Recap courtesy of Western Michigan Athletic Communications
MUNCIE, Ind. -- It came down to the competitor in the final event. Western Michigan was on vault and needed to surpass Ball State with a score of 49.200, WMU's season-best this year in the event. Freshman
Hannah Milton led the Broncos off with a 9.775. Sophomore
Abby Singh then hit a 9.875 on her vault, just what WMU needed. Fifth-year senior
Payton Murphy went third and matched Singh's score. Momentum was building. Junior
Cassie St. Clair was next and earned a 9.850. Two more Broncos left and both needed to score at least 9.800's to clear WMU's lowest score off. Senior
Sarah Moravansky went fifth and earned a 9.800.
This was it. Up stepped junior
Halle Faulkner to the runway. Faulkner, the 2022 MAC Vault Co-Champion, needed at least a score of 9.800 to tie the Cardinals and share the MAC Championship. The Canton, Mich., native took off down the runway, stuck the landing and earned a 9.850, besting the hosts by .50 and handing Western Michigan its first MAC Tournament Championship since 2013.
Three Broncos were also individual MAC Champions. Senior
Amanda Gruber wrapped up her career with a MAC title on beam. Gruber scored a 9.900 and tied with five other competitors to be named co-champion. Senior
Dani Petrousek and Junior
Cassie St. Clair were MAC Co-Champions on floor after tying with scores of 9.900.
Floor was WMU's best event on the day, with the team combining for a 49.400. Along with Petrousek and St. Clair, Murphy and
Ally Schaupp both earned scores of 9.875, while Donnakathryn Roy scored a 9.850.
Beam, the Broncos' second event of the day, was where they gained a lot of ground. WMU finished with a 49.050 for the top team score. Ball State had a 49.000 and Kent State finished with a 48.975. Kent's struggles on beam, bars and floor paved the way for Western Michigan's comeback. Along with Gruber's championship score, Moravansky and Murphy both scored 9.850's on beam to boost the team, while freshman
Hannah Milton had a 9.775.
Western Michigan started off on bars, with a 48.825. Petrousek was the team's top performer with a 9.825.
This is the first MAC Tournament Championship for head coach
Penny Jernigan, who now adds the trophy to her two MAC Regular Season Championships.
2024 MAC Gymnastics Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Joanna Saleem, Ball State
Gymnast of the Year: Raisa Boris, Senior, Eastern Michigan
Specialist of the Year: Suki Pfister, Senior, Ball State
Senior Gymnast of the Year: Raisa Boris, Senior, Eastern Michigan
Freshman of the Year: Ashley Szymanski, Ball State
2024 MAC Gymnastics All-Tournament Team
Zoe Middleton, Sophomore, Ball State
Suki Pfister, Senior, Ball State
Ashley Szymanski, Freshman, Ball State
Kathryn Weilbacher, Junior, Bowling Green
Luciana Alvarado-Reid, Sophomore, Central Michigan
Hallie Hornbacher, Senior, Central Michigan
Ella Chemotti, Junior, Eastern Michigan
Nastia Rudnitskaya, Sophomore, Kent State
Alyssa Al-Ashari, Senior, Northern Illinois
Kiera O’Shea, Sophomore, Northern Illinois
Payton Murphy, Fifth Year, Western Michigan
Amanda Gruber, Fifth Year, Western Michigan
Dani Petrousek, Senior, Western Michigan
Cassie St. Clair, Junior, Western Michigan
Team Results
1. Western Michigan - 196.525
2. Ball State - 196.475
3. Kent State - 196.325
4. Central Michigan - 195.925
5. Northern Illinois - 194.675
6. Eastern Michigan - 194.000
7. Bowling Green - 193.625
Vault Results
T1. Nastia Rudnitskaya, Kent State - 9.925
T1. Kiera O'Shea, Northern Illinois - 9.925
T3. Zoe Middleton, Ball State - 9.900
T3. Elizabeth Cesarone, Central Michigan - 9.900
T3. Katie Kowalski, Central Michigan - 9.900
T3. Alana Fisher, Eastern Michigan - 9.900
T3. Charlie Behner, Kent State - 9.900
T3. Mya Migliore, Kent State - 9.900
T3. Zoe Rankin, Kent State - 9.900
Uneven Bars Results
T1. Luciana Alvarado-Reid, Central Michigan - 9.925
T1. Ashley Szymanski, Ball State - 9.925
3. Isabella Rivelli, Bowling Green - 9.900
Balance Beam Results
T1. Zoe Middleton, Ball State - 9.900
T1. Ella Chemotti, Eastern Michigan - 9.900
T1. Alyssa Al-Ashari, Northern Illinois - 9.900
T1. Amanda Gruber, Western Michigan - 9.900
Floor Exercise Results
T1. Zoe Middleton, Ball State - 9.900
T1. Suki Pfister, Ball State - 9.900
T1. Kathryn Weilbacher, Bowling Green - 9.900
T1. Hallie Hornbacher, Central Michigan - 9.900
T1. Dani Petrousek, Western Michigan - 9.900
T1. Cassie St. Clair, Western Michigan - 9.900
All-Around Results
1. Zoe Middleton, Ball State - 39.525
2. Payton Murphy, Western Michigan - 39.250
3. Raisa Boris, Eastern Michigan - 39.200