The gymnastics team continued its season-long struggle to post competitive scores at West Virginia on Sunday. Ball State finished third out of three teams, scoring a 190.975.
No. 16 Penn State won the tri-meet by scoring a 196.650. West Virginia posted a 195.425 to finish second.
Jenna Tarkington and Kelli Davis did not participate in the meet for the Cardinals. Tarkington injured her elbow while warming up on bars before the meet. Davis suffered an ankle injury earlier in the week during practice and was held out of action.
"It's disheartening not to have them," head coach Mary Roth said. "They are two of my top all-arounders. The people who replaced them didn't score what Kelli and Jenna can."
Davis had led the Cardinals in the all-around in the three previous meets. It was more difficult for the Cards not having Davis and Tarkington due to the way the meet was judged.
"It was a high-scoring meet, so it would have been good to have them there," Roth said.
Kaylen Metheny finished sixth on bars, scoring a 9.725. She was the highest finisher in any of the events for the Cards.
Brittany George and Kristin Sprague both posted scores of 9.775 to finish eighth on the floor.
Jessica Surridge was the top Cardinal finisher on vault (9.650) and beam (9.700). Surridge finished fifth in the all-around, tallying a score of 38.525.
With Davis and Tarkington unable to compete, Roth said the team's depth was important.
"At least I had people to put in," Roth said. "In the past I didn't have as many choices when people got injured."
The Cardinals (2-12, 0-3 Mid-American Conference) have yet to score a 192 team total this season after scoring a 192 or better eight times last year. The best score of the season came at home during the Cardinal Classic when BSU registered a 191.950.
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