Sunday, February 16
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
1 p.m.
Central Michigan University
195.075
vs
195.175
Kent State
Chippewas Rally, Before Falling Just Short In MAC Dual
2/16/2020 6:14:00 PM | Gymnastics
Pedrick, Pitchell, Demers notch firsts for CMU
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan gymnastics team made a strong charge after falling into a deep deficit before eventually falling by a narrow margin to Kent State on Sunday in a Mid-American Conference dual at McGuirk Arena.
The Golden Flashes finished with a 195.175 team score, while the Chippewas finished with 195.075 in their first home meet of the season.
The scoreboard showed the teams tied after the final rotation, however Kent State filed an inquiry and it was ruled that a KSU gymnast's start value was too low. The increase in the start value lifted the Golden Flashes to the victory.
"That's extra motivation for us coming back into the gym," CMU senior Denelle Pedrick said. "The end goal is MAC Championships and we're going to work for that extra half-10th per person and bump ourselves back up for a national qualifying score.
"I was really proud of our team today. We had a rough start (but) we never gave up; we never saw ourselves as out of it. We took it one event at a time, one routine at a time, and we knew what we were capable of."
The Chippewas are 3-5, 1-2 MAC. Kent State is 9-1, 1-1.
How It Happened
The Chippewas posted a 48.300 in their opening event, the vault. Meanwhile, Kent State started with a 48.800 on bars. The Chippewas trailed until the end of the fourth rotation when they posted a 49.000 on floor exercise, marking the second consecutive meet that they reached or surpassed the 49-point threshold.
"We started a little slower than we would have liked to, but I think everybody did the best that they could do in that moment," CMU coach Christine MacDonald said. "We continued to build from there and didn't let one mistake affect our performance."
Chippewa leaders
Pedrick won the vault and tied with teammate Hannah Demers, a freshman, for first on the uneven parallel bars. CMU freshman Taylor Pitchell won the floor exercise, while Pedrick was second. Pedrick was fourth on balance beam and won the all-around with a 39.400 score.
Bars
CMU rebounded from its sub-par showing on vault with a 49.075 score on bars. It was the Chippewas' second-best bars score of the season and it marked the first time that they have broken 49 in the event since their season-opening tri-meet victory at Michigan.
Pedrick led the charge of outstanding individual efforts on bars, posting a career-best 9.900. Demers (9.900) and CMU's Brenna Hauser (9.800) tied their respective career best scores in the event, and senior Sydney Williams finished with a career-best 9.825 while competing for just the second time this season on bars.
Pedrick, the reigning MAC Gymnast of the Year, now has career bests in all four events of 9.900 or better.
"I've been working hard in the gym on the details because that's what separates a 9.8 and a 9.9 – those handstands, those stuck dismounts," Pedrick said. "Everyone on our team works on the details every day in practice and we push each other.
"I wholeheartedly believe my score today came from the team pushing me in practice to be better. We keep each other accountable and do what needs to be done."
Beam
Kent State's Rachel Decavitch won the beam with a 9.875, but the Chippewas claimed the next four spots: Sierra Demarinis and Morgan Tong tied for second at 9.850, while Pedrick was fourth, and freshman Mayleigh Vanderbeek tied for fifth.
The 9.850 was a season best and tied a career high for Demarinis, a sophomore.
Floor
Pitchell, yet another freshman who came through for CMU on Sunday, posted a career best in winning the floor exercise and, though the Chippewas eventually did not win the meet, their performances in the final three rotations was highly encouraging, Pedrick said.
"Coming off of three good events we know we can come back and once we put it all together, I think we're going to be unstoppable," she said.
Said MacDonald: "Of course we would have liked to have start a little stronger, but I think at the end of the day we finished on a high note. In our sport you can only control what you're going to do. That's really where our focus was today.
"I think this team continues to show resilience, they continue to show their passion for the sport and each other and the belief that we take it one routine at a time. When you want something very badly and you don't achieve that goal, of course it drives you a little more the next week.
