After having improved the overall team score in consecutive meets, the gymnastics team is looking to continue this trend when it travels to Kent State today for a 7 p.m. match
Ball State (2-6, 0-2 Mid-American Conference) started its season with a 190.025 at the Michigan State Invitational. The Cardinals improved that score considerably to a 191.750 in a loss to Bowling Green. In the most recent meet, Ball State scored a 191.950 at home in the Cardinal Classic.
Head coach Mary Roth said this steady improvement is important, and she wants to see it happen again.
"I want us to get a higher team score," Roth said. "We're going against Kent and they're pretty tough."
Kent State (1-1) was picked to finish second in the MAC preseason poll. The Golden Flashes have already knocked off a ranked opponent, beating then-No. 23 West Virginia, 190.875-190.525. Kent lost in its most recent contest to No. 5 Oklahoma, scoring only 188.475 points.
The Cardinals have dropped the past five meetings between the two schools and trail in the all-time series, 22-6.
The key to the first conference win of the season for BSU will be to have few or zero falls. The Cards struggled on beam during their last meet, having to count two falls.
"We wanna go into the meet and hit all of our sets -- 24 routines," senior Quiana Williams said. "We've been getting better and better each meet, but we've still had to count falls. If we hit 24 routines, that's how we win meets."
Roth believes in a similar concept as Williams, in that she wants to see each gymnast have confidence in her routines.
"I really focus on my team, what each individual is doing," Roth said. "As each individual gets better, the team's score gets better.
"We just want to come home with a higher team score," she said. "We'd love to come home without counting any falls. So that's my two goals."
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