CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Ball State Cardinals have been selected to be the 2022 Mid-American Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champions. Results of the poll were announced Friday by the Conference office and were voted on by the league's seven head coaches.
The Cardinals produced a national qualifying score of 195.725 during the 2021 regular season to rank 37th nationally and fall .044 shy of the program's second-ever NCAA regional team berth, as the top 36 teams earn automatic bids.
While the entire squad just missed out on a regional appearance, Ball State was able to send a program record four individual gymnasts to the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. Three of those individuals return this season (Grace Evans – Bars / Megan Teter – Bars / Victoria Henry – Vault) and will look to lead a talented and focused group of Cardinals to even greater heights in 2022.
Central Michigan was selected to finish second after their fourth-place finish at the Conference Championships in 2021. Head coach Christine MacDonald returns All-MAC First Team members Hannah DeMers and Katie Kowalski along with All-Tournament Team members DeMers, Morgan Tong, Adriana Bustelo, and Sierra Demarinis as they look to lead the Chippewa’s in 2022.
Eastern Michigan was picked to finish third after the trophy came back to Ypsilanti, as the Eagles captured its fourth Mid-American Conference Championship last season. In 2021, the Eagles totaled 195.900 to defeat the six other conference teams competing. This was the Green and White's first conference championship since 2017, and the first for head coach Katie Minasola.
With the return of a pair of 2021 MAC individual champions and NCAA qualifiers, the signing of "arguably" the most talented freshman class in head coach Sam Morreale's 11 years leading the program, and depth on every event, the 2022 Huskies have their sights set on returning to the top of the MAC podium and beyond this season as they were selected to finish fourth.
Kent State was voted to finish fifth as it looks to follow up on a season a year ago in which they went 5-7 and had a 2-4 MAC dual record. Those records don't tell the whole story though, as the Flashes were awarded a spot in the Morgantown Regional at the end of the season and finished the year with an NQS of 390.281, Regional of 194.300, team NQS of 195.981, average of 195.252, and high of 196.375.
Western Michigan was tabbed to finish sixth under head coach Penny Jernigan. The Broncos return Payton Murphy, who was voted Gymnast of the Year by the league's coaches last season as she posted Western Michigan's top score on vault (9.875), beam (9.950) and all-around (39.375), while tying a pair of teammates for the top score on floor exercise (9.925). Sarah Moravansky captured the all-around title and Freshman of the Year honors as the Western Michigan gymnastics team placed sixth at the 2021 Mid-American Gymnastics Championships.
Bowling Green rounded out the preseason poll. The Falcons ended the season at the 2021 Conference Championships with their best team score on the year - 194.600. Head Coach Kerrie Turner is looking to build some momentum from that performance in 2022 with 13 student-athletes returning.
2022 MAC Gymnastics Preseason Poll
1. Ball State - 38
2. Central Michigan - 36
3. Eastern Michigan - 35
4. Northern Illinois - 28
5. Kent State - 26
6. Western Michigan - 22
7. Bowling Green - 11
MAC Champion: Ball State (3), Central Michigan (1), Eastern Michigan (1), Kent State (1), Northern Illinois (1)
