Working off of a redemption performance at Western Michigan last weekend, Ball State gymnastics (9-8, 3-3 MAC) will face Central Michigan (8-7, 4-1 MAC) in the final meet of the regular season.
Ball State saw vast improvement last weekend in Kalamazoo, posting its third-highest team score of the season after posting its second-lowest score of the season a week prior vs. Eastern Michigan. According to head coach Joanna Saleem, the team is getting back to the gymnastics it is used to doing.
“They went out and remembered what it was like to compete and have fun,” Saleem said. “They weren’t distracted by any emotions or side thoughts that were going on a week before. They did a great job of letting the Eastern Michigan meet go and getting back to the basics.”
One thing the team has struggled with this season is staying consistent. After last week’s finish, the Cardinals are looking to stay on the rise and maintain consistency by treating this meet like any other.
“The big message is that this is just another meet,” Saleem said. “We want to go out and have fun while we are performing.”
Two gymnasts that have remained consistent for the Cardinals are seniors Baylee Bell and Jordyn Penny on beam. For the past four meets, Bell and Penny have finished in the top two for the Cardinals.
“Jordyn and I are looking to stay consistent with our performances and stay confident in our skills going forward,” Bell said. “Being successful at this meet will help us going into MAC next week with a positive attitude.”
Having success in this meet is huge for the Cardinals. The Chippewas currently sit in first place in the Mid-American Conference and will be hosting the MAC Championships next weekend. According to Saleem, the experience on the floor will be extremely helpful going into the championships.
“It’s going to be a nice opportunity to compete there and come back next weekend for MAC Championships,” Saleem said. “We’re still going to treat this like another meet before we compete in MAC's.”
The Cardinals will take the floor on Thursday in Mount Pleasant at 7 p.m.
Contact Jack Williams with comments at jgwilliams@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @JackWilliamsBSU.
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