The MAC is a conference that often gets overlooked in NCAA gymnastics, but those who follow it closely know there’s a lot of underrated talent among the teams. Today, we take a look as the Central Michigan Chippewas travel down the road for a dual with the Bowling Green Falcons.
Bowling Green has been on the struggle bus for the last two weeks. Due to COVID protocols, the Falcons have been unable to field full lineups, so their overall ranking is misleading. Head coach Kerrie Turner expects every event to be back to at least five athletes this week, so that will be the main thing to watch out for.
Despite the struggles, Bowling Green has several gymnasts to watch for. Elena Lawson has been a big contributor on vault, scoring 9.800s in back-to-back meets. Taylor Jensen has been a consistent player on all four events for the Falcons this season, which is a huge deal when your team in struggling to field five athletes on every event.
Central Michigan has gotten off to a slow start, primarily due to struggles on beam. Once the Chippewas can figure out that event, they should improve by a lot. Their standout gymnast is Hannah DeMers. She is a huge contributor on all four events for the Chippewas, with vault, bars and floor being her strongest. She’s been a bit shaky on beam, but once she figures out that event, she could be one of the best all arounders in the conference. Sierra DeMarinis will be one to watch on floor, while classmate Morgan Tong is a lovely beamer.
Rotation 1: Bowling Green: Vault, Central Michigan: Bars
Looks like BGSU has six whole people on vault today!
Bachner (BGSU): Just a tsuk layout with a small step. Well done, but has a low SV – 9.525
Bustelo (CMU): big tkatchev, step on landing. Hard to see hand stands at this angle. – 9.775
Ross (BGSU): yurchenko layout with a big step back – 9.475
DeMarinis (CMU): good gienger, bail hs was good, slight form issues here and there, toe on tuck dismount – 9.675
Marion (BGSU): y layout with a hop back – 9.6
Johnson (CMU): good tkatchev, good bail – little short on hs, stuck FTDT – 9.75
Jensen (BGSU): y full – chest down with a step back – 9.55
Kotas (CMU): good ray, small form break on bail, stuck dismount – 9.825
Goldstrom (BGSU): y full with a large step back – 9.7
Demers (CMU): HUGE tkatchev, goof bail hs, stuck FTDT – 9.925!
Lawson (BGSU) – big y full with a hop back – 9.725
I’m only 80% sure these IDs are correct, so bear with me. Conflicting reports on who is who
Hauser (CMU): bails out of jaeger, tries to recast and falls, good bail hs, step on DLO dismount – 8.025
Exhibition from CMU on bars – good gienger, pak with leg separation, tiny hop on FTDT dismount
After 1: Bowling Green: 48.100, Central Michigan: 48.950
think I finally got the IDs figured out. Good start for both teams. BGSU does not have very high SV vaults but they’re probably just happy to have six bodies on the event. Good bars rotation from CMU, highlighted by that 9.925 from DeMers.
Rotation 2: Bowling Green: Bars, Central Michigan: Vault
Johnson (CMU): y full – slightly crunched – 9.65
Muir (BGSU): leg sep on bail, toe shoot good, step on double back – 9.05
Cesarone (CMU): good y full with a small hop – 9.725
Well, never mind about figuring out IDs
Bachner (BGSU): good maloney, little short on bail hs, 1.5 dismount with a small step – 9.4
Fettinger (CMU): y full with a step back – 9.675
Jensen (BGSU): falls on cast handstand, falls on tkatchev, and she just goes ahead and salutes – 5.8
Kowalski (CMU): good y full – 9.85
Goldstrom (BGSU): good gienger to overshoot – slight leg separation, step on dismount – 9.525
DeMarinis (CMU): y full with a step back
Fochler (BGSU): huge jaeger, great hs on bail, stuck dismount. Best of the rotation so far – 9.775
DeMers (CMU): big y full with a tiny step back – 9.825
Harsch (BGSU): falls on jaeger, good bail hs – small leg separation, falls on double from dismount – 8.0
After 2: Bowling Green: 93.850, Central Michigan: 97.750
Good vault rotation from CMU! Bowling Green’s bars rotation was rough, but Fochler was a highlight with her 9.775.
