In the mid-1990s Sarah Doyle dominated gymnastics at Ball State University like no one had before, and 11 years after her last performance she's getting the type of induction that only the best receive.
Doyle, known as Mikrut during her competition days, is one of five former Cardinal athletes that make up the 2007-08 class for the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame.
She came to Ball State in 1993 from Carmel High School in Wauconda, Ill. and left in 1997 as the owner of almost all the school's gymnastics records. To this day she still owns the vault, beam, floor and all-around records.
She qualified for the NCAA Championships in 1996, becoming the first Cardinal gymnast to do so, and qualified again in 1997. She was named a 1996 National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches Academic All-American, and she qualified for the NCAA Regional all four seasons.
One of her greatest feats as a gymnast is her record in the vault. Her score can never be broken, only tied, because she scored a perfect 10.0.
"Just thinking about it makes me really happy," Doyle said. "It's one of those things that every gymnast dreams about ... If I'm having a really bad day I can head over to my parents' and watch [the tape]. It's an easy way to cheer me up."
Jen Miller, a teammate and roommate of Doyle's at Ball State, said Doyle was the kind of teammate who always put the team first and always came through.
"It wasn't just all about her. It was about the team, and that's why she wanted to do well," Miller said. "She was someone you could always count on. There was never any doubt ... I could count on one hand the times she made a mistake in a meet."
After graduation Doyle went to Northern Illinois University to earn her master's in sports management. While there she began her coaching career as the head gymnastics coach at Buffalo Grove High School.
After finishing her degree she accepted a job in athletic marketing at Northwestern University. A year later Doyle said goodbye to Northwestern and returned to her hometown of Wauconda.
"I knew I eventually wanted to be a mom and have a different kind of schedule," she said. "The athletic director from my high school actually invited me back to be the head gymnastics coach."
Doyle, in addition to coaching gymnastics at Carmel, was a chemistry and physical science teacher at the school for seven years. She said she resigned from teaching last semester to become what she went back to her hometown to be: a mom.
Doyle and her husband Kevin had their first child in October. After the birth she retired from teaching to raise her son, Jonathan Edward, who she said she calls Jack.
Doyle said she has no plans to be a full-time stay-at-home mom. She will continue coaching at Carmel and will work part-time in the marketing department for a local gymnastics club, she said.
Doyle will return to Ball State for the Hall of Fame induction and will be honored at the Cardinals' next home gymnastics meet Friday, she said.
"It was one of those things that I would walk around the arena and see all the Hall of Fame inductees at Worthen Arena [and] I would always think 'One day I hope that could happen for me,'" Doyle said.
That day has come 11 years after she last performed as a Cardinal and Miller said she couldn't think of anyone more worthy of the accolade.
"Nobody deserves this honor more than her," Miller said. "She's a great addition to the athletic Hall of Fame."
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