Sunday, March 10
DeKalb, IL
3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT
Ball State University
196.100
at
194.675
Northern Illinois
Gymnastics Tops NIU in Regular Season Road Finale
March 10, 2024 | Gymnastics
DEKALB, Ill. - - The Ball State gymnastics team closed the road portion of its 2024 regular season with a dominating 196.100 to 194.675 victory over Northern Illinois Sunday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center.
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"This week, the team really practiced on having a strong competitive mindset coming into the competition," head coach Joanna Saleem said. "Our goal was to keep our focus on just the team and the routines that we do day in and day out. That really showed on the competition floor today. Even when a little mistake happened, or the environment wasn't ideal, they came in and analyzed what they needed to do and went out and performed really strong gymnastics."
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The Cardinals (13-4; 4-1 Mid-American Conference), who led from the first gymnast on, finished the meet with 13 scores of 9.800-or-higher, won all four individual events and boasted the meet's all-around winner.
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The opening rotation saw the Cardinals turn in another solid team effort on bars, led by freshman Ashley Szymanski and graduate student Megan Teter who tied for the event win with scores of 9.875.
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For Szymanski, the MAC's leader on bars entering the day with an NQS of 9.910, it was the fifth time this season she has boasted the meet-winning score on the apparatus.
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In the second rotation, the Cardinals once again dominated the vault by tying the seventh-best team score in program history at 49.175. The effort was led by one of the nation's best, with senior Suki Pfister landing a winning vault of 9.925.
Pfister entered the meet ranked fifth nationally with an NQS of 9.925 on vault, and now has six vaults scored at 9.900-or-higher this season.
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BSU's vault performance also counted a 9.900 from sophomore Zoe Middleton and a 9.825 from senior Victoria Henry.
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Pfister also led the Cardinals in the third rotation, earning a winning score 9.875 with her floor routine. Teter finished in a close second, at 9.850, while Middleton, the MAC's leader on floor, placed third with a 9.825.
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Ball State rounded out the day with a strong performance on beam, led by junior Grace Sumner's winning routine of 9.850 as BSU's final competitor in the meet. Szymanski was not far behind, taking second at 9.825, while Henry and senior Hannah Ruthberg tied for third at 9.800.
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Led by her efforts on bars (9.875) and floor (9.850), Teter would also capture the all-around title with a score of 39.175. Ruthberg was a close second, however, at 39.150 led by her 9.800s on bars and beam.
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The Ball State gymnastics teams closes the regular season next Sunday (March 17) when it welcomes Eastern Michigan to Worthen Arena for Senior Day.
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"This week, the team really practiced on having a strong competitive mindset coming into the competition," head coach Joanna Saleem said. "Our goal was to keep our focus on just the team and the routines that we do day in and day out. That really showed on the competition floor today. Even when a little mistake happened, or the environment wasn't ideal, they came in and analyzed what they needed to do and went out and performed really strong gymnastics."
Â
The Cardinals (13-4; 4-1 Mid-American Conference), who led from the first gymnast on, finished the meet with 13 scores of 9.800-or-higher, won all four individual events and boasted the meet's all-around winner.
Â
The opening rotation saw the Cardinals turn in another solid team effort on bars, led by freshman Ashley Szymanski and graduate student Megan Teter who tied for the event win with scores of 9.875.
Â
For Szymanski, the MAC's leader on bars entering the day with an NQS of 9.910, it was the fifth time this season she has boasted the meet-winning score on the apparatus.
Â
In the second rotation, the Cardinals once again dominated the vault by tying the seventh-best team score in program history at 49.175. The effort was led by one of the nation's best, with senior Suki Pfister landing a winning vault of 9.925.
Pfister entered the meet ranked fifth nationally with an NQS of 9.925 on vault, and now has six vaults scored at 9.900-or-higher this season.
Â
BSU's vault performance also counted a 9.900 from sophomore Zoe Middleton and a 9.825 from senior Victoria Henry.
Â
Pfister also led the Cardinals in the third rotation, earning a winning score 9.875 with her floor routine. Teter finished in a close second, at 9.850, while Middleton, the MAC's leader on floor, placed third with a 9.825.
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Ball State rounded out the day with a strong performance on beam, led by junior Grace Sumner's winning routine of 9.850 as BSU's final competitor in the meet. Szymanski was not far behind, taking second at 9.825, while Henry and senior Hannah Ruthberg tied for third at 9.800.
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Led by her efforts on bars (9.875) and floor (9.850), Teter would also capture the all-around title with a score of 39.175. Ruthberg was a close second, however, at 39.150 led by her 9.800s on bars and beam.
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The Ball State gymnastics teams closes the regular season next Sunday (March 17) when it welcomes Eastern Michigan to Worthen Arena for Senior Day.
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