Kent State University
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Western Michigan
Flashes Take on Western Michigan in Regular Season Finale
3/12/2022 3:15:00 PM | Gymnastics
KALAMAZOO, MI. - On Sunday, the Kent State gymnastics team will travel to Michigan to take on the Western Michigan Broncos in the regular season finale at 1 p.m.
About the Flashes
Kent State comes off an amazing weekend of meets a week ago. On March 4 in a tri-meet at Ohio State with Bowling Green, the Flashes posted their then-highest score of the season at 196.375. This included sophomore Sarah Haxton posting a personal record on bars at 9.900 and senior Riley Danielson posting a personal record on beam at 9.875. Junior Rachel DeCavitch also posted a 9.875 on beam.
But the Flashes and DeCavitch were just getting warmed up, as their home finale on Sunday was even better. Only two days after setting a season-high overall score, Kent State topped it in their home tri-meet against Eastern Michigan and Ohio State at 196.550. Freshman Alyssa Guns led the team on vault with a score of 9.875, tying her PR on vault and helping her to finish third overall in the event. Junior Rachel DeCavitch beat her season-high all-around score of 9.325 (which she posted in the meet two days previous) with a new season-high all-around score of 39.350, which was good enough for first in the meet and her second-highest career all-around score.
For her efforts, DeCavitch was named the Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week for the fourth time in her career.
About the Broncos
Western Michigan enters competition on Sunday with a 195.895 NQS, good enough for 36th in the country and first in the MAC. In their last meet on March 5, the Broncos fell in a road duel meet against Michigan State, 197.575-196.725. But that loss was very deceiving, as this overall score was the highest in program history. Junior Payton Murphy set a WMU record with an all-around score of 39.400. She also garnered a 9.900 on bars, 9.850 on beam, and a 9.825 on floor and vault.
Western also set a school record on beam with a score of 49.325, a full 0.150 higher than the previous highest beam score. Junior Amanda Gruber's 9.950 tied the individual record on the event. This performance boosted the Broncos' national ranking on beam to 30th, their highest ranking on any one event. Their lowest ranking event is vault, on which they are currently 45th in the nation.
The Flashes and Broncos faced off twice in the regular season in 2021. However, Western Michigan got the edge in both meets, posting scores of 195.575 and 196.050 respectively, compared to Kent State's 195.650 and 195.850. But Kent State is 59-24 lifetime against Western Michigan.
Follow the Flashes
For more information be sure to follow the Kent State gymnastics team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates as well as following kentstatesports.com.
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Players Mentioned
