Gymnastic Seniors Look To Make History Friday Against Eastern Michigan
3/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
KENT, Ohio Five seniors will participate in the final regular season meet of their career when Kent State (10-3, 5-0 Mid-American Conference) squares off with Eastern Michigan (11-4, 4-1) Friday (March 21) in the M.A.C. Center.
"Five seniors is an unusually large class for gymnastics. Having this many seniors can be good be good because they have different personalities so when you have 17 other team members, they can look to a senior with a similar personality," said Head Coach Brice Biggin. "With the different seniors, the other team members mesh so well."
According to Jill Kowalski (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North), being a part of Kent State gymnastics has been an amazing experience. “It has taught me so much about working with the team. It is something I also found out about myself like how far I can push myself and know my own abilities and my abilities to work with the team.
“It has been really fun and I have loved every minute of it and loved everyone I have met,” added Kowalski.
“My time at
For Amy Presan (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon), coming to Ohio from Arizona was a different experience, but “I feel it was the best choice for me to come to Kent State. Gymnastics was a big part of that decision because I really enjoy the coaches and the team. I have had the best experience and I do not regret this decision at all. I would do it all over again if I could.”
Alyssa Zambryckij (Casselberry, Fla./Lyman) echoed Kowalski's sentiment, mentioning how everyone on the team is important. “Each person is here for each other. Each routine counts no matter if it's a competition routine or an exhibition routine. Everyone has their place on the team and we are all here for a reason and that is to win.”
And win this team has.
During their freshman season in 2005, the Golden Flashes won the MAC Gymnastic Championship meet. For their sophomore and junior seasons, Kent State recorded a pair of 5-1 conference records and tied for the regular season championship.
With a win over Eastern Michigan, the 2008 seniors will complete only the third undefeated conference record in school history, joining the 1981 and 1996 Kent State squads. They will also have the best class conference winning percentage and tie the 1998 seniors for the most conference wins over four years.
Despite these accomplishments, Kristin Peters (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) wants to be a part of another MAC Gymnastic Championship. “We only won the meet my freshman year. Winning the regular season the next two years is a great accomplishment, but we focus more on the actual championship meet. It has been a great feeling to win but we want more.
“Our whole team would like to go out with a win, especially at home,” added Peters.
The senior class also has advice for present and future Kent State gymnasts. “Keep going and keep pushing to have the same goal in mind and keep the tradition going,” said Zambryckij.
“Have fun and make sure you understand this is a team sport, not individual,” said Presan. “In club, it is very individual so coming to college gymnastics you have to learn it is all about the team.”
“Work as hard as you can and never give up whether you are a scholarship or walk on gymnast. If you work hard, you will compete. If you really want it and your heart is in it, the coaches will know and work with you to get a spot in the lineup,” said Biondo
“Enjoy every minute of your time. It goes so fast so enjoy every second and take advantage of [the experiences],” added Kowalski.
Peters was straight-forward in her response.
“Keep the tradition of winning going.”
Last Time Out For The Golden Flashes
The Kent State Gymnastics team improved to 10-3 this season and 5-0 in Mid-American Conference play with a 194.550-192.475 win over Western Michigan (4-12, 2-4) Sunday afternoon.
Freshman Christina Lenny won vault for the seventh time in nine meets this season with a mark of 9.850. She also won on floor with a routine of 9.850. Senior Kristin Peters won on bars with a score of 9.850 for the sixth time this season.
Kent State began the meet on bars where it recorded a team score of 48.575. Besides Peters' victory, fellow senior Jill Kowalski finished second with a routine of 9.775. Sophomore Lydia Barrett and freshman Christine Abou-Mitri tied for third with scores of 9.675. It was the first meet of the year on bars for Abou-Mitri.
In the second rotation on vault, the Golden Flashes recorded a team score of 48.575. Lenny won the event while Peters finished fourth with a mark of 9.750. Barrett, junior Rachel Stuck and sophomore Brittany Kopp all finished tied for fifth with scores of 9.725. Abou-Mitri was eighth with a mark of 9.700.
Kent State was on floor for the third rotation, where it turned in its best team score of the afternoon with a 48.900. Junior Amanda St. John took third with a routine of 9.800. Junior Laci Hendress finished fourth with a score of 9.775. Barrett and Stuck took fifth and seventh with marks of 9.750 and 9.725, respectively.
The Golden Flashes finished the afternoon on beam, where they recorded a team score of 48.300. Kowalski finished second with a score of 9.775 while Hendress finished third with a 9.750 routine. Lenny tallied a score of 9.725 and finished fifth.
Last Time Out For The Eagles
The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team finished in second place this past weekend, competing against conference rivals Northern Illinois University and Bowling Green State University in non-conference action. The Eagles posted a 193.500, finishing just behind NIU, who won the tri-meet with a 193.625. Host BGSU finished in third place on the day, posting a season-high mark of 193.125.
With the win the Eagles improve to 11-4, 4-1 in conference action on the year.
On the vault, the Green and White posted three of the top seven scores on the night. Junior Duyen Zu Vuong led the way with a 9.850 third place finish. Following Vuong was sophomore Erin Grigg with a 9.825 and senior Jolene Worley with a 9.800, finishing in sixth and seventh places, respectively.
On the bars, Worley picked up one of her two individual event titles on the night, posting a 9.725 for medalist honors. Grigg and freshman Jessica Perdoch rounded out the Eagle finishers in the top 10. Grigg finished sixth with a 9.650 while Perdoch posted a 9.625 for ninth place.
Redshirt freshman Grace Grouch was a medalist honor for the first time in her young career, posting a 9.825 en route to first place honors on the balance beam. Taking fourth place with a 9.750 was Worley.
Worley and Grigg continued to pace the Eagles, finishing first and fourth on the floor exercise program. Worley posted a 9.850 for her second first place finish on the night while Grigg finished fourth after posting a 9.825.
The Green and White posted the top three all-arounders on the night, with Worley's season-high mark of 39.125 edging Grigg's season-high mark of 39.000. Vuong picked up third place with her 38.400 mark.
Last Time These Two Teams Met
Last season, Kent State defeated Eastern Michigan 194.125-192.925 on March 17 to win a share of the 2007 Mid-American Conference Regular Season Championship.
The Golden Flashes were led in the meet by Kristin Peters, who captured two first place finishes by receiving a 9.875 on bars and a 9.850 on beam.
The Flashes began the meet on bars where Peters took first place and Laci Hendress placed fifth with a mark of 9.750. Overall, the Golden Flashes edged out the Eagles in the overall team score 48.825-48.625.
KSU moved on to vault for its second rotation, where it was outscored by EMU 48.675-48.025. The top finisher for the Flashes was freshman Lydia Barrett, who finished seventh with a mark of 9.650.
Floor was the next event for Kent State where Jolene Worley of EMU finished first, earning a score of 9.800. Barrett tied for fourth place, scoring a 9.775. Kent State edged out Eastern Michigan by a team score of 48.825-48.650.
The Golden Flashes dominated the Eagles on beam 48.450-46.975 to win the meet comfortably. Peters captured the first place crown with a score of 9.850. Jill Kowalski tied for second place with Worley, each with matching scores of 9.725.
In the all-around competition Kowalski (38.725) finished second to Worley (39.025). Duyen Zu Vuong finished third with a mark of 38.525.
| Gymnastic Notes 3-20 |
