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(02/21/10 5:00am)
Take the Ball State University gymnastics team's best score in years. Add the team that managed to outlast that performance. Then throw in a third squad that is just as competitive as the other two.
(02/21/10 5:00am)
It seemed like the same story being told again.Going into the final rotation, the Ball State University gymnastics team was involved in another tight meet. The team trailed Illinois State University by 0.025 and narrowly led Texas Woman's University by 0.15.This was a familiar situation for the Cardinals. Each time, something had gone wrong and they would drop the meet by a narrow margin.But this time, the Cardinals stepped up on the floor exercise.Each gymnast had a clean routine, with score above 9.6, including career highs by freshman Emily Wehrle and sophomore Ellie Carrico."I feel like there's a lot more fire in them and a lot more confidence," coach Nadalie Walsh said.The meet-best 48.6 propelled the Cardinals to the victory.Ball State finished with a 192.075 to defeat Illinois State (191.4) and Texas Woman's (191.2). It is the fourth meet this year decided by less than a point."I think we finally held it together throughout the whole meet and we definitely showed [our potential]," Wehrle said.Overcoming mistakes was key to the Cardinals' victory.Last week, consecutive falls doomed the squad on the balance beam and the floor. Walsh said she knew there would be problems, but didn't want them to domino like in previous weeks."I feel like we had mistakes the way we do in other meets, but they were able to keep it non-emotional and they didn't let it effect them," she said.This week, the Cardinals responded well to its errors. Although they were forced to count a mistake on the bars after freshman Morgan Coslow and senior Ashley Jacob suffered falls, sophomore Kayla Kmiecik and junior Katelyn Busacker responded well. They both put up solid scores on the next routine to get the Cardinals back on track."They get the props for what we were able to muster out on bars," Walsh said. "Without them being confident in themselves and realizing that what the person before them does doesn't affect them, they wouldn't have step up and done that. It would've been disastrous."In what was a very competitive meet, Ball State won the vault with a season-best 48.525 along with the floor Sunday. Illinois State took the beam honors and Texas Woman's triumphed on the bars.For the second straight week, the team had six clean vaults, including a season-best 9.725 by Jacob. Walsh said that she just wants to see cleaner landings on the vault in the upcoming weeks.Ball State was led by sophomore Brittney Emmons, who scored a 9.825 to win the floor exercise and a 9.75 to tie for first on the vault.Senior Bibiana Rodriguez was the top scorer on the uneven bars for Ball State, and Wehrle led the team on beam with a 9.625.Sophomore Rashonda Cannie, of Texas Woman's (3-6), took the all-around with a 38.65, outlasting Illinois State junior Erica Schick (38.55) and Emmons (38.5).Illinois State's (8-3) top scorer was sophomore Melissa Mann. She won the beam with a 9.75.With the two wins, Ball State improves to 5-6 on the season. The five wins make up the most in a season during Walsh's three-year tenure.The Cardinals will have their third-straight home meet next Sunday at 1 p.m. Ball State will host Kent State University, the preseason Mid-American Conference favorites. Walsh said that continued confidence will allow the Cardinals to be competitive next week."The goal is to keep doing what we're doing, but doing it better," she said.
(02/16/10 5:00am)
As Ball State University freshman gymnast Amber Parsley steps on the mat to start her floor routine, the opening strains of Flo Rida's "Right Round" blare over the Worthen Arena loudspeakers.Although most people are impressed by the jumps, flips and landings of the gymnasts, music plays a large role in a floor exercise as well.Sophomore Brittney Emmons, the top-scoring gymnast on the floor in the Mid-American Conference, likes to pick music that can get the crowd involved."The whole point is to get the crowd involved with your floor routine," she said. "I love the fact that I can do that with people and show them my personality through my floor routine."Emmons uses a mix that she equates to the Blue Man Group."It's a lot of drums and very upbeat," she said. "That's pretty much how all of my floor music has been, kind of upbeat. I'm not that slow, graceful kind of person."Freshman Nicole Allen chose a hip hop mix featuring Dorrough's "Ice Cream Paint Job," one of her favorite songs. Freshman Morgan Coslow uses a Britney Spears mix, including "Womanizer.""It's really fun and upbeat," she said. "I'm really outgoing and happy a lot and optimistic. It's fun to perform to."
