Pfister & Szymanski Claim MAC Individual Titles

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - - The Ball State gymnastics team celebrated Mid-American Conference Championships Saturday with a pair of individual league titles at Central Michigan's McGuirk Arena.

The first came from graduate student Suki Pfister who finally claimed the one vault accolade which has previously eluded her over her illustrious career. In fact, Pfister tied for the second-highest individual score of the championships with her 9.900 which was 0.050 better than anyone else on the apparatus.

In addition, it was Pfister's second-best vault of the season and her 20th collegiate vault of 9.900-or-higher.

Ball State's second individual title came in the meet's final rotation, when sophomore Ashley Szymanski successfully defended her title on bars with her sixth 9.875 of the season. Like Pfister on vault, she was 0.050 ahead of the next closest individual on bars.

Not only did Szymanski claim her second straight bars title, but she was also named the MAC Specialist of the Year after finishing the regular season with a league-high bars NQS of 9.875 to go along with the seventh-best beam NQS at 9.810. She kept the award in Muncie for the fourth straight season, following in the footsteps of Pfister who won the honor in each of the past three seasons.

Along with her win on bars, Szymanski would lead the squad on beam, tying for 12th overall among the 42 competitors with a score of 9.750.

Led by the event wins, the Cardinals turned in an overall team score of 195.075 to place fifth among the seven-team field. Host CMU would defend its home turf, taking home the team title with a score of 195.725.

ROTATION 1: BEAM (48.250)
- In the opening rotation, Symanski led the Cardinals with a 9.750.
- Sophomore Lindsay Fuller and senior Grace Sumner followed, each receiving scores of 9.700.

ROTATION 2: FLOOR (49.175)
- Ball State's best rotation of the championships, finishing with a team score of 49.175.
- Four Cardinals recorded scores of 9.850, starting with senior Carissa Martinez and followed by sophomore Ava Molina, sophomore Lindsay Girard and graduate student Hannah Ruthberg.
- The 9.850s, which tied for ninth overall, were also personal-best scores for Molina and Girard.
- Ball State also counted a 9.775 from junior Alauna Simms.

ROTATION 3: VALUT (48.875)
- Pfister came away as the MAC vault championship, leading the competition with a score of 9.900.
- In just her third vault of the season, freshman Jordanna Phillis put up a personal-best score of 9.775 to tie for 12th.
- The Cardinals also counted scores of 9.750 from Girard and Ruthberg, as well as a 9.700 from freshman Karli Mercer.

ROTATION 4: BARS (48.775)
- Szymanski made it two straight individual MAC bars titles with a score of 9.875.
- Phillis added a score of 9.775, followed by Molina and Ruthberg who each recorded a 9.725.
- Ball State counted Sumner's 9.675.

ALL AROUND:
- In her final MAC Championships, Ruthberg placed seventh in the all-around with a score of 38.350 … The effort was highlighted by her 9.850 on floor, along with a 9.750 on vault and a 9.725 on bars.

UP NEXT:
The Ball State gymnastics team will now await selection Monday to see which of the team's individuals have earned a berth into the NCAA Regionals. The NCAA Selection Show is scheduled to air at Noon on ESPNU.

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Players Mentioned

Lindsay Fuller

Lindsay Girard

Carissa Martinez

Karli Mercer

Ava Molina

Suki Pfister

Jordanna Phillis

Hannah Ruthberg

Alauna Simms

Grace Sumner

Ashley Szymanski