MAC Announces 2019 Gymnastics Preseason Poll
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Northern Illinois Huskies have been selected to be the 2019 Mid-American Conference Champions. Results of the poll were announced Friday by the conference office and were voted on by the league's seven head coaches.
NIU finished second at the MAC Championships last season with a score of 195.875, and sent three qualifiers to the NCAA regionals. The Huskies will return All-MAC First Team honoree and 2018 Specialist of the Year Anna Martucci for the 2019 season, along with three newcomers to round out the roster.
The Bowling Green Falcons were selected to finished second in the MAC this season after finishing .025 points shy of second place at the championship last season. BGSU will return Junior Jovannah East who became the second Falcon in program history to qualify for the National Championships.
The 2018 MAC Champion Central Michigan Chippewas were selected to finish third in 2019. Last season CMU won their 16
thMAC title under head coach Jerry Reighard, tallying a score of 197.025 in the Championship meet. Senior Gianna Plaksa and junior Denelle Pedrick will return for the Chippewas in 2019 after a very successful 2018 campaign.
Second year head coach Katie Minasola and Eastern Michigan sit at fourth place in the poll after losing 5 seniors from the 2018 squad. The Eagles will return 2018 NCAA Regional Qualifier Emili Dobronics who was named to the All-MAC Second Team last season.
Ball State was tabbed to finish fifth, with Kent State and Western Michigan rounding out the poll at the sixth and seventh spots respectively.
The 2019 MAC Gymnastics Championships will be held at Northern Illinois University on March 23.
- Northern Illinois - 42
- Bowling Green - 37
- Central Michigan - 30
- Eastern Michigan - 25
- Ball State - 23
- Kent State - 21
- Western Michigan - 18
MAC Champion: Northern Illinois (3)
Bowling Green (1), Central Michigan (1), Eastern Michigan (1) Ball State (1)
