Heather Mohler of the Illinois State gymnastics team set a school record in the all-around competition (49.500) and led the team to a scoring record Sunday afternoon as the Redbirds captured a decisive victory (196.175-190.800) over Centenary.
On the way to scoring its highest score in away competition, ISU also broke team scoring records on bars and floor exercise. The bars record, previously set at 49.075, now stands at 49.250. The floor exercise record, previously set at 49.350, now stands at a lofty 49.450. The floor exercise record was surprising with senior Michelle Huston, the schools leading scorer on floor, out with a minor shoulder injury
Mohler, a sophomore from Wadworth, Ohio, won the all-around competition while breaking the school record on beam (9.950) and scoring personal bests on vault (9.950) and floor (9.800). Mohler tied her personal best of 9.825 on the uneven bars.
Lisa Klein, a freshman from St. Charles, Mo., matched Hustons school record of 9.95 on the floor exercise. One judge awarded Klein a perfect 10, but her average was brought down with a score of 9.90 from the second judge. Klein also scored well on beam with a second-place mark of 9.875.
Junior Jaime Reineck from Rochelle, Ill., also had an outstanding meet in her second appearance this season as an all-arounder. With an overall mark of 38.950, Reineck finished second in the AA after scoring a 9.4 on vault, a personal best of 9.875 on bars, a 9.800 on beam and a personal best of 9.875 on floor exercise.
Sophomore Kristy Kreinbrink continued her winning ways as a valuable event specialist for Illinois State. Scoring a 9.900 on bars and a 9.900 on floor, Kreinbrink matched her highest scores of the season and took first and third places on those events, respectively.
ISU head coach Jill Hollembeak was thrilled after Sunday afternoons performance and the way in which her team fought back from Friday nights loss against Illinois-Chicago and Ball State. "We decided to relax and do what we did in the beginning of the year, focusing on each moment at a time. We were so confident and we had an incredible meet.
"To go in to [University of Illinois at] Chicago and have a rough meet and then to come back just two days later took so much character. It felt great."
Illinois State will travel to Illinois-Chicago on Fri., Mar. 16 as the Flames host the Illinois Classic at 7 p.m., in UICs Physical Education Building.
