Ball State University
Mid-American Conference
Gymnastics Posts Season High Bar Score at MAC Championships
March 18, 2017 | Gymnastics
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio-- The Ball State Cardinals posted a 194.750 Saturday at the 2017Â Mid-American Conference Championships, good for the ninth best score in school history but not enough to capture their second championship.
Eastern Michigan won the championships with team total of 196.500. Bowling Green came in second with a 196.125. Central Michigan stood third with a score of 196.100. Western Michigan earned fourth with a 196.075. Northern Illinois took fifth with a 195.725. Kent State stood sixth with a team total of 194.850 and following in seventh are your Ball State Cardinals with a 194.750.
The Cardinals finished out their season scoring 48.675 on vault, a 4th place record book score and season high 49.125 on bars, 48.075 on beam and 48.875 on floor.
"Scoring a season high on bars was really great," head coach Joanna Saleem said. "As a coach it is so much fun to watch your team apply what they do in practice out on the competition floor. They were hitting handstands, sticking dismounts and hitting six for six routines, which was an awesome thing to watch."
Ball State started the Championships on the vault. Kaitlyn Menzione and Jordyn Penny both scored a 9.750 landing the pair in twentieth place. After vault the team rotated to a Bye where they prepared for bars.
The bar team added to history by claiming fourth place in the Ball State gymnastics record book with its season high score of 49.125. Madison Howell and Kayla Beckler scored 9.850 landing them in eighth place.
On beam Jordyn Penny claimed ninth with a score of 9.850 and Baylee Bell earned a 9.800 landing her in eighteenth.
The Cardinals finished the competition on floor. Kayla Beckler and Kaitlyn Menzione tied for twenty-first place with scores of 9.825.
"So far this is the best team that I have coached here at Ball State," Saleem stated. "Although we didn't do exactly what I know this team is capable of doing today we stayed together as a team and we carried excitement throughout the meet. The MAC has gotten so strong that we can't come out and fall. We have to learn how to come out and be successful and confident in the gymnastics that we are doing no matter the size of the competition."
Gymnast Of The Year: Rachel Stypinski, Kent State
Specialist Of The Year: Jamyra Carter, Northern Illinois
Senior Gymnast Of The Year: Jessie Peszek, Western Michigan
Freshman Of The Year: Jovannah East, Bowling Green
Coach Of The Year: Sam Morreale, Northern Illinois
All-MAC First Team
Jovannah East, Bowling Green
Kendall Valentin, Eastern Michigan
Rachel Stypinski, Kent State
All-MAC Second Team
Lauren Feely, Bowling Green
Catie Conrad, Eastern Michigan
Katy Clements, Central Michigan
Jordan Hardison, Kent State
Skyelee Lamano, Kent State
Jamyra Carter, Northern Illinois
Anna Corbett, Western Michigan
Rachael Underwood, Western Michigan
For more news on Ball State gymnastics, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateGym and @CoachSaleem on Twitter.
Players Mentioned
