Ball State University
Eastern Michigan
Gymnastics Suffers Defeat at Eastern Michigan
February 22, 2015 | Gymnastics
Ball State's gymnastics team suffered a 195.275 to 193.875 loss at Eastern Michigan in Mid-American Conference action Sunday afternoon.
“The focus for this season has been about consistency and building momentum,” Ball State head coach Joanna Saleem said. “I have emphasized the importance of consistency throughout the entire year, and that is something this team has been. Without that it is difficult to build any momentum because you are always trying to figure out how to compete as a group. We have consistently performed at the mid to high 193 range. So in that regard, I am happy. We have learned how to compete as a group, how to walk out on the competition floor and hit our routines. We have learned how to work together to have a solid performance.”
The Cardinals best event on the day was the floor exercise where Erin Patchey won with a 9.850 and Shelby Arms tied for second with a 9.800. It marked the second week in a row Patchey has won the floor, while Arms tallied a career high in the event.
Ball State's Denasiha Christian tied for second on the vault with a 9.775 mark, while Miranda Kuehl and Kayla Beckler tied for second on the beam with identical 9.800 marks. The 9.80 score was a career high for Kuehl. Beckler scored a career high with a 38.95 in the all-around to place second.
“Shelby Arms has worked relentlessly in the gym, paying attention to all the details of her floor routine, and that paid off today when she had a great performance and came in second only to her teammate, Erin Patchey,” Saleem said. “Kayla Beckler had a nice solid meet on all four events.”
Ball State, 1-7 on the season and 1-3 in the MAC, returns to action Friday vs. Northern Illinois in the Cardinals' Senior Night Meet in Irving Gym of the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Admission to the 7 p.m. is free to all fans.
“In order to continue progress we now have to narrow our focus on the details of our gymnastics,” Saleem said. “We have reached the halfway point in the season and now we need to focus on all the landings, every arm position, every toe point, every handstand, basically every tenth that can be deducted. The season is about building momentum. It is about improving week to week, and now that we know how to compete, it is time to expand our efforts during practice each day on fine tuning these details. If we want to score the 194's and 195's that this team is capable of, then every member of the team has to raise the level of what is acceptable with every turn they take in the gym.”
