Kent State University
Ball State
No. 20 Gymnastics Travels to Ball State for First Road Meet
1/26/2018 10:01:00 AM | Gymnastics
The 20th-ranked Kent State gymnastics team will travel to Muncie, Indiana to take on Ball State on Sunday, January 28 at 1 p.m. This will be the Golden Flashes' second Mid-American Conference matchup of the season and also their first road meet.
The Flashes improved their record (2-0, 1-0) with a win over Northern Illinois scoring a 195.925 to raise their national ranking from 22nd to 20th.
Nationally, Kent State ranks No. 7 on bars with an average score of 49.138 and high of 49.225. The Flashes also are ranked No. 10 nationally on floor with a score of 49.050 from both meets.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Flashes defeated the Huskies by a score of 195.925-195.200 on Friday, January 19, capturing their first conference win.
Senior Rachel Stypinski won her second straight MAC Gymnast of the Week honor with an all-around score of 39.425. Stypinski won beam with a 9.925 and tied for first on floor with a 9.900 for the second straight meet. She also finished second on bars with a 9.875.
Freshmen Abby Fletcher and Nasha Manitkul-Davis both competed in three events. Manitkul-Davis tied for second on vault (9.800) and shared third place on floor with Fletcher (9.825).
Dara Williams tied for second on vault with a 9.800, improving her score from the previous meet.
The Flashes' bar rotation led by their four seniors improved from their first meet by 0.175 with a 49.225, which is the highest score by a MAC team this season. Ali Marrero took first with a score of 9.900 with Stypinski tying for second (9.875). Brooke Timko placed fourth with a 9.850 while Michaela Romito scored a 9.800. The Flashes took three of the top four scores in this event.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
Ball State (5-3) enter Sunday's meet with an average score of 193.667, which ranks sixth in the MAC. In their last meet, the Cardinals scored a season high 194.750 to finish 1-1 in a tri-meet with North Carolina State and William & Mary.
The Cardinals best event as a team is vault with an average score of 48.700, which ranks No. 4 in the conference and No. 40 nationally. Ball State is also No. 4 in the conference on beam with an average of 48.800.
Senior Baylee Bell is ranked No. 8 in the conference on beam with an average score of 9.783, while freshman Vicky Garcia is right behind with a 9.775 average. Freshman Tia Kiaku leads the team on floor (9.792) placing her No. 6 in the MAC.
SERIES HISTORY
Kent State's all-time record against Ball State is 59-17, winning 30 of the last 31 meetings, with one loss coming in their last trip to Muncie at the 2016 MAC Championships. Ball State's last non-championship victory over the Flashes came on February 4, 2000.
Last season, the Golden Flashes defeated the Cardinals, 196.425-195.000, on Senior Night. The Flashes scored a 49.250 on beam, which tied for the fifth-highest mark in program history, and also had a season-best 49.200 on bars.
UP NEXT
The Flashes will participate in a quad meet at George Washington on Sunday, February 4 at 1 p.m. Wisconsin-Oshkosh and William & Mary will also compete.
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
