PHOTO ESSAY: MAC Championship

March 24, 2019 College Gym News Event Coverage, Featured Carousel, Features, NCAA WAG, Recap

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The MAC gymnastics championship was held in Northern Illinois’ Convocation Center on Saturday, March 23, 2019. The competition featured seven teams from the conference with Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Western Michigan started the meet out on beam with a bit of a disaster rotation, counting two falls. But senior Rachael Underwood pulled it back together for the Broncos, not only nailing her routine but earning MAC Senior Gymnast of the Year honors in the process. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Northern Illinois was on fire from the start, hitting a huge 49.300 on floor. Junior Allison Richardson was a big part of that total, tallying a 9.850 for her efforts. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Senior Anna Martucci anchored the rotation for the Huskies with a meet-best 9.900 for her engaging and unique routine. It was just one of the many reasons she also earned MAC Specialist of the Year. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Despite not having the best start to its competition, Bowling Green came roaring back in its second event of the night, posting a huge 49.075 on beam thanks to junior Jovannah East’s event-winning 9.900. It was the Falcons’ best rotation of the night. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

The meet was filled with controversy, with no fewer than four judging conferences across beam and floor causing big delays in the flow of the meet. Floor in particular was slow, with the whole sixth rotation having finished before Central Michigan’s fourth up even started. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Heading into the meet, Kent State was on the regionals bubble, needing a low 195 to clinch a spot in the top 36. While the Flashes’ hopes were dashed after struggles on vault, the team rebounded on bars. Here, senior Dara Williams celebrates a stuck routine with the team’s stick jacket. She went on to win a share of the event title with a 9.850. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

After a slow start to the 2019 season, Eastern Michigan peaked at the right time, finishing third at this championship meet, just 0.225 behind CMU. Junior Emili Dobronics led the team on floor with a stellar 9.900 to win a share of the event title. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Central Michigan came into the meet as the MAC regular season champion and was the front runner for the championship title. However, controversy reigned supreme, resulting in the Chippewas settling for second. The meet wasn’t a total wash, though, as junior Denelle Pedrick earned not only the vault and all around titles, but MAC Gymnast of the Year as well. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

It all came down to beam for Northern Illinois, who started off the meet well on floor before cruising fairly cleanly through vault and bars, despite lower start values in some areas. Here, assistant coach Dawnita Teague gives a pep talk to Catherine Biddle before the sophomore led off the deciding event for the Huskies. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Western Michigan ended its meet better than it started, tallying a near-49 on bars with freshman Alexis Olivier earning a share of the event win with a 9.850. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Kent State by far had its best event of the night in the seventh and final rotation of the meet, scoring a 49.175 on floor. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

That total was made possible by two 9.900s and event titles for junior Jade Brown (pictured previously) and sophomore Abby Fletcher (above). (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

In the final routine of the night, sophomore Mia Lord hit a fantastic routine for a huge 9.900. The score gave her a share of the event title with BGSU’s East. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Lord celebrates with her teammate after nailing her routine. The score was good enough to drop a 9.600 from Cinny Lamberti in the routine before her and secure a program record beam score for the Huskies with a 49.275. The previous record was set 16 years ago in 2003. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

The accolades kept rolling in for NIU. The beam success clinched the first-ever conference title for the Huskies, who finished with a 195.975, led by MAC Coach of the Year Sam Morreale. (Photo/Elizabeth Grimsley, [email protected])

Essay by Elizabeth Grimsley

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