Feb. 4, 2006
Results
Champaign, Ill. -
Dueling for the leading score, the women of Illinois State gymnastics team fell behind with a 187.875 in Champaign, to Illinois' 194.175. ISU now holds a 3-4 record.
Redbird head coach, Bob Conkling, had high hopes of exceeding the 190 team score, but ISU was shy of that expectation.
"It could have happened if we would had hit our bar and floor routines, but we had some mistakes," said Conkling. "With falls on floor and bars, you cannot score that high. Without consistency, it is tough to get that 190, but I am confident it will happen this year."
Redbird reliability was greater on vault then in any other meet this year. However, Illinois vault scores were a point above, with 48.625 to ISU's 47.625. This Redbird vault score has peaked for the season, breaking a previous team vault score of 47.475, which they achieved on January 6 during a triangular meet against Winona State and Wisconsin-LaCrosse.
Freshman, Meaghan Koshman tied for second on vault with Kim Kruk of Illinois at 9.750. Senior Andi Berry claimed eighth with the next highest Illinois State vault of 9.525.
"Everyone did a great vault," said Conkling. "Amanda Candler stuck her landing, but other girls had a few steps. All in all, they had a great vaulting meet."
Uneven bar scores did not reach the height of the vault scores this meet. Junior, Whitney Albright stuck a solid 9.625 bar routine, but only earned sixth place with that score. Cheryl Berezan, a sophomore chipped in the next highest score of 9.500.
"Whitney nailed her bar set. Cheryl and Andi did very well also," said Conkling. "We could have been in the 48's on bars if we hit, but there is a next time for that."
Conklings' worries about beam were put to ease this meet as the team carded a 47.325 on this event. This team score serves as the highest ISU has marked on beam this season. Koshman, filing in line with a third place finish on beam, received the highest Redbird score of 9.675. Her beam routine also makes this her highest score on this event for the season.
"It was great to hit beam," said Conkling. "We had nothing to loose because we were down and it was our last event of the night. We had to put prior mistakes behind us and do our best."
ISU rattled Illinois more on beam than any other event with third, fourth and fifth place finishes going to ISU gymnasts. Fourth belongs to senior, Megan Goetting with her 9.650 and tying for fifth behind her was Berezan and senior, Amy Biedenharn with their scores of 9.625.
Floor exercise is normally a consistent event for the `Birds, but they did not hold a place in the top six for this event. Seventh place score of 9.475 went to Koshman, which was her highest floor score of the year. Not far behind that was sophomore Candler with 9.425 and Biedenharn with her 9.400.
"We had some falls and that cost us," said Conkling. "Koshman, Candler and Biedenharn did well. The last meet we did not do as well on beam, but this week we made great improvements."
After returning home from the loss, the `Birds will have next weekend off and then travel to Southeast Missouri State on February 17, 2006 to face them for the third time this year. ISU is 1-1 with Southeast Missouri State, so the next meet will determine bragging rights.
