Kent State University
Bowling Green
Gymnasts Hosts BG on Senior Day Sunday
3/16/2024 12:00:00 PM | Gymnastics
KENT, Ohio – Kent State will wrap up the home portion of the 2024 gymnastics schedule on Sunday, March 17, at 1 p.m. when the Golden Flashes host Bowling Green as part of Senior Day.Â
With a win Sunday, the Flashes can claim at least a share of the Mid-American Conference regular season title. Kent State last won a MAC regular season title in 2022.
Tickets for Sunday's meet can be purchased here.
LAST TIME OUT
The Kent State gymnastics team posted its highest road score of the MAC schedule in a 196.950-195.650 win over Mid-American Conference foe Western Michigan on Sunday afternoon.
Dani Fuertez and Heidi Schultz tied for the win on beam as the Golden Flashes scored 49+ on all four events for the second consecutive meet.Â
The Flashes hit on 21 routines against the Broncos and have now scored over 196.000 in four straight meets. The Flashes are finding their form at the right part of the season as they look to secure their first NCAA Regionals berth since 2021.
QUICK STICKS
- Kent State has set four of the five-highest totals in program history this season with a 197.725 (1st) at the Tennessee Collegiate Classic in January, a 196.925 (5th) against NIU on Feb. 11, a 197.200 (2nd) against Eastern Michigan on March 3, and a 196.950 (4th) against Western Michigan on Sunday.Â
- The Flashes made their season debut in the top 25 on Monday, clocking in at No. 24 in the nation. The Flashes are the lone MAC squad in the top 25. Kent State ranks 23rd on vault and 17th on floor.Â
- Karlie Franz boasts the second-highest NQS on floor in the Mid-American Conference (9.920) while Alyssa Guns (9.900) ranks fourth in the event and Dani Fuertez and Heidi Schultz (9.870) are tied for 11th. Heidi Schultz (9.870) ranks second in the conference on beam. Sarah Haxton sits tied for second on bars with an NQS of 9.880 and Nastia Rudnitskaya (9.835) sits seventh in the event. Charlie Behner (9.860) ranks fourth in the MAC on vault.
- Karlie Franz was named the MAC Co-Specialist of the Week alongside WMU's Halle Faulkner after earning two podium finishes on floor to open March, including a share of the event win with a 9.900 on Sunday.
- Event wins this season:
     - Vault - Kyndall Gilbert (2), Kennedy Weinpert (1), Nastia Rudnitskaya (1)
     - Bars - Sarah Haxton (2)
     - Beam - Heidi Schultz (4), Dani Fuertez (2), Sarah Haxton (1), Alyssa Guns (1)
     - Floor - Karlie Franz (5), Dani Fuertez (3), Alyssa Guns (2), Nastia Rudnitskaya (1)
- Karlie Franz has scored 9.9+ seven times on floor. Kennedy Weinpert has scored 9.8+ on vault in nine consecutive meets.
SCOUTING SUNDAY'S OPPOSITION
Bowling Green enters Sunday's meet fresh off their best showing of the season, a 195.225 performance on the road at Pitt. The Falcons rank 58th nationally as a squad, sitting 55th on vault, 58th on bars, 52nd on beam, and 60th in the country on floor.
Love Akpan leads Bowling Green with 375.7 points this season and ranks tenth in the conference with an all-around NQS of 38.180. Kathryn Weilbacher is one of the MAC's strongest performers on bars, ranking 13th with a 9.805 NQS.
UP NEXT
The Flashes will travel back to Muncie, Ind., for the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championship. The seven-team competition will get underway at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, and will be streamed on ESPN+. The Flashes last championship came in the 2016 season, their 12th in program history.
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
