Gymnastics wins home opener against NIU

By Hadlee Peters Staff Reporter

Central Michigan University gymnastics placed first in all four events, picking up its first win of the season against Northern Illinois University on Saturday.

A dominate floor performance claimed the 195.425-193.600 victory for the Chippewas as they secured their first Mid-American Conference win.

The Chippewas jumped to an early lead on vault. Senior Hannah DeMers started the competition and led with a day-high 9.850 on the vault.

Junior Adriana Bustelo had a big day with two top finishes. She had a career best 9.925 on the uneven bars and a 9.85 on beam.

“I wasn’t too stressed,” Bustelo said. “I was just focusing on the words that I normally tell myself, and just reassuring myself that I could do it for the team.”

The team also claimed all top five spots for their floor routines allowing them to clinch its first win of the season. Senior Taylor Pitchell received the first-place score of 9.925. DeMers and junior Elizabeth Buttle posted the second highest scores on floor with 9.900.

“I just step up and do what I’ve been training in the gym, and just trust it,” Pitchell said. “I don’t even have to think about it because it’s just every day I work for the same thing.”

“We challenge each other to get one-tenth better,” head coach Christine MacDonald said. “We take it as a nameless, faceless opponent in the fact that our performance is independent of the competition.”

The Chippewas face Bowling Green on Friday at 7 p.m. at McGuirk Arena.