Kent State University
Ball State
Flashes Travel to Muncie to Open MAC Slate
2/3/2024 12:30:00 PM | Gymnastics
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State gymnastics program will look to rebound in the first meet of conference play on Sunday, traveling to Muncie to compete against Ball State. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and will stream live on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Flashes (6-2, 0-0 MAC) had their first home meet of the season spoiled last Sunday, falling to West Virginia 194.825-194.050.
The Golden Flashes had their strongest showing on floor, with three gymnasts going 9.85+. Freshman Dani Fuertez earned the first event win of her career with a 9.925, while Karlie Franz and Alyssa Guns continued their hot starts to the season with a 9.900 and a 9.875, respectively.
Sarah Haxton earned two top-three finishes in the first home meet of her senior season. She placed second on beam with a 9.800 and third on bars with a 9.750. Kennedy Weinpert and Charlie Behner placed second on vault with a 9.850, which tied Weinpert's career high.
TEN-NESSEE
The Flashes placed second at the Tennessee Collegiate Classic on Jan. 19 with a program-record 197.725. Kent State also set new program-best scores on floor (49.675) and tied the highest-ever results on bars (49.500) and second-highest on vault (49.300). Including exhibitions, the Flashes hit on 32/32 routines.
Karlie Franz won on floor after she scored a perfect 10.000, the first Kent State gymnast to do so since Jessie James in 2004 and the first MAC gymnast to go perfect on floor since 2005. Alyssa Guns and Heidi Schultz each received a 10.00 from one judge, finishing second in the meet with a 9.975 each. On bars, five gymnasts set or matched their career-highs, led by Kyndall Gilbert's 9.925.
Nene Alvine and Nastia Rudnitskaya each finished third with a 9.900, with Alvine on beam and Rudnitskaya on vault. In total, 15 of the Flashes' 24 routines on the night set or tied personal bests.
SHE'S BAAAAAAACK!
After a stellar senior campaign, Karlie Franz returns to Kent State for one last ride with the Flashes. The two-time All-MAC Second Team selection ranked fourth in the conference on floor with a 9.905 NQS a season ago and scored a 9.9+ mark with her floor routine in six consecutive meets, highlighted by career-high 9.925s against NIU and Central Michigan. Also competing on bars and beam, Franz hit on 18 of her 20 routines during her senior season.
EARLY SEASON STANDOUTS
Thanks to a strong showing in its first two meets, Kent State ranks 36th in the country with a 195.442 average score. The squad also ranks 11th in the country on floor with a 49.400 average.
Karlie Franz and Alyssa Guns have both been excellent on floor this season, sporting two of the highest averages in the event this season. Franz sits fifth with a 9.933 average while Guns is tied for 16th in the nation with a 9.917 average. They are the only MAC gymnasts ranked inside the top 30.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Cardinals enter Sunday's meet ranked 44th in the country on vault, 46th on bars, 53rd on beam, and 50th on floor. West Virginia is coming off of a 195.025-194.850 defeat to Pitt last Sunday. The Mountaineers also sport a 0-1 record against the MAC this season after falling to Western Michigan 196.000-195.050 on January 13.
Abbie Pierson leads West Virginia with 161.100 points early in the season. The fifth-year senior is the 19th gymnast in program history to tally 1,500 career points. Emma Wehry second on the squad with 87.525 points and leads WVU with a 9.825 bars average.
Jason Butts is in his 13th year at the helm of the West Virginia program. He sports a 150-109-1 record as head coach, highlighted by the squad's second-place finish at the 2015 Big XII Championships.
UP NEXT
Kent State returns to the M.A.C. Center on Sunday, February 11, for a Mid-American Conference matchup with Northern Illinois at 1 p.m. A season ago, the Flashes fell to the Huskies 195.375-195.025. Karlie Franz took second on floor with a then-career-high 9.925 in DeKalb.
As part of the "Dreaming of Warmer Weather" promotion, fans are encouraged to wear their best beach-themed attire and can take home Kent State Gymnastics beach towels, frisbees, and more.
FOLLOW THE FLASHES
For more information on the Kent State gymnastics team, follow Kent State Gymnastics on Instagram, X and Facebook, and visit kentstatesports.com for additional information.
Players Mentioned