(02/14/10 5:00am)
The Ball State University gymnastics team was almost like a domino set Sunday; when one fell, down went another.
(02/14/10 5:00am)
Almost. Just missed. So close.
(02/09/10 5:00am)
Ball State University sophomore gymnast Brittney Emmons was named the Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week Tuesday afternoon."Getting the title never crossed my mind," she said. "Now that it's happened, it's pretty cool that I won it."Emmons had one of the best all-around performances in program history in Friday's loss at Illinois State University, tallying three career-highs and tying another. Her career-highs came in the all-around (38.300), beam (9.750) and bars (9.800), while she tied her career-high of 9.875 on the vault.Her all-around score is the third-best all-time at Ball State and the highest score ever recorded in a regular season meet."When they told me it was the third highest score ever, I really couldn't believe it," Emmons said. "Now I want to work to get the top score."The score is also the highest in the conference this year.Emmons has also been dominant on the floor exercise this season. She is currently the No. 23 all-around gymnast in the country, according to GymInfo.Coach Nadalie Walsh said that she was happy to have one of her gymnasts honored. She said that she has been working with Emmons to fine tune all of her events throughout the year."She definitely has the potential to be at regionals again," Walsh said.Walsh said that she wants Emmons to qualify for regionals for the second-straight year, but this time on all-around. Emmons competed at the NCAA Central Regionals on vault and floor in 2009. She echoed Walsh's sentiments on her individual goals."I would love to represent Ball State and the MAC," she said.Emmons said her first priority is to get her team to regionals; individual accomplishments are secondary.Despite losing the meet Friday, Ball State had a near-perfect meet against Illinois State, with 19 of 20 clean routines.The Cardinals lost 194.15-193.925 for their third straight loss by less than a point.However, Ball State's 193.925 score was the highest for the program under coach Nadalie Walsh and best overall since 2004.This is the first weekly award from the MAC for Ball State since Nichole Sleeper was named the conference's Specialist of the Week for her performance at the University of Pennsylvania on Jan. 9, 2009. It is the first Gymnast of the Week award since Erica Gilkerson in 2008.Sophomore Katelyn Busacker was nominated for the weekly specialist award after tying for first on the beam and setting a career-high on the bars.Emmons and the Cardinals return to action at 1 p.m. Sunday when they host Bowling Green State University at Worthen Arena.
(02/09/10 5:00am)
Ball State University sophomore gymnast Brittney Emmons on Tuesday afternoon was named the Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week.
(02/06/10 5:00am)
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. In gymnastics, close is the difference between winning and losing.
(02/06/10 5:00am)
The youthful Ball State University gymnastics team goes west for the second straight week when it travels to face Illinois State at 7 p.m.Coach Nadalie Walsh said one key goal for the team is to execute on the final rotation. The Cardinals have lost three meets this season in which they led after the third rotation, including last week against Northern Illinois University."We have to perform well on the last rotation," Walsh said.This will be the first meet of the season for Ball State not on a Sunday. Walsh said that she thinks the short week will not affect her team, adding that the gymnasts have been efficient in practice to be prepared for the meet.She said Ball State has added some new, challenging skills to its repertoire for tonight's meet. Adding these skills should help to boost the team's overall score once they are clean.The Cardinals (3-4, 0-2 Mid-American Conference) are looking to even their overall record as they face off against their third Midwest Independent Conference opponent this year. Ball State finished second in the Cardinal Classic, defeating the University of Illinois-Chicago and falling to Southeast Missouri State University.This is the final home competition in a five-meet homestand for the Redbirds (4-2). Against common opponents – Western Michigan University and Southeast Missouri State – Ball State is 0-2 and Illinois State is 1-1.Sophomore Ellie Carrico should return to the Cardinals' lineup tonight. She competed on the floor exercise in the first three meets of the season, but missed the meet against Northern Illinois. Walsh said she expects Carrico to compete on the floor as well as the balance beam.Leadership has been a mixed bag for the Cardinals so far this season. In all, nine gymnasts have led the team in at least one event."I feel like that's extremely encouraging," Walsh said. "It makes sense because we haven't put it all together yet. Any of our girls could win an event [Friday]."Despite the parity, sophomore Brittney Emmons is still the de facto leader of the squad. She has six first-place finishes so far this season.Emmons will be challenged in the all-around by junior Erica Schick, the reigning MIC All-Around Gymnast of the Week. Freshman Apollonia Barrientos also won the MIC Specialist of the Week for her performance on the floor, uneven bars and vault.Despite their records, Ball State and Illinois State have similar statistics this year. The Cardinals have the better high score of the season, but Illinois State has a 0.8 advantage in average score.Ball State should be favored in the floor, but the meet could come down to the bars. The teams' average score on the bars are the closest in the four events.The Cardinals last faced the Redbirds in 2008, losing by more than three points. The two squads will square off twice this season with the second meeting Feb. 21.
