The defending Mid-American Conference champion Ball State gymnastics team will travel to Pittsburgh for its first road meet of the year Saturday. The Cardinals will square off against the host Panthers and West Virginia.
Head coach Mary Roth, in her 18th year as head coach, talked about the difficulties of away meets.
"It is especially hard to win on the road in gymnastics," she said, who is now in her 18th season.
Nonetheless Roth wants to be victorious, adding that it has been a few years since the team has met up with Pitt (0-0) and West Virginia (0-0), but the Cardinals (1-0) have defeated both.
Roth has been pleased with the team's progress so far, stating that the seniors have shown good leadership. She has been equally impressed with freshman all-around competitors, Shauna Feeney and Jennifer Carr.
"They may have the most potential of anyone out there," she said.
The Cardinals have been marred by injuries this seasons. Two of the five seniors are out, including Courtney Vojtasek, who tore her Achilles tendon and is taking a medical redshirt. Feeney will also be out for Saturday's meet, but hopes to return for next Friday's meet at Illinois.
Though victorious in their first meet of the season against Western Michigan, the Cardinals still have plenty of room for improvement, especially, Roth said, with the vault and the number of falls the team suffers.
One of the reasons improvement is needed on the vault is because of new equipment. The women must now use a vault table when competing, and most have never used one until this summer.
Roth would also like to see the team keep its number of falls down, saying that she doesn't like to have more than three a meet, the number it had in the season-opening win over Western Michigan.
"I really hate to count more than three falls per meet," Roth said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
