Sunday, February 28
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
2 p.m.
Central Michigan University
195.975
vs
193.750
Bowling Green
Season Bests On Floor, Bars Lift Chippewa Gymnasts
2/28/2021 5:48:00 PM | Gymnastics
CMU posts second-best score of the season in win over Bowling Green
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan gymnastics team rode season-best scores in the floor exercise and the uneven parallel bars on Sunday to a dual-meet victory over Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green at McGuirk Arena.
The Chippewas posted a 195.975 team score, their second best of the season. They finished at 49.075 on bars and 49.325 on floor and topped the Falcons in all four events. Bowling Green finished with 193.800.
CMU's Sydney Williams and Hannah DeMers tied for first on vault (9.850); the Chippewas' Kennedy Rae Johnson won bars (9.825); CMU's Ashley Veglucci captured the balance beam (9.800); and Chippewa Sierra DeMarinis won the floor exercise (9.925).
"Today was a great team effort," CMU coach Christine MacDonald said. "We continue to grow each week and evolve as a competitive team and that's what we're striving for. The process is in place to build on our gymnastics week in and week out.
"We're really focusing on our national ranking and getting to the MAC Championships as the best team that we can possibly be. Really, it's a building block every weekend. Every score, we learn, we review, and we continue to strive for perfection in each event."
The Chippewas posted a 195.950 team total a week ago at Kent State. That score followed a season-high 196.300 in a home dual with Northern Illinois. The Chippewas have been at 195.050 or better in each of their last four meets.
DeMers, a sophomore, posted a season-best 39.300 in taking the all-around, a score bolstered by a career-best 9.900 on floor.
"I think as a team we're gradually growing and getting better by focusing on the little things and it's really showing up," DeMers said. "It's always focusing on the details, and even if it was your best score there's always something to work on, always something to strive to be better at and never settle.
"Always push for greatness and always push to be the best version of yourself. I think we do a really good job of pushing ourselves to get that."
The Chippewas' 49.100 vault score was .50 below their season best in the event and they bettered their season average (48.920). They scored a 48.475 on beam, their third-best score in the event this season and a few strides above their season average (48.130).
"We did not have a perfect meet and we had struggles on beam today," MacDonald said. "It's the most-visible event, so if you're off at all, it's noticeable. It's just time on task. Everybody is doing their part and working. We still have a lot of people waiting in the wings and that's where you see our exhibition people, who are still trying to get there. We still haven't found our final six; we are getting there. We take balance beam as a great challenge and great opportunity to really show our growth this year."
Vault
The 9.850 was a season best for Williams and it tied a season best for DeMers. CMU freshman Elizabeth Cesarone (9.825) tied for fourth.
Bars
Johnson's 9.875 was a career high as the Chippewas swept the top-five spots in the event. Adriana Bustelo was second with a career-best 9.825, while Veglucci and DeMers (9.800) tied for third. DeMarinis (9.775) tied for fifth with two Bowling Green gymnasts.
Beam
CMU took the top three spots as they posted a 48.475 score in the event. Freshman Amber Mueller, competing for just the third time, posted a career-best 9.750 in placing second; DeMers (9.750) was third and DeMarinis (9.650) tied for fifth.
Floor
The Chippewas were as dominant on floor as they were on bars. DeMers posted a career-high 9.900 in placed second to DeMarinis. CMU's Nora Fettinger (9.850) was third, while Veglucci, Williams and Taylor Pitchell (9.825) tied for fourth.
The Chippewas posted a 195.975 team score, their second best of the season. They finished at 49.075 on bars and 49.325 on floor and topped the Falcons in all four events. Bowling Green finished with 193.800.
CMU's Sydney Williams and Hannah DeMers tied for first on vault (9.850); the Chippewas' Kennedy Rae Johnson won bars (9.825); CMU's Ashley Veglucci captured the balance beam (9.800); and Chippewa Sierra DeMarinis won the floor exercise (9.925).
"Today was a great team effort," CMU coach Christine MacDonald said. "We continue to grow each week and evolve as a competitive team and that's what we're striving for. The process is in place to build on our gymnastics week in and week out.
"We're really focusing on our national ranking and getting to the MAC Championships as the best team that we can possibly be. Really, it's a building block every weekend. Every score, we learn, we review, and we continue to strive for perfection in each event."
The Chippewas posted a 195.950 team total a week ago at Kent State. That score followed a season-high 196.300 in a home dual with Northern Illinois. The Chippewas have been at 195.050 or better in each of their last four meets.
DeMers, a sophomore, posted a season-best 39.300 in taking the all-around, a score bolstered by a career-best 9.900 on floor.
"I think as a team we're gradually growing and getting better by focusing on the little things and it's really showing up," DeMers said. "It's always focusing on the details, and even if it was your best score there's always something to work on, always something to strive to be better at and never settle.
"Always push for greatness and always push to be the best version of yourself. I think we do a really good job of pushing ourselves to get that."
The Chippewas' 49.100 vault score was .50 below their season best in the event and they bettered their season average (48.920). They scored a 48.475 on beam, their third-best score in the event this season and a few strides above their season average (48.130).
"We did not have a perfect meet and we had struggles on beam today," MacDonald said. "It's the most-visible event, so if you're off at all, it's noticeable. It's just time on task. Everybody is doing their part and working. We still have a lot of people waiting in the wings and that's where you see our exhibition people, who are still trying to get there. We still haven't found our final six; we are getting there. We take balance beam as a great challenge and great opportunity to really show our growth this year."
Vault
The 9.850 was a season best for Williams and it tied a season best for DeMers. CMU freshman Elizabeth Cesarone (9.825) tied for fourth.
Bars
Johnson's 9.875 was a career high as the Chippewas swept the top-five spots in the event. Adriana Bustelo was second with a career-best 9.825, while Veglucci and DeMers (9.800) tied for third. DeMarinis (9.775) tied for fifth with two Bowling Green gymnasts.
Beam
CMU took the top three spots as they posted a 48.475 score in the event. Freshman Amber Mueller, competing for just the third time, posted a career-best 9.750 in placing second; DeMers (9.750) was third and DeMarinis (9.650) tied for fifth.
Floor
The Chippewas were as dominant on floor as they were on bars. DeMers posted a career-high 9.900 in placed second to DeMarinis. CMU's Nora Fettinger (9.850) was third, while Veglucci, Williams and Taylor Pitchell (9.825) tied for fourth.
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