Finke, 'Scrappy' Cards Face UNC, Top-Ranked Sooners

There isn't much about Sydney Finke that makes sense. She's been committed her entire life to gymnastics, but doesn't really follow the sport outside of her own team. She thrives in and enjoys math, but will pursue social work after college. And she wasn't even supposed to attend Ball State in the first place.

But once she clicked with head coach Joanna Saleem after giving BSU a second look, she's now a senior who already holds a degree on what she calls a "very close, fun and very scrappy team."

Finke said the scrappiness - or resilience - she admires about her team was on full display before the January 13 season opener at George Washington. The team ended up fighting through heavy snow and travel delays that would've shaken and sapped the energy out of any group of people.

"Last weekend we had a 16-hour travel day and we came out and did really well," Finke said. "In the past, we may have been tired and would've let us affect us. But we were scrappy and we fought it and we didn't give up.

"I really see the potential this year's team has, I think we're going to do really big things this year. This program has been building over the last couple of years and we keep pushing ourselves every single day. Whenever things get tough, it doesn't matter because we are going to push and make ourselves better."

Finke, an Indianapolis native who earned her degree in three years, completed an internship at Youth Opportunity Center in Muncie, where she was a support care specialist for at-risk youth. She is pursuing graduate school after her BSU career wraps up, but as the 2019 season gets off the ground there's more work to do.

"Gymnastics-wise, it's about being ready mentally and making sure my body is ready to go," Finke said. "I want to stay in the moment and enjoy every second I have here because it's almost over."

The ride continues this weekend in ACC country at North Carolina, where the Cards will face the Tar Heels for the second consecutive weekend. Ball State's scores held up against UNC for three rotations at GW last weekend, making it clear that the Gym Cards belong on the biggest stages. The other team on the floor this weekend is top-ranked Oklahoma. It marks the first time Ball State has competed with the nation's top team since 2015 when Florida visited Muncie.

"For some people, that might matter, but it's just another meet," Finke said. "We're going to go out and compete."

Tri Meet At North Carolina
Ball State | North Carolina | #1 Oklahoma
Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019 - 2 p.m.
Live Video | Twitter | Live Results

Finke, 'Scrappy' Cards Face UNC, Top-Ranked Sooners

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Sydney Finke

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