The Ball State gymnastics team earned a split Friday in a home triangular meet against Kent State and Illinois State.-á
Kent State (4-0, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) won the meet with a total score of 194.500. Ball State (3-1, 1-1 MAC) finished with a 192.900, and Illinois State (0-5) totaled 191.175.
Coach Mary Roth felt the team competed well against a tough Golden Flashes squad.
"We held our own with Kent," she said. "They're a good team."
The Cardinals enjoyed a strong performance by fifth-year senior Courtney Vojtasek. After missing the 2003 season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Vojtasek recorded a career-high 39.025 to win the all-around. She also helped lead the way for the Cards on the bars (9.850) and the beam (9.750).
"I'm really excited for her," Roth said of Vojtasek. "She's an excellent gymnast, and that (all-around) was a great score."
Although she missed last season with the injury, Vojtasek was not totally surprised with her performance.
"I felt pretty good about it," she said. "I was just glad that I could pull through when the team needed me."
The team suffered a setback last week when senior Quiana Williams suffered the same injury as Vojtasek, a ruptured Achilles tendon. Williams has already undergone surgery and will miss the rest of the season.
The team will miss Williams, who was the team's Most Valuable Gymnast last season. She also advanced to the NCAA Regional last year as an individual.
Junior Kelli Davis recorded a career-high score of 9.850 on the floor exercise. The mark tied her with Kent State's Jessie James for first place.-á
Davis totaled a 38.400 in the all-around and tied freshman Jenna Tarkington for the team-high on vault (9.650).
Tarkington posted career-highs on the floor, bars and all-around. Her score on the vault tied a personal best.
Junior Jessica Surridge "uncharacteristically missed a bar routine," said Roth, but tied a career-high with a 9.775 on floor.
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