The Chippewas' best event was in the floor as they posted a 49.025 to match their season high in the event. While Pedrick was second, Abbie Rose Zoeller and Macey Hilliker tied for third at 9.825. It was a season-best score for Hilliker and it matched Zoeller's best score of the season in the event.

The Chippewas came into the meet No. 37 in the nation on floor, averaging 48.750.

"The composure of the team throughout the meet told me a lot about this team," Reighard said. "We had some difficult situations, some breaks that could have gone either way, and I saw us rise above on at least three different occasions."

NEXT
The Chippewas return home to McGuirk Arena for the first time in more than a month when they entertain Eastern Michigan in a MAC meet on Friday, Feb. 15.

The Eagles are 4-5, 2-1 MAC, and coming off a win over Western Michigan. The Eagles posted a season-best 194.850 in winning the dual.