The Ball State gymnastics team will head to Columbus, Ohio Saturday, and meet up with the Ohio State Buckeyes for a non-conference meet. Three of the Cardinals' last four meets have been on the road, and they will be facing a red hot Buckeye team.
Ohio State has won consecutive matches over Illinois and Michigan State. The momentum the Buckeyes generated from the two victories earned them a No. 25 ranking.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, struggled last week in their lost to Mid-American Conference rival Kent State. The problem hasn't been the team's performance, but the injuries they've endured. Ball State competed last Friday at Kent with only eight girls, as opposed to the usual 12.
The team will be healthier for Saturday's meet, but will again be without Shauna Feeney. The freshman is set to have wrist surgery, and it is not known how long she will be out.
With the Cardinals coming back stronger they look forward to the meet with Ohio State with confidence.
"They're good, but they're not way better than us," senior captain Jenny Taylor said. "With them being a Big Ten school, they have more money, nice facilities, and bigger crowds. They get a lot of respect. Everyone knows who Ohio State is, but we can compete with them."
As good an opponent as Ohio State is, the Cards' schedule doesn't get any easier. They have six meets remaining before the MAC Championship, including five on the road. The Cards host Illinois State and Illinois-Chicago in their lone home meet.
Despite the amount of time spent on the road the Cardinals aren't letting their schedule get to them.
"In the past we've only had three or four meets at home, so it's not that out of the ordinary. It's not really that fun, but it's not bad," Taylor said.
Ball State won't be quite at full force for Saturday's meet, but the Cardinals have been battle tested on the road all season long. The competition between the Cardinals and the red-hot Buckeyes should be fierce.
The action begins Saturday night when the Cards hit the mat at 7 p.m.
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