Sunday, March 7
Normal, IL
3 p.m.
Central Michigan University
at
Illinois State Quad Meet (with NIU & Lindenwood)
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Chippewas Post Highest Score Since 2018
3/7/2021 7:11:00 PM | Gymnastics
CMU wins quad, picks up steam ahead of postseason
NORMAL, Ill. – Audriana Hammond won the uneven parallel bars and Hannah DeMers tied for first on floor exercise on Sunday as the Central Michigan gymnastics team posted its best score since 2018 in capturing a quad meet at Illinois State.
The Chippewas, who are ranked 24th nationally, scored 196.425, their best since a 197.025 at the Mid-American Conference Championships in their home gym, McGuirk Arena, in 2018. Their previous season best was a 196.300 they set in a dual with Northern Illinois on Feb. 11.
"I think it really starts us off well for what we consider the final phase of the season," CMU coach Christine MacDonald said. "We're continuing to focus on the process and on the little things each day. It is nice to get a nice score like that on the road; I think it makes an even stronger case for your competitiveness because you have to learn to adapt.
"It's a journey. This is another step along the way."
Because it was a quad meet – Illinois State was second with 195.725, followed by Northern Illinois and Lindenwood – the Chippewas started on balance beam, then moved to floor, then to vault, and finished on uneven parallel bars.
The Chippewas were first on vault (49.250), balance beam (48.675), and floor (49.375), and placed second on bars (49.125). Their scores on vault, bars and floor were season highs.
"It was a challenging rotation to have," MacDonald said. "(Our athletes) did a tremendous job of adapting to the different rotations. When you compete in what we consider block style versus alternating, it really brings in more energy to the competition. The athletes like the atmosphere better because it's more similar to what happens at championships and in the postseason."
Hammond, a sophomore, posted a season-best 9.925 in winning bars.
"I think our bar team really gets the credit today as far as just capitalizing on the day and really closing out the day," MacDonald said. "Hammond, a real standout performance today.
"She really focuses on the details – really pretty lines, very clean, she has big skill; she's a great combination of technique and polish. When she hits a routine, it's going to score. She continues to just work hard each day and that's definitely the bar routine we see in practice and it's nice when it shows up on meet day."
DeMers posted a career-best 9.925 in tying for first on floor exercise, while CMU's Nora Fettinger was third (9.900), and Sierra DeMarinis tied for fourth (9.875). Fettinger's score was a career best.
Six gymnasts, five of them from CMU, tied for second on vault (9.850). That Chippewa quintet comprised Kennedy Rae Johnson, Sydney Williams, DeMarinis, Katie Kowalski and DeMers.
CMU's Morgan Tong finished second on beam (9.850) and DeMers placed fourth (9.775).
The Chippewas, who are ranked 24th nationally, scored 196.425, their best since a 197.025 at the Mid-American Conference Championships in their home gym, McGuirk Arena, in 2018. Their previous season best was a 196.300 they set in a dual with Northern Illinois on Feb. 11.
"I think it really starts us off well for what we consider the final phase of the season," CMU coach Christine MacDonald said. "We're continuing to focus on the process and on the little things each day. It is nice to get a nice score like that on the road; I think it makes an even stronger case for your competitiveness because you have to learn to adapt.
"It's a journey. This is another step along the way."
Because it was a quad meet – Illinois State was second with 195.725, followed by Northern Illinois and Lindenwood – the Chippewas started on balance beam, then moved to floor, then to vault, and finished on uneven parallel bars.
The Chippewas were first on vault (49.250), balance beam (48.675), and floor (49.375), and placed second on bars (49.125). Their scores on vault, bars and floor were season highs.
"It was a challenging rotation to have," MacDonald said. "(Our athletes) did a tremendous job of adapting to the different rotations. When you compete in what we consider block style versus alternating, it really brings in more energy to the competition. The athletes like the atmosphere better because it's more similar to what happens at championships and in the postseason."
Hammond, a sophomore, posted a season-best 9.925 in winning bars.
"I think our bar team really gets the credit today as far as just capitalizing on the day and really closing out the day," MacDonald said. "Hammond, a real standout performance today.
"She really focuses on the details – really pretty lines, very clean, she has big skill; she's a great combination of technique and polish. When she hits a routine, it's going to score. She continues to just work hard each day and that's definitely the bar routine we see in practice and it's nice when it shows up on meet day."
DeMers posted a career-best 9.925 in tying for first on floor exercise, while CMU's Nora Fettinger was third (9.900), and Sierra DeMarinis tied for fourth (9.875). Fettinger's score was a career best.
Six gymnasts, five of them from CMU, tied for second on vault (9.850). That Chippewa quintet comprised Kennedy Rae Johnson, Sydney Williams, DeMarinis, Katie Kowalski and DeMers.
CMU's Morgan Tong finished second on beam (9.850) and DeMers placed fourth (9.775).
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