Gymnastics Celebrates Senior Day With Best Score of the Season

MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State gymnastics team made sure it honored its senior class in style Sunday afternoon at Worthen Arena, tying the third-best score in program history on its way to a 196.900 to 193.975 victory over Northern Illinois.

"After a rough competition last week, we pulled together in the gym and focused on having some clarity about our goals," head coach Joanna Saleem said. "We came back to the core value of being connected as a team, working together and finding the joy of the here and now. That is what we saw today; they were connected, having fun in the moment and you could see the confidence growing."

Leading the way for the Cardinals (13-6; 3-1 Mid-American Conference) was its beam squad which saw sophomore Delaney McMahon tie the program's individual record with BSU's highest individual score of the season at 9.925.

In fact, Ball State's five countable scores earned a total of 49.350 which also ties the program's team record on beam. Junior Zoe Middleton tied her career-best on the apparatus with a 9.900, while both sophomore Lindsay Fuller and senior Grace Sumner earned 9.850s. The Cardinals' final countable beam score was a 9.825 from sophomore Ashley Szymanski.

Along with her 9.900 on beam, Middleton added 9.900s on both vault and floor, while scoring a 9.800 on bars for the fourth-best all-around score in program history at 39.500. Middleton also owns two of the other three top marks, including her program record score of 39.750 set last season.

After dropping out of the top 36 in last week's RoadToNationals.com rankings, the Cardinals needed big scores to move back into team regional contention. They earned plenty Sunday, with 19 total scores of 9.800-or-higher, including six scores of at least 9.900.

ROTATION 1: VAULT (49.150):
- The Cardinals tied the 11th-best vault score in program history with its 49.150
- Middleton led the way with a season-best 9.900, which is the second-highest individual vault score in the MAC this season
- Graduate Suki Pfister and freshman Karli Mercer followed with scores of 9.825, with Mercer's mark also being a career-best
- The Cardinals also counted a career-best 9.800 from senior Cai Afalla and a 9.800 from sophomore Lindsay Girard

ROTATION 2: BARS (49.175):
- The Cardinals also tied the 11th-best bars score in program history with its 49.175
- Szymanski led the way with her first 9.900 of the season in the event.
- Junior Mary Rose Bellen tied her career high for the third time this season with a 9.850
- Ball State also counted a 9.825 from graduate Hannah Ruthberg and 9.800s from Middleton and Sumner

ROTATION 3: BEAM (49.350):
- The Cardinals tied the program record on beam with a 49.350
- McMahon made the biggest mark, becoming the sixth gymnast in program history to earn a program-record score of 9.925
- Middleton was not far being, with a career-best score of 9.900
- The Cardinals also counted 9.850s from Fuller and Sumner, along with a 9.825 from Szymanski

ROTATION 4: FLOOR (49.225):
- The Cardinals closed the meet by tying the 19th best team floor score in program history at 49.225
- Middleton and junior Alauna Simms led the way on floor, each scoring 9.900, with Simms' effort being a career best.
- Senior Carissa Martinez was next on the list, earning a 9.875, followed by Girard at 9.825 and Afalla at 9.725

ALL-AROUND:
- Middleton was the meet's lone all-around competitor, earning her season-best score of 39.500.

UP NEXT:
The Ball State Gymnastics team returns to action next Sunday (March 9) with a 1 p.m. showdown at Kent State.

Gymnastics Celebrates Senior Day With Best Score of the Season

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Players Mentioned

Cai Afalla

Lindsay Fuller

Lindsay Girard

Carissa Martinez

Delaney McMahon

Karli Mercer

Zoe Middleton

Suki Pfister

Hannah Ruthberg

Alauna Simms

Grace Sumner

Ashley Szymanski