Ball State falls short of win against Ohio State
By Lila Fierek / January 14, 2024Ball State dropped to 1-1 after the Cardinals finished in second pace of the Ohio State tri-meet.
Ball State dropped to 1-1 after the Cardinals finished in second pace of the Ohio State tri-meet.
Ball State gymnastics won its first competitive meet of the season against North Carolina, Rutgers and Utah State. The Cardinals' next meet will be the Ohio State Tri-Meet at 2 p.m. Jan. 14 at Ohio State University against the Buckeyes and Towson University.
With a Co-Mid-American Conference (MAC) Regular Season Championship, a second-place finish at the MAC Championship Meet and a nationally-ranked 34th-best NQS score of 196.395, Ball State earned an at-large team bid to the NCAA Regionals in Norman, Oklahoma, the first time since 1999 the Cardinals will compete at regionals as a team and just the second time in program history.
Ball State tied its fifth-best score in program history and tied its best finish at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship since 2002 with a score of 196.325 to finish second March 18 at host Kent State. It is the seventh runner-up finish in program history for the Cardinals and the first since 2016.
Ball State and its 18 athletic programs compete in Division I of the NCAA, and the university has five programs open exclusively to women — cross country, field hockey, gymnastics, soccer and track and field.
Ball State (6-10-1, 2-4 MAC) placed fourth out of seven competitors with a score of 195.900 points. Central Michigan claimed first place with 196.275 points. Head coach Joanna Saleem said the Cardinals displayed concentration throughout the meet despite a few errors.
Fans need to realize athletes go through everyday struggles and mental blocks just like everyone else. They are allowed to express their feelings and speak up. Almost every time an athlete sidelines themselves, there are ‘fans’ who call them soft, which I think is unacceptable.
This was the Mid-American Conference Championship meet, where all the top programs in the conference gathered in one arena to compete head-to-head.
Bell said he doesn’t need this degree, but he wants it. He has dedicated his entire life to helping others.
Ball State continued its perfect season and improved to 11-0 with a 195.275-193.350 victory over the Huskies.
Taking the floor Sunday afternoon for its season opener, Ball State defeated Central Michigan 193.50-192.375 in its first competition since March 8, 2020, after COVID-19 canceled its final three meets last season.
On March 12, the Mid-American Conference made the announcement it would be canceling regular season, championship and non-traditional competition for the rest of the 2019-20 academic school year in concern with the coronavirus (COVID-19). Here is how Ball State athletes and coaches reacted to the announcement.
The Cardinals not only defeated the reigning MAC Champions on the road 195.800-195.750, but they set a program record for the overall score along the way.
Ball State defeated Kent State 194.575 to 194.450, advancing to 9-4 on the season. They also recorded a season-high on bars of 48.825.
There was something special about the Sunday afternoon win over the Eagles. The 195.750-195.425 win for the Cardinals broke the school record for a total score, topping the previous record of 195.650, which was set at the Mid-American Conference Championship in 2016.
Freshman Taylor Waldo had the last routine on the balance beam for Ball State. Eastern Michigan had a lead of less than a point over the Cardinals, and it all came down to this.
Head coach Joanna Saleem said a buildup in smaller mistakes set the Cardinals back in the squad's first conference loss of the season to Western Michigan 195.750-193.775.
After starting off 5-1 this season, Ball State Gymnastics was met with a true test of strength against a fifth-ranked Denver team. Head coach Joanna Saleem said the team stuck with their regular training leading up to the meet against Denver instead of trying to make changes.
On Sunday the team was able to take the floor at the friendly confines of Worthen Arena and come out with a win, taking first place with a score of 194.200.
Ball State Gymnastics defeated Pittsburgh, 193.750- 193.225, after going into the final event with less than a one-point lead. The final event for Ball State came down to beam, where the team finished with a score of 48.550.
