Gymnastics Preview: Kent State Aims for Conference Title at MAC Championship Saturday
The Golden Flashes aim to capture their first team title since 2009 and 12th in program history
The Kent State gymnastics team will take part in the 2012 Mid-American Conference Gymnastics Championship March 24, hosted by Northern Illinois University. The seven-team meet will begin at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. local) at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Ill.
Tickets are $10 for adults/$5 for youth and seniors and $5 for students of participating institutions with a student ID. Parking at the Convocation Center is $5.
Live stats and video streaming will also be provided for the meet.
Kent State's rotation will begin on bars, followed by a bye. The Golden Flashes will be on the beam for the third rotation, followed by the floor and the team's second bye. Kent State will be on the vault for the sixth rotation and have a bye for the final round.
SCOUTING THE FLASHES
Led by sophomore Marie Case, who has been named the MAC Gymnast of the Week four times this season including the last three successively, Kent State has posted back-to-back team scores over 196 heading into the MAC Championship. Last weekend, Kent State posted a 196.025 in their home win over Cornell March 18.
The Golden Flashes had a season-best 49.350 on the floor exercise against the Big Red, paced by Case's 9.950. Three other gymnasts also set career bests on the floor March 18: Rachel Goldenberg (9.925), Whitnee Johnson (9.850) and Nicole Radon (9.775).
For complete season statistics for Kent State, click here.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS (courtesy Northern Illinois Sports Information)
Unlike traditional dual (two team) or even quadrangular (four team) meets, the MAC Championships will have seven rotations. Four teams compete – one on each apparatus – during every rotation while three teams will be on a bye and sit out that round. The Championship awards ceremony will follow the meet with individual event winners on vault, bars, beam and floor honored along with an all-around champion.
Central Michigan (14-6, 6-0), the two-time defending champion and 2012 MAC regular season titlist, is seeded first, followed by Western Michigan (8-7, 4-2) and Kent State (7-4, 4-2). Northern Illinois (5-10 overall, 2-4 MAC), Eastern Michigan (10-9, 2-4), Ball State (4-8, 2-4) and Bowling Green (2-12, 1-5) round out the field. One year ago, both Central Michigan and Kent State advanced to the NCAA Regionals with Kent State qualifying out of its regional for the national championships.
