Turner, Gymnastics Sign Three During The Early Signing Period
November 14, 2014 | Gymnastics
Beyer, Eley and De Meno sign National Letters of Intent, and will join BGSU in the fall of 2015.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green State University gymnastics coach Kerrie Turner, who led the program to its best finish in 22 years at last year's Mid-American Conference Championship meet, has announced the signing of three gymnasts for the 2015-16 season. Julia Beyer, Chelsea Eley and Lauren De Meno have all committed to BGSU, and will join the team next fall.
"Our three signees bring a wealth of high-level competitive experience and strengths to the table," Turner said. "It's an exciting time to be involved with our program, and this is definitely a strong recruiting class that I am certain will contribute to our team upon their arrival to campus."
Beyer, from Naperville, Ill., is the daughter of Todd and Kathy Beyer. Beyer attends Neuqua Valley High School, and is a part of the Naperville Gymnastics Club. She was a 2013 Junior Olympic National qualifier, and brought home the floor championship at the 2014 NIT. Beyer plans to major in mathematics at Bowling Green.
"Julia has a signature style to her gymnastics, particularly on floor and beam. Both powerful and flexible, Julia will really have a great opportunity to excel at the collegiate level," Turner said. "She has competed at the Junior Olympic National Championships, gaining experience competing under pressure on the national stage. Julia is an equally as strong student, and I expect she will transition well to collegiate gymnastics."
Eley, a native of Greensboro, N.C., is the daughter of Eric and Cheryl Eley. She attends Westchester Country Day School, and has served as a captain for the Wildcats since her junior year. Eley currently is a member of the High Point Gymnastics Academy, and has been a level 10 gymnast for four years. She was an NIT qualifier in 2012 and 2014, and has placed as high as second (floor) and third (vault) at that invitational. Eley plans to major in actuarial science.
"Chelsea is an elegant gymnast with beautiful lines and dynamic skills. I fully expect to see Chelsea challenging for lineup spots for every meet," Turner said. "Her experience competing in invitational competitions, and at the Junior Olympic Invitational Tournament will certainly help her meet the high standards that we have for our student-athletes. Not only is she a talented gymnast, but Chelsea is also an excellent student."
De Meno, who hails from Staten Island, N.Y., is the daughter of Randy and Theresa De Meno. She will earn her fourth letter from Tottenville High School this year, and is currently the school record holder in bars, beam, vault and the all-around. She will serve as the team captain for the Pirates throughout the upcoming season. At the 2011 Maccabiah Pan American Games, she won gold on bars on Team USA's championship-winning squad. She is a member of Head Over Heels Gymnastics, and was a 2014 NIT qualifier. De Meno plans to major in dietetics.
"Lauren is a powerful gymnast and uses her tall stature to her advantage. Lauren's vault immediately set her apart throughout the recruiting process," Turner said. "However, she really has the skills on every event to challenge collegiate lineups. Lauren has had the unique experience of competing at the Maccabi Pan American Games, and at the World Maccabiah Games for Team USA. I'm certain that Lauren will be able to excel in both the gym and classroom at BGSU."
Bowling Green opens the gymnastics season on Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. against Michigan State at Anderson Arena. The Orange and Brown return two All-MAC selections to this year's team in junior Alyssa Nocella and sophomore Lauren Feely, while last season's MAC vault champion, Amanda Lievendag, also returns to Turner's squad.
"Our three signees bring a wealth of high-level competitive experience and strengths to the table," Turner said. "It's an exciting time to be involved with our program, and this is definitely a strong recruiting class that I am certain will contribute to our team upon their arrival to campus."
Beyer, from Naperville, Ill., is the daughter of Todd and Kathy Beyer. Beyer attends Neuqua Valley High School, and is a part of the Naperville Gymnastics Club. She was a 2013 Junior Olympic National qualifier, and brought home the floor championship at the 2014 NIT. Beyer plans to major in mathematics at Bowling Green.
"Julia has a signature style to her gymnastics, particularly on floor and beam. Both powerful and flexible, Julia will really have a great opportunity to excel at the collegiate level," Turner said. "She has competed at the Junior Olympic National Championships, gaining experience competing under pressure on the national stage. Julia is an equally as strong student, and I expect she will transition well to collegiate gymnastics."
Eley, a native of Greensboro, N.C., is the daughter of Eric and Cheryl Eley. She attends Westchester Country Day School, and has served as a captain for the Wildcats since her junior year. Eley currently is a member of the High Point Gymnastics Academy, and has been a level 10 gymnast for four years. She was an NIT qualifier in 2012 and 2014, and has placed as high as second (floor) and third (vault) at that invitational. Eley plans to major in actuarial science.
"Chelsea is an elegant gymnast with beautiful lines and dynamic skills. I fully expect to see Chelsea challenging for lineup spots for every meet," Turner said. "Her experience competing in invitational competitions, and at the Junior Olympic Invitational Tournament will certainly help her meet the high standards that we have for our student-athletes. Not only is she a talented gymnast, but Chelsea is also an excellent student."
De Meno, who hails from Staten Island, N.Y., is the daughter of Randy and Theresa De Meno. She will earn her fourth letter from Tottenville High School this year, and is currently the school record holder in bars, beam, vault and the all-around. She will serve as the team captain for the Pirates throughout the upcoming season. At the 2011 Maccabiah Pan American Games, she won gold on bars on Team USA's championship-winning squad. She is a member of Head Over Heels Gymnastics, and was a 2014 NIT qualifier. De Meno plans to major in dietetics.
"Lauren is a powerful gymnast and uses her tall stature to her advantage. Lauren's vault immediately set her apart throughout the recruiting process," Turner said. "However, she really has the skills on every event to challenge collegiate lineups. Lauren has had the unique experience of competing at the Maccabi Pan American Games, and at the World Maccabiah Games for Team USA. I'm certain that Lauren will be able to excel in both the gym and classroom at BGSU."
Bowling Green opens the gymnastics season on Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. against Michigan State at Anderson Arena. The Orange and Brown return two All-MAC selections to this year's team in junior Alyssa Nocella and sophomore Lauren Feely, while last season's MAC vault champion, Amanda Lievendag, also returns to Turner's squad.
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