Kent State University
George Washington University
Gymnastics Travels to George Washington for Rescheduled Meet
2/21/2019 2:17:00 PM | Gymnastics
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State gymnastics team travels to the nation's capital to compete in the George Washington Quad this Friday, February 22. The Golden Flashes will take on George Washington, Eastern Michigan and Towson at 7 p.m.
The meet against George Washington was originally scheduled as a home event for the Flashes on Jan. 20, but due to weather, the event was postponed and eventually changed to a road meet.
The Flashes will then return to the M.A.C. Center on Sunday to host George Washington and NC State in the Kent State Tri-Meet at 1p.m.
Kent State is ranked 48th in the country and fifth in the Mid-American Conference with an all-around average of 193.700. The Flashes are second in the conference on beam with an average of 48.460, third on uneven bars with a 48.550 and set the highest all-around MAC score of the season with a 195.800 against Bowling Green.
Senior Dara Williams is fourth in the MAC on bars, averaging a 9.790. Williams also leads Kent State on vault, ranking sixth in the conference with a 9.770 average.
Junior Jade Brown and freshman Madison Trott are also key competitors for the Golden Flashes bars lineup. Brown is ranked sixth in the MAC with an average of 9.775, while Trott is ninth with a 9.725.
Trott earned MAC Specialist of the Week after her performance against Bowling Green. The New Wilmington, Pa. native scored a career-high 9.850 to tie for the individual bars title, while scoring a 9.825 on the floor to help the Flashes record their highest floor exercise score in 2019.
Senior Kennedy Plude and freshman Samantha Henry lead the Flashes on balance beam. Plude is eighth in the conference averaging a 9.735, and Henry is 10th in the MAC with a 9.705.
Last Time Out
The Kent State gymnastics team scored a season-high 195.800 and earned its first Mid-American Conference win of the season over Bowling Green. The all-around score is the highest score by a MAC team this season. The Golden Flashes set season-highs in all four events: 48.975 on bars, 48.800 on vault, 49.050 on floor and 48.975 on beam.
On bars, Williams and Trott each earned a career-high 9.850 to tie for the individual bars title. Brown also matched a career-high 9.800 and finished tied for fourth.
On vault, sophomore Abby Fletcher scored a career-high 9.850 and tied for first place. Junior Sarah McCarty tied a career-high 9.825 to finish in fourth place.
Fletcher also matched a season-high 9.875 on floor to finish in third place, while McCarty posted a season-high of 9.850 to finish in fourth place.
Freshmen Cami Klein and Henry led KSU on balance beam. Klein earned a career-high 9.850 to win the individual title, while Henry also scored a career-high 9.825 to take second place. Plude recorded a 9.800 to finish in third place.
Scouting George Washington
George Washington ranks 37th in the country with an all-around average of 194.521. The Colonials best event is beam, where they rank 33rd with a 48.608 average. In its last meeting, George Washington finished in fourth place at the Perfect 10 Challenge with a team score of 194.975.
Fifth year Alexandra Zois is a key competitor for the Colonials, ranking first in the East Atlantic Gymnastics League with an all-around average of 39.087. Zois is third on balance beam with a 9.804 average, fourth on floor exercise with a 9.825 and seventh on uneven bars with a 9.758.
Freshman Deja Chambliss is fourth in the EAGL on vault with a 9.800 average and junior Cydney Crasa is ranked eighth on floor exercise with a 9.812.
Scouting Towson
The Tigers are 55th in the nation averaging an all-around score of 192.689. In its last meeting, Towson fell to Western Michigan, 195.025-193.100.
Senior Mary Elle Arduino and freshman Emerson Hurst are leaders for Towson's balance beam lineup. Hurst is ranked second in the EAGL with a 9.835, while Arduino is fourth with a 9.789.
Scouting Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan is ranked 47th nationally with an all-around average of 193.707. Vault is the Eagles' best event, where they rank third in the MAC with an average of 48.625. In its last meeting, Eastern Michigan fell to Central Michigan, 195.050-192.750.
The Eagles' beam rotation is led by seniors Carly Clark and Megan Hultgren. Clark is second in the MAC with a 9.800 average, while Hultgren is ranked ninth with a 9.714.
Scouting NC State
NC State is 27th in the nation, averaging a team score of 195.157. The Wolfpack's best event is bars, where they rank 21st in the country with a team average of 48.921. In its last meeting, NC State defeated North Carolina, 195.850-193.700.
Sophomore Lauren Kent leads the conference on bars, with an average of 9.800. Senior Maggie Tamburro is second on the event with a 9.789, while freshman Caitlyn Fillard and senior Meredith Robinson rank fourth and fifth, respectively.
Series History
Kent State is 13-6 all-time vs. George Washington. In its last meeting earlier this season, the Golden Flashes defeated the Colonials, 194.450-194.125.
The Flashes are 5-3 all-time with Towson. The two teams have not competed against each other since 2015, when Kent State fell to the Tigers, 193.325-192.400.
Kent State is 53-25 all-time vs. Eastern Michigan. The Golden Flashes fell to the Eagles, 194.875-193.925, in its last meeting.
Kent State is 7-6 all-time with North Carolina State. The Flashes have won three straight since 2014 against the Wolfpack. In its last meeting, Kent State beat NC State, 196.125-195.550.
Up Next
Kent State will host MAC opponent Western Michigan on Friday, March 1 for its annual Pink Meet inside the M.A.C. Center. Pink t-shirts will be available for purchase closer to the event.
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. Fans can follow live stats of the GW Quad here.
Players Mentioned