Rotation 3: Bowling Green: Beam, Central Michigan: Floor
Bachner (BGSU): slight wobble on front toss, wobble on side aerial and doesn’t get connection to roundoff, good full turn, small hop on 1.5 dismount – 9.275
Veglucci (CMU): good front double full to start, nearly slips on 2.5 punch front but saves it – 9.525
Ross (BGSU): solid bhs loso, good front aerial – slight wobble, good cat leap to switch side, good full turn, hop on 1.5 dismount – 9.5
Bustelo (CMU): great double back to start, good front lay to front full, good 1.5 to front layout – 9.725
Lawson (BGSU): falls on bhs loso series, leaps slightly short of 180, good side aerial, wobble on leap series, step on dismount – 9.025
Buttle (CMU): good double pike – slight chest down, short on double tuck and rebounds a bit, good front full to front lay – 9.75
Jones (BGSU): good punch front mount, good full turn, slight wobble on roundoff to back tuck, slight wobble on split leap, tiny step on gainer pike dismount – 9.475
Fettinger (CMU): slightly short 2.5 to front lay, good 1.5 to front lay, slightly too much power on double tuck and bounces back – 9.725
Jensen (BGSU): good full turn, solid bhs loso series, great leap combination, good side aerial, step on dismount – 9.75
Pitchell (CMU): bog double pike to open, beautiful leap series, good front lay front full, big double tuck to close – slightly short on landing – 9.825
Fochler (BGSU): good full turn, great bhs loso series, slight wobble on side aerial, wobble on split leaps, stuck 1.5 dismount – 9.725
Decious (BGSU): exh – good back tuck back tuck series, good side aerial, slightly short on splits, stuck front full dismount
DeMarinis (CMU): big double back to open, good split leaps, good 1.5 to front lay, big double pike to close – 9.85
After 3: Bowling Green: 141.575, Central Michigan: 146.625
Good rotation from both teams. BGSU was a little shaky on beam, but those last two routines pulled it together. CMU has some big tumbling on floor. DeMers was slated to anchor according to CMU’s graphics on twitter, but she didn’t, so I’m not sure what’s up there.
Rotation 4: Bowling Green: Floor, Central Michigan: Beam
Kotas (CMU): ooo she’s the one with the cool wavy mount! good full turn, wobble on front aerial – doesn’t connect, repeats the front aerial and wobbles again – goes into bhs but wont get connection, wobble on leap series, food side aerial, hop on dismount – 9.4
Decious (BGSU): good front lay to front full, good leap series, rudi to split jump – bounces back – 9.625
Bustelo (CMU): good full turn, wobble on bhs loso, good leap series, good front aerial to beat jump, stuck dismount – 9.675
BGSU only going 4 up on floor
Williams (BGSU): good 2.5 to open, falls on 1.5 to punch front – 8.675
Veglucci (CMU): good full turn, wobble on bhs loso series, wobble on slip leap, good side somi, stuck double twist dismount – 9.75
Lawson (BGSU): good big double back to open, bounces out of front full to front half but stays in bounds –
?? (CMU): good leap series, falls on bhs loso series, step on dismount
Jensen (BGSU): slightly short on front double full, good leap series, good 1.5 ton front lay – a but short but covers well
DeMarinis (CMU): wobble on bhs loso series, wobble on leap series – probably won’t get connection, good front aerial, stuck dismount
Tong (CMU): press handstand mount, solid front aerial bhs loso series, stuck dismount – 9.9!
Final: Bowling Green: 179.250, Central Michigan: 195.050
Well…so much for full lineups. Hopefully BGSU can have at least five on every event. Decent beam rotation from CMU. They didn’t count a fall, which is good. No DeMers on beam or floor is very concerning though…
Winners:
Vault: Kowalski 9.850
Bars: DeMers 9.925
Beam: Tong 9.900
Floor: DeMarinis 9.850
All Around: DeMarinis 38.950
Live Blog by Mary Emma Burton
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