The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is one of the most competitive conferences in women’s collegiate gymnastics, consistinng of seven teams: Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois, and Western Michigan. Although these are teams you might not see televised quite as often, they are all certainly worth tuning in to watch whenever possible. In the past few seasons the entire conference has been making its way up the national rankings. More and more teams are qualifying individuals or full teams to regionals, and not to mention that in 2011, Kent State qualified a full team to nationals. Since the teams in the MAC conference may not be ones you’re very familiar with, here’s a little preview of each team.
Ball State
- 2017 national ranking: 43rd
- MAC Championship placement: 7th
- 2017 accomplishments: Set new floor record with a 49.500
Returners to Watch out for
- Kaitlyn Menzione, junior
- Competed AA in eight meets last season
- Career highs: VT 9.875 | UB 9.825 | BB 9.700 | FX 9.925 | AA 38.975
- Baylee Bell, senior
- Competed beam in every meet last season
- 2016 NCAA regional qualifier
- Career highs: BB 9.900
- Bri Slonim, sophomore
- Competed vault and beam in every meet last season
- Career highs: VT 9.850 | BB 9.825
Newcomers
- Vicky Garcia
- Three time J.O. regional qualifier
- Placed sixth on vault and fifth on bars at 2016 regionals
- Claudia Goyco
- Three time J.O. regional qualifier
- Placed second on floor and third in the AA at her 2017 state championship
- Arden Hudson
- 2016 regional qualifier
- 2016 regional beam champion also placed sixth on bars at that meet
- Has trained and competed a FHS double full vault, which is a 10.0 SV
- Brooke Johnson
- Four-time regional qualifier
- 2014 J.O. NIT qualifier
- Placed fourth on beam at her 2017 state championship
- Tia Kiaku
- 2017 J.O. national qualifier
- 2017 regional floor champion
- Won 2017 regional floor title with this powerful routine
- Tori Long
- Two-time regional qualifier
- Placed second on vault at her 2017 state championship
Bowling Green
- 2017 national ranking: 46th
- 2017 MAC championship placement: 2nd
- 2017 accomplishments: sent two individuals to NCAA Regional Championships
Returners to Watch out for
- Jovannah East, sophomore
- 2017 MAC Freshman of the Year
- 2017 NCAA regional qualifier
- Career highs: VT 9.900 | BB 9.875 | FX 9.925
- India McPeak, senior
- Competed in 12 meets last season
- Career highs: VT 9.675 | BB 9.925 | FX 9.825
- Laura Mitchell, senior
- Competed bars and beam in every meet last season
- Career highs: UB 9.850 | BB 9.925 | FX 9.850
Newcomers
- Whitney Cronin
- Four-time regional qualifier
- 2015 J.O. NIT qualifier
- Alexandra Fochler
- Four-time regional qualifier
- 2014 J.O. nationals qualifier
- Jasmine Jones
- Two-time regional qualifier
- 2016 regional floor champion
- Nacaida Kearns
- 2016 J.O. nationals qualifier
- 2016 regional floor champion
- Elena Lawson
- Three-time regional qualifier
- Placed third AA at 2017 state championship
- Grace Logan
- Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
- 2017 regional uneven bars champion
- Samantha Marion
- Four-time regional qualifier
- Placed fourth on vault at 2017 regional championship
- Jordan Peloquin
- Two-time J.O. nationals qualifier
- 2017 regional floor champion
Central Michigan
- 2017 national ranking: 25th
- 2017 MAC championship placement: 3rd
- 2017 accomplishments: qualified two individuals to NCAA National Championships
Returners to Watch out for
- Katy Clements, senior
- 2017 NCAA National Championship qualifier on beam
- Competed vault, beam and floor in every meet last season
- Career highs: VT 9.850 | BB 9.925 | FX 9.925
- Kasey Janowicz, junior
- 2016 MAC Freshman of the Year
- Competed in 10 meets last season
- Career highs: VT 9.875 | UB 9.900 | BB 9.900 | FX 9.900 | AA 39.400
- Denelle Pedrick, sophomore
- 2017 NCAA National Championships qualifier on vault
- Has competed a Yurchenko double full
- Career highs: VT 9.900 | BB 9.700 | BB 9.825 | FX 9.925 | AA 39.050
Newcomers
- Nora Fettinger
- Two-time regional qualifier
- Placed second on floor at her 2017 regional championship with this routine
- Kennedy Rae Johnson
- Three-time J.O. national qualifier
- 2017 J.O. national uneven bars champion
Eastern Michigan
- 2017 national ranking: 22nd
- 2017 MAC championship placement: 1st
- 2017 accomplishments: qualified to NCAA Regional Championships for only the second time in program history
Returners to Watch out for
- Ciara Gresham, junior
- Competed in 12 meets last season
- Career highs: VT 9.875 | BB 9.850 | FX 9.875
- Lacey Rubin, redshirt senior
- Competed bars and beam in every meet last season
- 2017 MAC uneven bars champion
- Career highs: UB 9.900 | BB 9.900
- Kendall Valentin, senior
- Competed bars and beam in every meet last season
- Career highs: VT 9.900 | UB 9.950 | BB 9.900 | FX 9.725 | AA 39.200
Newcomers
- Megan Benzie
- Three-time regional qualifier
- 2017 Virginia state floor champion
