Kent State University
Bowling Green
Gymnastics Heads to Bowling Green for Final Road Meet
3/2/2017 7:54:00 PM | Gymnastics
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The Kent State gymnastics team will take on Bowling Green in its final road meet of the regular season Friday at 6 p.m.
The Golden Flashes (3-8, 1-4 MAC) are trending upward and in a good spot to earn their ninth NCAA Regional bid in the last 10 years with a Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) of 195.200 that ranks 32nd in the country. Kent State has set a new team season-high in each of its last three meets and owns the second-best average (195.014) in the Mid-American Conference.
SEE YOU AGAIN SOON
Kent State will be back in Bowling Green in less than two weeks, as the Falcons are set to host the 2017 Mid-American Conference Gymnastics Championships on Saturday, March 18. The championship will be held inside of the Stroh Center, which opened in September 2011, for the first time. Anderson Arena has continued to be the home venue for BG Gymnastics and was the site of the previous five championships hosted by the Falcons.
LAST TIME OUT
Kent State scored a season-high 196.125 to finish second in a tri-meet at North Carolina State on Saturday. The Golden Flashes finished behind No. 16 George Washington (196.725) and ahead of the host Wolfpack (195.550).
The Flashes won the floor exercise competition with a 49.150 and matched its season-high 48.975 on vault. Kent State also had solid performances on bars (49.025) and beam (48.975).
Individually, junior Rachel Stypinski captured titles on floor and beam. Stypinski scored a career-high 9.975 on floor, which is tied for the second-best score in Kent State history, and earned a 9.925 on beam. Junior Brooke Timko matched her career-high score of 9.875 to tie for first on bars.
The Flashes placed three gymnasts in the top four on floor to win the event. Stypinski executed a nearly-flawless routine, receiving a 10.00 from one of the two judges, for a 9.975. Senior Skyelee Lamano tied for second with a 9.875, which matches her season-high. Senior Jordan Hardison scored a 9.850 to finish in a tie for fourth.
Junior Michaela Romito joined Timko in setting a career-high on bars. Romito tied for fourth with a 9.850.
Hardison led the way on vault with a 9.850 to tie for third.
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN
The Falcons (3-11, 2-2 MAC) enter as No. 47 with a 194.100 RQS. On Sunday, Bowling Green tied for the seventh-best team score in program history to win at Central Michigan for the first time since 1987, 195.725-195.625. The Falcons set season-high marks on vault (49.050), floor (48.950) and bars (48.875).
BG excels on vault (48.861) to lead the conference and rank 23rd in the country. The Falcons have won the event in seven of nine meets and had an individual take first in eight meets. Jovannah East (9.841) and Lauren Feely (9.828) are the top two vaulters in the MAC. East, who ranks 32nd in the country, has five event titles and scored a 9.850 or higher in six straight meets. Feely ranks 47th with two event titles and has scored 9.825 or higher in eight meets.
The Falcons also lead the MAC on beam (48.669) and are 30th nationally. East (9.788) also has the highest average in the conference on this apparatus and has scored a 9.800 or higher seven times. Michigan transfer India McPeak is sixth in the conference with an average of 9.722. Taylor Worthington (9.681) has BG's only two individual titles in the event and Laura Mitchell (9.650) is the defending MAC champion on beam.
BG is last in the MAC on floor (48.554) and bars (47.667). BG has won bars just once this season and rank higher than only three other Division I programs.
The 2016 MAC all-around champion, Feely competed in all four events for the first time this season at Central Michigan and scored a 38.525.
SERIES HISTORY
Kent State is 79-21-1 all-time vs. Bowling Green. The Golden Flashes have dominated the series since the 2002 MAC Championships, owning a 36-2 record that included 34 consecutive victories.
UP NEXT
Kent State will compete at the M.A.C. Center for the final time this season when it hosts Ball State for Senior Night on Friday, March 10 at 7 p.m.
FOLLOW THE FLASHES
Be sure to follow the Kent State gymnastics team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad. Live meet updates will be available through Twitter.
Players Mentioned