(01/18/10 5:00am)
With an improvement of more than five points from its last meet, the Ball State University gymnastics team earned its first and second victories of the season by finishing in second place at the University of New Hampshire Invitational Sunday.
(01/16/10 5:00am)
If a sports season is a long and winding road, Sunday might represent one of the longest stretches for the Ball State University women's gymnastics team.
(12/04/09 5:00am)
Coach Nadalie Walsh is trying to answer one question."It's still early, but where are we as a team?" she said.Walsh hopes to find answers this Saturday when the Ball State University women's gymnastics team hosts the University of Kentucky in an exhibition meet at 1 p.m. in Worthen Arena. This will be the first exhibition meet that the Cardinals have held during Walsh's tenure. In previous seasons, the team has held an intrasquad exhibition to prepare for the regular season, she said.This year's squad will be led by sophomore Brittney Emmons and senior Bibiana Rodriguez. Emmons qualified for the NCAA Regional in both the vault and floor and Rodriguez qualified for Regionals in the uneven bars. Walsh said that both girls were already looking great this early in the season. She also credited sophomore Kayla Kmiecik for stepping up and becoming a leader on the team."The core of team is stepping up," Walsh said.Walsh said that she feels that the team is mostly ready for the vault, uneven bars and balance beam, but thinks that the team is still developing in the floor exercise. Many of the floor routines will be a little watered down this Saturday, she said, with the goal of having five of the six women hit their routines cleanly."We want to have a safe, good experience," Walsh said.The team will also look to replace some lost parts from last season. Along with replacing NCAA Regional competitor Teresa Phipps, seniors Brittney Bauer and Laura Shockey have both been ruled out for the season. Bauer suffered a knee injury and Shockey hurt her shoulder. Bauer will be missed in the floor exercise, which she competed in all 12 meets last year. Shockey has missed the last two seasons, sitting out the 2008-2009 campaign with a medical redshirt. Walsh said that the duo will still provide senior leadership and offer their experience and knowledge to the rest of the team.One addition to the team will be freshman Morgan Coslow. Walsh said that Coslow will most likely see action in every event on Saturday."It's always great to see the freshman in action," Walsh said.Not every Cardinal gymnast will compete against the Wildcats. Walsh did not specify who would sit, but she said that she did not want to put anyone in a situation where they could injure themselves."If the girls aren't ready, it's okay to rest them," she said.Another benefit of the exhibition is the opportunity to compete against top NCAA gymnasts. Described by Walsh as a perennial top-18 team, Kentucky finished the season with a sixth-place finish at NCAA Central Regionals, a national ranking of 30 and have made the regional championships for five straight years. The Wildcats leaders include senior Hillary Ferguson, who competed in the all-around in every meet last year, and sophomore Whitney Rose, the 2009 SEC Freshman of the Year."It's going to be good for my team to see their team," Walsh said.Despite the exhibition title, Walsh plans on treating this just like a regular season contest. The Cardinals faced the Wildcats in a five-way meet last season and lost to them by less than two points. Ball State last defeated Kentucky in the NCAA Regional in 1999.As the meet approaches, Walsh is excited by the potential of this year's team, but there's still going to be some mystery until she sees the gymnasts go into action."I just don't know exactly what's going to happen," she said. "I'm curious to see who's going to go out and be competitive."