"As long as we stay in a positive place and we understand that these are learning moments, and everything is preparing us for the end of the year … it's another good score and we need to continue to build off of those good scores. They have a very good focus on what to take from these (meets)."
The Golden Flashes finished with a 195.175 team score, while the Chippewas finished with 195.075 in their first home meet of the season.
The scoreboard showed the teams tied after the final rotation, however Kent State filed an inquiry and it was ruled that a KSU gymnast's start value was too low. The increase in the start value lifted the Golden Flashes to the victory.
"That's extra motivation for us coming back into the gym," CMU senior Denelle Pedrick said. "The end goal is MAC Championships and we're going to work for that extra half-10th per person and bump ourselves back up for a national qualifying score.
"I was really proud of our team today. We had a rough start (but) we never gave up; we never saw ourselves as out of it. We took it one event at a time, one routine at a time, and we knew what we were capable of."
The Chippewas are 3-5, 1-2 MAC. Kent State is 9-1, 1-1.
How It Happened
The Chippewas posted a 48.300 in their opening event, the vault. Meanwhile, Kent State started with a 48.800 on bars. The Chippewas trailed until the end of the fourth rotation when they posted a 49.000 on floor exercise, marking the second consecutive meet that they reached or surpassed the 49-point threshold.
"We started a little slower than we would have liked to, but I think everybody did the best that they could do in that moment," CMU coach Christine MacDonald said. "We continued to build from there and didn't let one mistake affect our performance."
Chippewa leaders
Pedrick won the vault and tied with teammate Hannah Demers, a freshman, for first on the uneven parallel bars. CMU freshman Taylor Pitchell won the floor exercise, while Pedrick was second. Pedrick was fourth on balance beam and won the all-around with a 39.400 score.
Bars
CMU rebounded from its sub-par showing on vault with a 49.075 score on bars. It was the Chippewas' second-best bars score of the season and it marked the first time that they have broken 49 in the event since their season-opening tri-meet victory at Michigan.
Pedrick led the charge of outstanding individual efforts on bars, posting a career-best 9.900. Demers (9.900) and CMU's Brenna Hauser (9.800) tied their respective career best scores in the event, and senior Sydney Williams finished with a career-best 9.825 while competing for just the second time this season on bars.
Pedrick, the reigning MAC Gymnast of the Year, now has career bests in all four events of 9.900 or better.
"I've been working hard in the gym on the details because that's what separates a 9.8 and a 9.9 – those handstands, those stuck dismounts," Pedrick said. "Everyone on our team works on the details every day in practice and we push each other.
"I wholeheartedly believe my score today came from the team pushing me in practice to be better. We keep each other accountable and do what needs to be done."
Beam
Kent State's Rachel Decavitch won the beam with a 9.875, but the Chippewas claimed the next four spots: Sierra Demarinis and Morgan Tong tied for second at 9.850, while Pedrick was fourth, and freshman Mayleigh Vanderbeek tied for fifth.
The 9.850 was a season best and tied a career high for Demarinis, a sophomore.
Floor
Pitchell, yet another freshman who came through for CMU on Sunday, posted a career best in winning the floor exercise and, though the Chippewas eventually did not win the meet, their performances in the final three rotations was highly encouraging, Pedrick said.
"Coming off of three good events we know we can come back and once we put it all together, I think we're going to be unstoppable," she said.
Said MacDonald: "Of course we would have liked to have start a little stronger, but I think at the end of the day we finished on a high note. In our sport you can only control what you're going to do. That's really where our focus was today.
"I think this team continues to show resilience, they continue to show their passion for the sport and each other and the belief that we take it one routine at a time. When you want something very badly and you don't achieve that goal, of course it drives you a little more the next week.
"As long as we stay in a positive place and we understand that these are learning moments, and everything is preparing us for the end of the year … it's another good score and we need to continue to build off of those good scores. They have a very good focus on what to take from these (meets)."
Players Mentioned
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