2008 Woodie Awards
GYMNASTICS: Squad returns from two-week break
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After a thrilling home victory Feb. 23 against Mid-American Conference foe Northern Illinois University, the Ball State University gymnastics team had a two week break from competition. The team will return to action this weekend when they travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., to partake in the Eagle Invitational hosted by Eastern Michigan University.
"This will be our second meet against Eastern this season," coach Lisa Simonton said. "But it doesn't matter whose initials are on the leotard; it's all about who's hitting."
To make sure her team is hitting, Simonton said practices have been focused on being consistent in events with lots of repetitions and being efficient while doing those sets.
"We want to cover what we have to do and move on," Simonton said. "We have the potential to be a lot better than before. Missing a landing is an automatic 1/10 of a point off. If everyone were to hit their landings, that's another two points on our score and that can make a big difference in the score."
Central Michigan University and Illinois State University join the Cardinals and Eagles to make the meet a quadrangular. Ball State will follow Illinois State in the event rotation.
Senior Kelly Watson is a major scoring threat for the Cardinals. In the win against Northern Illinois, she scored a career-high 38.650 in the all-around including an individual event win in the floor exercise with a career-high score of 9.850.
Simonton said that Watson has been battling flu-like symptoms during practices, but isn't worried about when it comes time for Watson to compete.
"She's a person that won't let sickness hold her down," Simonton said. "She will find a way to overcome and perform. Even if she's in the 90 percent range, we'll be fine."
Simonton added that a few gymnasts are stressed due to mid-term exams, but most athletes are getting healthier, including junior Erika Gilkerson, who was battling illness. Allyson McGaha is also recovering from an ankle injury she received early in the season and Cobie Zuk is finishing up recovery from a fall she had in the pre-meet warm-ups against Northern Illinois where her upper leg and inner thigh were bruised, Simonton said.
While the rest of Ball State is on spring break, the gymnastics team will be traveling north, to Alaska. After playing host to the University of Alaska-Anchorage on Jan. 28. the Cardinals will return the favor by going to Alaska to compete on March 16 and 18.
"This will be our second meet against Eastern this season," coach Lisa Simonton said. "But it doesn't matter whose initials are on the leotard; it's all about who's hitting."
To make sure her team is hitting, Simonton said practices have been focused on being consistent in events with lots of repetitions and being efficient while doing those sets.
"We want to cover what we have to do and move on," Simonton said. "We have the potential to be a lot better than before. Missing a landing is an automatic 1/10 of a point off. If everyone were to hit their landings, that's another two points on our score and that can make a big difference in the score."
Central Michigan University and Illinois State University join the Cardinals and Eagles to make the meet a quadrangular. Ball State will follow Illinois State in the event rotation.
Senior Kelly Watson is a major scoring threat for the Cardinals. In the win against Northern Illinois, she scored a career-high 38.650 in the all-around including an individual event win in the floor exercise with a career-high score of 9.850.
Simonton said that Watson has been battling flu-like symptoms during practices, but isn't worried about when it comes time for Watson to compete.
"She's a person that won't let sickness hold her down," Simonton said. "She will find a way to overcome and perform. Even if she's in the 90 percent range, we'll be fine."
Simonton added that a few gymnasts are stressed due to mid-term exams, but most athletes are getting healthier, including junior Erika Gilkerson, who was battling illness. Allyson McGaha is also recovering from an ankle injury she received early in the season and Cobie Zuk is finishing up recovery from a fall she had in the pre-meet warm-ups against Northern Illinois where her upper leg and inner thigh were bruised, Simonton said.
While the rest of Ball State is on spring break, the gymnastics team will be traveling north, to Alaska. After playing host to the University of Alaska-Anchorage on Jan. 28. the Cardinals will return the favor by going to Alaska to compete on March 16 and 18.
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