Gymnasts Entertain Western, Go To Illinois

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan gymnastics team faces a busy, and important, weekend with two dual meets on the docket.

The Chippewas are scheduled to entertain Western Michigan on Friday (7 p.m.) in a Mid-American Conference dual at McGuirk Arena. On Sunday (3 p.m.), CMU goes to Illinois for nonconference dual.

The Chippewas are 4-5, 2-2 MAC and coming off a victory at Bowling Green last Sunday. CMU posted a 195.400, its second-best score of the season, in the win over the Falcons.

"We are at the strongest point that we have been at since the beginning of the year as far as our lineups go," CMU coach Christine MacDonald said. "We have been able to bring back individuals into lineup spots. We knew that we would have to have to wait a couple weeks for that to happen, and that time gave other individuals opportunities."

Western Michigan enters Friday's meet atop the MAC at 4-0. The Broncos finished second on Sunday in a nonconference quad at West Virginia. Illinois is 9-5, 4-5 Big Ten.

Tale of the Tape
The Chippewas and Broncos are about as evenly matched, on paper, as they can get. Western ranks 36^th nationally with a 195.060 average, while the Chippewas are one spot behind at 194.995. They are the top two MAC teams in the national rankings.

CMU is ranked 25^th nationally on vault, 38^th on floor exercise, and 39^th on both uneven parallel bars and the balance beam. Western is 44^th on vault, 35^th on floor, 38^th on bars, and 33^rd on beam.

Individual Leaders
CMU senior Denelle Pedrick, the reigning MAC gymnast of the year, is 13^th nationally all-round. She ranks 47^th on vault, 51^st on bars and 48^th on floor. Morgan Tong is CMU's highest-ranked competitor on beam (52^nd). Pedrick is first in the MAC on vault, bars and floor; Tong is first on beam.

Three Western gymnasts hold top-100 national rankings: Amelia Mohler is 60^th on beam, Ronni Binstock is 90^th on floor, and Charlotte Tishkoff is 66^th all-around. Western's highest-ranked vaulter is Josephine Thomas (127). Mohler is ranked 106^th on bars.

Scouting Illinois
The Illini are ranked 22^nd nationally with an average score of 195.780. They rank 21^st on beam, 22^nd on bars, 23^rd on floor, and 38^th on vault.

Next
The Chippewas hit the road next week for a nonconference dual at New Hampshire on Sunday, March 8.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Denelle Pedrick

Morgan Tong

Central Michigan University Athletics