B-S-U! 2020 Gymnastics Schedule Is Out
October 23, 2019 | Gymnastics
After a season that saw 10 wins and three gymnasts compete in an NCAA Regional, Ball State gymnastics is back with a 2020 schedule that features five home dates and competition against the nation's best.
"We think it's important to get our student-athletes on a stage against schools in the top 25," head coach Joanna Saleem said. "It helps gain experience and it lets us know where we stand. Competing against the top teams gives us an excellent opportunity for exposure and to gain confidence."
WEB SCHEDULEÂ Â |Â Â PDF SCHEDULE
Those top-ranked teams on the 2020 gymnastics schedule include three teams that ended last season in the top 10 - Denver (#5), Michigan (#7) and Georgia (#8). Those challenges and five home dates in Worthen Arena are the highlights for a team that Saleem says is "going places that will challenge us and give us exposure so we can continue to grow. It's always better to be striving and reaching for the next bar."
Geographically, Ball State will be competing in places that give the Cardinals on this year's roster a chance to compete close to home. Claudia Goyco and Grace Evans are from Georgia, and Sandra Elsadek and Marissa Nychyk are from nearby Florida, so that gave the Cardinals extra incentive to go to UGA. The season opener at Iowa allows for freshmen Minnesotans Alivia Ostendorf and Taylor Waldo to compete close to their home state.
"It's nice to get our student-athletes closer to their homes so family and friends can see them compete," Saleem said.
Ball State will host a quad meet Sunday, Jan. 26 that features league opponent Bowling Green. The Cardinals then host Eastern Michigan (Feb. 16) and Kent State (Feb. 23) on consecutive February Sundays.
The final home meet of the season - Sunday, March 8 - brings North Carolina to Worthen. Past years have seen the Cardinals host SEC opponents Kentucky and Florida. This year, an ACC opponent visits Muncie.Â
"It's always important to have out-of-conference schools and bigger schools to compete at our venue," said Saleem. "It was really great to have Florida come here a few years ago and having North Carolina come here is good for our program and good for Ball State."
One rarity on this year's schedule is the Cardinals will have two double-weekends instead of the usual one. A double weekend is when the team competes Friday and again on Sunday. The two double-weekends are Feb. 14-16 and March 13-15.
"We normally wouldn't schedule two double-weekends, but we it's an awesome opportunity to compete against top programs and give ourselves more opportunities to have another good showing for nationals," Saleem said.Â
Follow Ball State gymnastics on social media here: FACEBOOKÂ Â |Â Â TWITTERÂ Â |Â Â INSTAGRAM
Sunday, Jan. 26 - vs. Bowling Green, SEMO, UW-LaCrosse
Sunday, Feb. 16 - vs. Eastern Michigan
Sunday, Feb. 23 - vs. Kent State
Sunday, March 8 - vs. North Carolina
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"We think it's important to get our student-athletes on a stage against schools in the top 25," head coach Joanna Saleem said. "It helps gain experience and it lets us know where we stand. Competing against the top teams gives us an excellent opportunity for exposure and to gain confidence."
WEB SCHEDULEÂ Â |Â Â PDF SCHEDULE
Those top-ranked teams on the 2020 gymnastics schedule include three teams that ended last season in the top 10 - Denver (#5), Michigan (#7) and Georgia (#8). Those challenges and five home dates in Worthen Arena are the highlights for a team that Saleem says is "going places that will challenge us and give us exposure so we can continue to grow. It's always better to be striving and reaching for the next bar."
Mark your ?? for our 5 home dates! Check out our full schedule here!
— BallState Gymnastics (@BallStateGYM) October 23, 2019
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Geographically, Ball State will be competing in places that give the Cardinals on this year's roster a chance to compete close to home. Claudia Goyco and Grace Evans are from Georgia, and Sandra Elsadek and Marissa Nychyk are from nearby Florida, so that gave the Cardinals extra incentive to go to UGA. The season opener at Iowa allows for freshmen Minnesotans Alivia Ostendorf and Taylor Waldo to compete close to their home state.
"It's nice to get our student-athletes closer to their homes so family and friends can see them compete," Saleem said.
Ball State will host a quad meet Sunday, Jan. 26 that features league opponent Bowling Green. The Cardinals then host Eastern Michigan (Feb. 16) and Kent State (Feb. 23) on consecutive February Sundays.
The final home meet of the season - Sunday, March 8 - brings North Carolina to Worthen. Past years have seen the Cardinals host SEC opponents Kentucky and Florida. This year, an ACC opponent visits Muncie.Â
"It's always important to have out-of-conference schools and bigger schools to compete at our venue," said Saleem. "It was really great to have Florida come here a few years ago and having North Carolina come here is good for our program and good for Ball State."
One rarity on this year's schedule is the Cardinals will have two double-weekends instead of the usual one. A double weekend is when the team competes Friday and again on Sunday. The two double-weekends are Feb. 14-16 and March 13-15.
"We normally wouldn't schedule two double-weekends, but we it's an awesome opportunity to compete against top programs and give ourselves more opportunities to have another good showing for nationals," Saleem said.Â
Follow Ball State gymnastics on social media here: FACEBOOKÂ Â |Â Â TWITTERÂ Â |Â Â INSTAGRAM
2019-20 Gymnastics Home Dates
Sunday, Dec. 8 - Red vs. White MeetSunday, Jan. 26 - vs. Bowling Green, SEMO, UW-LaCrosse
Sunday, Feb. 16 - vs. Eastern Michigan
Sunday, Feb. 23 - vs. Kent State
Sunday, March 8 - vs. North Carolina
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