In new coach Nadalie Walsh's debut with Ball State University, the Cardinals lost 189.825-185.450 Sunday at Western Michigan University.
"I felt really good about the girls," Walsh said. "They had a lot of energy ... they weren't scared or nervous."
Walsh was hired during the summer after spending the previous four years as the head coach of her Alma Mater, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She replaced Lisa Simonton who resigned in April.
In Walsh's career at Wisconsin-Oshkosh, her team won the National Collegiate Gymnastic Association Championship, which is the Division III national title, one year after finishing third. The third place finish in 2006 resulted in her being named the NCGA Coach of the Year.
"My experience there I feel has really helped me grow a lot," Walsh said. "[At Wisconsin-Oshkosh] it was about building confidence ... it's like that here. From the time I got here in August to now they are a lot better."
Sunday's competition began with the uneven bars for Ball State. It scored 46.150 on the bars led by senior Kristin Sprague's 9.575. However, Western Michigan won the event by scoring 47.600.
Ball State then moved to the vault exercise where it performed the best scoring 46.825 to tie Western Michigan in the event. Senior Erica Gilkerson led the Cardinals and tied for the best score in the competition with a score of 9.625.
"Adrenalin and my team and my coaches were really helping me [in the vault]," Gilkerson said. "On vault for me I have to get pumped up ... and my teammates screaming at the top of their lungs helped."
Walsh's next opportunity to pick up her first victory with Ball State will come Friday against Illinois State University. The competition will be the home opener for Ball State.
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