Gymnastics Takes Second at MAC Championships

Saturday, March 21

Bowling Green, OH

2 p.m.

Ball State University

195.800

Mid-American Conference

Mary Rose Bellan on Beam at the 2026 MAC Championships

March 21, 2026 | Gymnastics

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - - Fueled by the meet's best vault and bars rotations, the Ball State gymnastics team placed second among the seven teams at the 2026 Mid-American Conference Championships hosted by Bowling Green at the Stroh Center.

All six Cardinals in the vault lineup earned at least a 9.800, with the team posting a season-best score of 49.150. Leading the way were Ball State's first two competitors in the event, as sophomores Jordanna Phillis and Karli Mercer tied with four other gymnasts for the MAC individual vault title with career-best scores of 9.850.

That helped set the stage for a thrilling finish as Ball State attempted to rally past Central Michigan in the seventh and final rotation.

Ball State gave its best shot by turning in the best team bars score of the championship at 48.925. In fact, senior Mary Rose Bellan won the event by tying her career best with a 9.900, while senior Zoe Middleton took second with a 9.875 one routine earlier.

Unfortunately, the effort was not enough for the Cardinals to overtake the Chippewas for the overall team title. CMU won the meet with a score of 196.025, while BSU placed second at 195.800. It was Ball State's second-highest score of the season.

Kent State took third at 195.325, followed by Eastern Michigan (194.675), Western Michigan (194.525), host Bowling Green (194.275) and Northern Illinois (193.675).

Along with placing second on bars, Middleton would finish second in the all-around with a score of 39.250. Along with her 9.875 on bars, she scored 9.850 on floor, 9.825 on vault and 9.700 on beam. It was her third-highest all-around score of the season.

Along with the individual event titles and runner-up finishes, a pair of Cardinals were honored for their work performances during the regular season.

Junior Ashley Szymanski took home her second straight MAC Specialist of the Year award, giving the Cardinals five straight such honors after Suki Pfister claimed the award three straight years (2022, 2023 & 2024).

Following her stellar freshman campaign, Carley Stalder became just the second gymnast in program earn MAC Freshman of the Year honors, joining 2024 honoree Szymanski. Stalder also turned in a solid MAC Championship, tying for fourth on floor with a career-high tying 9.875, while tying for ninth on beam (9.800) and tying for 12th on vault (9.800).

ROTATION 1: Beam (48.750)
- Junior Delaney McMahon led the Cardinals in the opening rotation, earning a 9.825 ... It was her eighth score of 9.800-or-higher in the event this season
- Stalder followed with a 9.800, her fifth score to reach or exceed the mark this season
- Mercer finished just shy of her career high with a 9.775, while the Cardinals also counted a 9.700 from Middleton and a 9.650 from junior Lindsay Fuller

ROTATION 2: BYE

ROTATION 3: Floor (48.975)
- Stalder tied her career high with a 9.875 to lead the Cardinals in its second competitive rotation ... It was Stalder's fifth floor score of 9.800-or-higher this season
- Middleton was not far behind, closing the rotation with a 9.850 for her sixth score of 9.800-or-higher this season
- Sophomore Avery Kantor opened the rotation with a 9.800, her third-highest score of the season trailing a pair of career-high 9.825s
- The Cardinals also counted a 9.750 from sophomore Viviana Campuzano and a 9.700 from senior Alauna Simms

ROTATION 4: BYE

ROTATION 5: Vault (49.150)
- Ball State turned in its best vault rotation of the season, and best vault rotation of the meet, with all six gymnasts scoring at least a 9.800 for a 49.150 ... The effort ties as the 11th-best in program history and was the highest among all teams at the meet
- Phillis set the tone, blowing her previous career best out of the water with a 9.850 to tie for the event title ... Her previous career best was a 9.775
- Mercer followed with another career-best 9.850 to also tie for the event title, beating her previous mark of 9.825
- In the three spot, freshman Ava Thurston tied her career best with a 9.825
- The Cardinals also counted a 9.825 from Middleton and a 9.800 from senior Mary Rose Bellan
- Stalder rounded out the rotation with a 9.800 of her own.

ROTATION 6: BYE

ROTATION 7: Bars (48.925)
- Ball State turned in the meet's best bars rotation, earning a 48.925
- Bellan earned her first career individual MAC title by tying her career best with a 9.900 ... It tied as the second-highest score of the meet and was one of only four scores of 9.900-or-better on the day
- Middleton was close behind, earning a 9.875 to take second in the event ... It was her sixth bars routine of at least 9.800 this season
- Mercer's score of 9.800 was third for the squad and tied for fifth overall
- The Cardinals also counted a 9.750 from junior Ava Molina and a 9.600 from McMahon

ALL AROUND:
- Middlton finished second in the all-around with a score of 39.250
- Along with her 9.875 to place second on bars, she scored 9.850 on floor, 9.825 on vault and 9.700 on beam
- It was her third-highest all-around score of the season,

UP NEXT:
The Ball State gymnastics team will now await selection Monday (March 23) 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.