The Ball State University gymnastics team fell to No. 26 Northern Illinois University 191.300 to 192.925 Sunday afternoon in Worthen Arena.
Ball State dropped its record to 1-4 (0-4 Mid-American Conference) in a meet in which the point margin was decided in large part by pivotal falls.
Most evidently, the difference in point margin came at the balance beam, an event that has burdened the Cardinals for two consecutive weeks.
"I think this team is capable of getting over things," coach Nadalie Walsh said of the beam's plague. "The girls on the sidelines just want the [beam] girls to do their jobs. It's hard to fake joy when you watch them fall again; there's really no excuse for it."
The fourth event, Walsh said, is the same one that has hindered the Cardinals from making any real attempt at separating themselves from opponents meet-by-meet.
"It's only hard to keep it [separated] when our [balance] beam team doesn't go and do their job," Walsh said. "If they don't hit [routines] when we ask them to, we just have to have some consequences in practice. One chance, and that's it."
The Cardinals have six balance beam competitors as they continues to recover from injuries.
Senior and team-anointed "spark plug" Cobie Zuk competed for the first time since the 2008 MAC Championships.
"It felt great. I was really excited to finally compete for my team," Zuk said.
Zuk, who competed in the 2008 MAC Championships, posted a 9.50 on the vault. But a big part of the focus, she said, is still on the underclassmen.
"We have a lot of young ones on the team and we need to learn how to use our enthusiasm and adrenaline to our advantage" Zuk said.
Much of the enthusiasm Sunday was drained after two consecutive falls at the start of balance beam competition increased the Huskies' point gap.
Shortly after the event's conclusion, a team huddle directed by Zuk was organized.
"I told them that I'm a senior and that these four years go by so fast," Zuk said. "You have to have fun while you're here; when you have fun, things just happen."
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