MIC Championship

Recap

The Big Storyline: Illinois State came back in the final rotation to claim its first conference title since 2012 with a program-best team total. 

Postseason Implications: Traditionally, the MIC championship can be a pace setter for what we’ll see at the USAG national championships. Lindenwood’s strong performance here, even without star Hannah Appleget, gives those betting on a Lions’ victory a bit more weight. SEMO falls to third place in the USAG rankings, just 0.005 behind TWU. However, there’s still time for rankings to change with the rest of conference championships still to come. 

Records: Illinois State started the meet with the second-highest vault total in program history en route to a program-best 196.375. Lindenwood’s second place performance was good enough for third all time on its list. 

Controversies: A 9.8/10.0 split? Is this the SEC? Maybe not, but this sure was fun. Also, at the end of the meet, it originally appeared as if Lindenwood had sealed the deal, but with a couple score inquiry updates and Jaye Mack’s stellar floor routine, the cards fell in ISU’s favor instead. 

Conference Awards

• Gymnast of the Year: Angelica Labat (Illinois State)
• Newcomer of the Year: Nirel Bart-Williams (Illinois State)
• Senior Athlete of the Year: Alix Pierce (Texas Woman’s)
• Woman of the Year: Gayla Griswold (Lindenwood)
• Sylvia Keiter Memorial Award: Emma Lavelle (Centenary)
• Coach of the Year: Ashley Lawson (SEMO)
• Assistant Coaches of the Year: Matt DeGrandpre and Kristen Harold (Texas Woman’s)

Preview

• No. 52 Illinois State | 195.010 NQS | 195.850 season high
• No. 54 Lindenwood | 194.945 NQS | 196.175 season high
• No. 56 SEMO | 194.845 NQS | 196.175 season high
• No. 57 Texas Woman’s | 194.825 NQS | 195.650 season high
• No. 73 Centenary | 189.430 NQS | 192.475 season high

If you can only watch one meet, here’s why it should be this one… The MIC is one of the most competitive conferences in the country. With the proximity of scoring potential, any of the top four teams could take the title on any given day. While Illinois State has the highest NQS, it’s Lindenwood and SEMO that are the only teams to eclipse 196. The reigning champion Pioneers aren’t too far behind either, with the team just catching steam, ending the season with four straight 195-plus performances. There’s never a dull moment at an MIC championship. 

If this is one of many meets you’ll be watching, don’t miss this… Illinois State has a rockin’ vault rotation, complete with stickable Yurchenko one and a halves from Angelica Labat and Alana Laster. Teammate Jaye Mack is on another level on floor, sporting the only full-in double pike at this championship. Gayla Griswold’s vault rivals the best of them, hence why she was an NCAA national qualifier on the event a year ago and has a career-high of 9.975. SEMO features unique skill combinations, including multiple Liukins on beam, two and a halves on floor, and an Ezhova from Jolie Miller on bars. Keep an eye out for Alix Pierce for TWU. She’s been having an out-of-this-world season, and we don’t expect her to stop now. Most notably she has unique skills on bars and one of the most satisfying floor routines in the NCAA. For Centenary, Emma Lavelle’s front tuck mount on beam is as steady as they come, and Leilani Johnson is coming off a new floor career high of 9.900. Fun fact: Event orders for this meet are still TBD because the MIC chooses rotation order by random draw rather than ranking.

What’s the bigger picture to keep an eye on? For all but Illinois State, this meet is going to set the tone for USAG nationals in April. TWU got the ball rolling last postseason with a win at the conference championship, eventually claiming the USAG title a few weeks later. Needless to say, this meet is a huge momentum shifter. SEMO has been lights out at home this season, so that’ll be an advantage. Illinois State will look to reclaim the MIC title after narrowly missing out the past few seasons, even when entering the meet as the favorite to win. Lindenwood will also be looking for redemption after its six year winning streak was snapped in 2022. For Centenary, the postseason picture looks a bit different. While the team will look to put together a strong final showing for 2023, individuals will also be motivated to perform well in hopes of qualifying to nationals. 

By the Numbers

Past Champions

• Illinois State: 2 titles, last won in 2012
• Lindenwood: 6 titles, last won in 2021
• SEMO: 6 titles, last won in 2014
• Texas Woman’s: 3 titles, last won in 2022
• Centenary: 0 titles

Records Watch

Team: 196.575 (UIC,2003) | Vault: 49.500 (Lindenwood, 2015) | Bars: 49.425 (UIC, 1997) | Beam: 49.375 (SEMO, 2003) | Floor: 49.575 (TWU, 2015)

Last Time Out

Texas Woman’s won the crown in its route to capturing the USAG national title as well. Illinois State had to count a mistake on bars and didn’t full recover. However, the Redbirds claimed two event titles with youngsters Laster and Mack claiming the vault and floor titles, respectively. Lindenwood was held back by a sub-normal vault rotation but was able to claim second place by killing the other three events. SEMO’s conference meet last season was highlighted by a tie for the bar title by Jolie Miller and Lindsay Ockler. Since the 2022, SEMO has eclipsed its team program record and subsequently succumbed to several injuries. But don’t count the Redhawks out of the game, especially on their home playing field. The team has adjusted lineups and is performing as well as ever.