- Cortney Bezold
- Two-time J.O. national qualifier
- Competed a FTDLO bars dismount on her way to placing 11th at 2017 J.O. nationals
- Cali Harden
- 2017 regional qualifier as a first-year level 10
- Placed second AA at 2016 level 9 easterns
- Has recently trained a 10.0 start value front pike half vault
- Brianna Price
- Two-time J.O. national qualifier
- 2016 regional floor champion
- Vaulted a Yurchenko full-on back tuck as a J.O. competitor—worth a 10.0 in NCAA
- Jada Rondeau
- Four-time J.O. national qualifier
- 2017 regional vault, beam and floor champion
- Jeanai Scott
- Three-time J.O. national qualifier
- Has battled injuries that kept her out the past two seasons, last major competition was 2015 J.O. nationals where she placed ninth AA
Kent State
- 2017 national ranking: 31st
- 2017 MAC championship placement: 6th
- 2017 accomplishments: home of the 2017 MAC All Around Champion, Rachel Stypinski
Returners to Watch out for
- Sarah McCarty, sophomore
- Competed vault in three meets last season
- Training a FHS pike half vault; if she competes it this season, the team will have a 10.0 SV vault
- Career highs: VT 9.700
- Rachel Stypinski, senior
- Competed the all around in nine meets last season
- 2016 and 2017 MAC Gymnast of the Year
- Career highs: VT 9.850 | UB 9.900 | BB 9.950 | FX 9.975 | AA 39.525
- Brooke Timko, senior
- Competed bars in nine meets last season
- Check out how her bars training is going this preseason
- Career highs: VT 9.875 | UB 9.875 | BB 9.850
Newcomers
- Sydney Chapman
- Four-time regional qualifier
- Placed sixth on beam at 2017 regionals
- Fine-tuning her Yurchenko full for her freshman season
- Abby Fletcher
- Two-time J.O. national qualifier
- Placed seventh on vault at 2017 J.O. nationals with this huge Yurchenko full
- Nasha Manitkul-Davis
- 2016 J.O. national qualifier
- Placed second at 2016 regionals
- Toshi Richard
- Two-time regional qualifier
- Placed fifth on vault at 2016 regionals
Northern Illinois
- 2017 national ranking: 39th
- 2017 MAC championship placement: 5th
- 2017 accomplishments: set a new team score record with an impressive 196.150
Returners to Watch out for
- Amanda Bartemio, sophomore
- Competed vault and floor in every meet as a freshman
- Preformed an exhibition on bars in six meets; look for her to crack that lineup in the future
- Career highs: VT 9.825 | FX 9.850
- Anna Martucci, junior
- Competed on floor in eight meets and beam in three meets last season
- Career highs: BB 9.825 | FX 9.925
- Ashley Potts, senior
- Competed the all around in every meet last season
- 2017 NCAA regional qualifier
- Career highs: VT 9.850 | UB 9.900 | BB 9.875 | FX 9.800 | AA 39.275
Newcomers
- Catherine Biddle
- Placed third on beam at the 2017 Michigan state championship as a first-year level 10
- Placed second at the 2015 level 9 eastern championship
- Mia Lord
- Four-time J.O. national qualifier
- Placed third on bars at 2017 regionals
- Zoie Schroeder
- Two-time J.O. national qualifier
- 2017 regional vault, bars and floor champion
- Gabby Welch
- Two-time J.O. national qualifier
- Placed fourth AA at 2017 Tennessee state championship
Western Michigan
- 2017 national ranking: 38th
- 2017 MAC championship placement: 4th
- 2017 accomplishments: sent three individuals to NCAA Regional Championships
Returners to Watch out for
- Taylor Buis, sophomore
- Competed bars in 10 meets as a freshman, also made vault and beam appearances
- Career highs: VT 9.800 | UB 9.775 | BB 9.775
- Jessica Juncaj, senior
- Competed bars, beam and floor in every meet last season
- Career highs: VT 9.775 | UB 9.875 | BB 9.900 | FX 9.825 | AA 39.075
- Rachael Underwood, junior
- Competed in the all around in every meet last season
- Holds the Western Michigan all around score record with her 39.325
- Career highs: VT 9.850 | UB 9.825 | BB 9.875 | FX 9.900 | AA 39.325
Newcomers
- Alliah Harrison
- 2015 J.O. national qualifier
- Three-time regional qualifier
- Stacie Harrison
- Two-time J.O. national qualifier
- Placed 11th on floor at 2017 J.O. National Championship
- Dominique Militello
- 2017 regional qualifier
- Placed third on beam at regionals in her first (and only) season as a level 10 gymnast
- Alexis Oliver
- 2016 regional qualifier
- Missed the 2017 competition season
- Sarah Shirley
- 2017 J.O. national qualifier
- Placed eighth on floor at 2017 JO nationals
- Morgan Spence
- 2017 J.O. national qualifier
- Placed second on bars at 2017 JO regionals
|
Team |
End of season ranking |
MAC Championship result |
|
Ball State |
43rd | Seventh |
|
Bowling Green |
46th | Second |
|
Central Michigan |
25th | Third |
| Eastern Michigan | 22nd |
First |
| Kent State | 31st |
Sixth |
| Northern Illinois | 39th |
Fifth |
| Western Michigan |
38th |
Fourth |
Article by Amy Fucarino
I’d add one more returner to your CMU list: Macey Hilliker is a superstar on Floor!
9.905 RQS, and a 9.872 average — so high potenital AND dependable.
(Ya know, if you happened to have her on your fantasy gym team last year…lol)