(11/23/09 5:00am)
The Ball State University gymnastics team has announced the signing of two gymnasts as part of the 2010-2011 freshman class.Kayla Hani and Leah Wilson signed their national letters of intent last week, according to a Ball State press release."They are both experienced gymnasts," coach Nadalie Walsh said. "They both showed clean performances and a high level of skill."Walsh said that she learned about the two women through the promotional materials that they sent out about themselves, including YouTube clips that were posted of both in competition."The girls did a really good job of marketing themselves," Walsh said.Both are members of the Orlando Metro Gymnastics Club, which is one of the more well-known clubs in the nation, according to Walsh."The club is known for gymnasts that are very clean," Walsh said. "They use strict discipline in their training."Hani was the 2009 USA Gymnastics Florida State Beam Champion, is a two-time Junior Olympic Nationals Qualifier and was the 2008 USA Gymnastics Regional Beam Champion. Wilson was a member of the Junior Olympic National Team the past two seasons.While Walsh said that both gymnasts are really refined at this point in their development, she does expect some different things from each athlete."Kayla is more powerful, and Leah is more graceful," Walsh said.Walsh said that she was also pleased by the involvement of the families of the two women. Both families seemed very excited by the opportunity that they are getting in becoming Cardinals.She said that additional future Cardinal gymnasts are still being recruited, but expects those announcements to be made in the Spring Semester.Along with the announcement of the new signees, the Cardinals have also released their 2009-2010 schedule on the Ball State Sports Web site.Ball State will open the season by hosting the University of Kentucky on Dec. 5 in an exhibition meet."We will be treating the exhibition like a real meet," Walsh said. "We're training really hard to be ready for it."The team will open its regular season schedule on Jan. 10 at Western Michigan University. Ball State's first regular season home meet will be the Cardinal Classic on Jan. 24. The meet will be held in Worthen Arena.Walsh said she is excited by some of the new non-conference opponents one this year's schedule. It adds variety to the usual Mid-American Conference meets that are on the schedule every year. She said she is particularly looking forward to the trip to Gainesville, Fla., on March 5 when Ball State will compete against the University of Florida and the University of North Carolina."It will give us an opportunity to compete against high quality non-conference competition," Walsh said. "They will get to see what it's like to experience competition against the highest level of skilled gymnasts."
(03/14/09 4:00am)
The Ball State University gymnastics team will head to East Lansing, Mich., Sunday for a 2 p.m. meeting with Michigan State University and the University of California, Berkeley.The Cardinals (3-9, 1-5 Mid-American Conference) enter the meet averaging a team score of 191.211 per meet and an event-high score of 48.350 on the vault.After completing nine meets, Cardinal average team scores are rounded off with a 47.891 on the uneven bars, 47.175 on the balance beam and a score of 47.738 on the floor routine.For the first time in weeks, head coach Nadalie Walsh will direct her team on sufficient amounts of rest. The majority of the team is recuperated, rested and ready to go, she said. But the statuses of Teresa Phipps, Katelyn Busacker and Amanda Davies are still questionable, Walsh said."We had a few minor injuries on Tuesday, and [Phipps, Busacker, Davies] sprained their ankles," Walsh said. "We're just hoping that if we give them these next two days, they'll be better by Sunday. If not, we may have to rest them to guarantee a good meet [next week] at [the University of] Arizona."Prognoses of the ankle sprains will be revealed only as quickly as time will tell, Walsh said.If the three are unable to compete, the Cardinals might face competing without a full lineup, Walsh said."We're not sure right now, but I'm hoping for the best," Walsh said. "I think they are very tough gymnasts, and they'll be able to pull through, but it's just a question in my mind right now. Every day gets a little better."Walsh said she hopes both of the Cardinals' opponents Sunday will operate on short rest.Michigan State University competes tonight at 7 p.m. when it plays host to Auburn University. California travels to Kalamazoo, Mich., to take on Western Michigan University, also a 7 p.m. slating."I know that when we competed on a Thursday and then a Sunday, our Sunday was not the best for us," Walsh said of the opponents' short recovery time. "So, maybe we'll be lucky and they won't have their best meet and we will. We're going to keep doing what we've been doing."