Bowling Green State University Athletics
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Four Falcons Qualify for NCAA Gymnastics Regionals
March 26, 2018 | Gymnastics
NCAA Release
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Four student-athletes from the Bowling Green State University gymnastics team have earned the right to represent the Falcons at the 2018 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Central Regional. Lauren DeMeno, Jovannah East, India McPeak, and Laura Mitchell will join six teams and other qualified individuals at 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 7 in Columbus, Ohio. The regional meet will be contested at St. John Arena and hosted by Ohio State University. This is the eighth time in head coach Kerrie Turner's 11 seasons that BGSU will have multiple representatives in the postseason, and the four qualifiers matches the most in that span. The Falcons qualified as a team in 2016.
East qualified for the second consecutive year. She was in position to qualify in three separate events prior to the Mid-American Conference Championships, but after competing in the all-around at the MACs, she earned an all-around Regional Qualifying Score (RQS). At 39.180, her score earned an at-large spot in the all-around at the regional meet. East's all-around RQS is third in the MAC and tenth in the Central Region. Her RQS on vault (9.885), beam (9.875), and floor (9.890) all rank in the MAC's top ten, the top 15 of the region, and the top 100 nationally. Last year at regionals, she tied for seventh on the vault (9.800) and tied for 22nd on the beam (9.800). She is BGSU's first individual to compete in the all-around at regionals since Alyssa Nocella in 2015.
DeMeno secured her first career at-large regionals berth. It will be her second appearance in the postseason, as she was part of the 2016 squad that qualified as a team. She scored a 9.800 on vault and tied for seventh at the 2018 MAC Championships. She finished the season with a 9.830 vault RQS, which was aided by four separate performances that resulted in scores of 9.850 during the regular season. DeMeno ended the year ranked fourth in the MAC, 22nd in the region, and 102nd out of 502 nationally. At BGSU's regional in 2016, she registered a 9.600 for her vault.
Mitchell also earned her first at-large spot in a regional and her second appearance overall. Over the last month of the season, she was one of the best beam gymnasts in the country, as she scored 9.9 or better in the final three meets and four of the last five. At the MAC Championships, she tied for second with a 9.925. She broke the BGSU beam scoring record, which stood for nearly 20 years, by earning 9.950 against Central Michigan and Ohio State. Mitchell matched that at Kent State, then added a 9.900 on Senior Day against Northern Illinois. She ranks third in the MAC, tied for ninth in the region, and tied for 34th nationally (out of 494). She competed at the 2016 NCAA Regionals in 2016 when BGSU qualified as a team and tied for third on beam by scoring 9.850.
McPeak will compete in the NCAA postseason for the first time on April 7. She secured her berth by tying for second place on beam with Mitchell at the MAC Championships. By scoring 9.925, she improved her beam RQS to 9.855, which placed her in a tie with Eastern Michigan's Kendall Valentin. McPeak won the tiebreaker to earn that at-large opportunity. She scored 9.775 or better on beam in 12 of her 13 meets this season and reached 9.850 or better in four of the last five. Her RQS ranks sixth in the MAC and in the Central Region's top 20.
Junior Kayla Rose will also travel to the regional event as the first alternate for the floor exercise. She had an incredible finish to the 2018 season, scoring 9.825 or better in each of her final six meets. She posted a season-high 9.875 twice, first at the Elevate The Stage quad meet and again in the home finale against Northern Illinois. She also scored a 9.850 at Kent State. Last Saturday at the MAC Championships, she tied for 11th overall by earning a 9.825. As a result, her RQS improved to 9.840. Rose will serve as first alternate on floor for the second consecutive season. She competed in the 2016 regionals as part of BGSU's team effort.
"I am incredibly pleased for Jovannah, Laura, India and Lauren for earning the opportunity to compete at the 2018 NCAA Regional Gymnastics Championships. In addition, I am equally pleased for Kayla for earning the alternate position on floor. Jovannah has worked hard to add the fourth event, uneven bars, to her repertoire, and she really showed she is a top all around competitor. She certainly has the opportunity to qualify to NCAA Nationals with a solid competition at regionals. Meanwhile, Laura and India have been unstoppable on balance beam all season, and we may use this opportunity to add additional difficulty to their routines," said BGSU head coach Kerrie Turner. "Lauren has really found her consistency on vault. She has stuck several vaults this season and that has been a true benefit to our team and her RQS. Lastly, Kayla has brought such personality to her floor routine and matches that with aggressive tumbling. This will be a fantastic opportunity to represent BGSU at the NCAA post-season. The experience for our competitors is important and I know they look forward to competing at this event."
The two highest scoring teams at the regional will advance to the national championship meet. However, others can secure at-large spots. Among gymnasts not on the two advancing teams, the two who score highest in the all-around are awarded berths to the NCAA Championships. Additionally, a gymnast can advance by winning an individual event at the regional. Marny Oestreng, who won a national championship for BGSU in 1999, earned her place at the NCAA meet by winning the floor exercise competition at the regional
This will be the final season in which the NCAA uses the current Division I postseason format for gymnastics. Beginning with the 2019 season, the NCAA will adopt a three-day regional/super-regional format to determine who advances to the national championships.
NCAA Gymnastics Central Regional (@ St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio; Saturday, April 7, 6:00 p.m. ET)
Teams
3. UCLA
10. Arkansas
15. Boise State
Ohio State (*host)
Pittsburgh
Kent State
Individuals
Jovannah East, BGSU (All-Around)
Lea Mitchell, Michigan State (All-Around)
Emili Dobronics, Eastern Michigan (All-Around)
Morgan Spence, Western Michigan (All-Around)
Rachael Underwood, Western Michigan (Vault; Floor; All-Around - Alternate)
Lauren DeMeno, BGSU (Vault)
Hailee Westney, Michigan State (Bars)
Kendall Valentin, Eastern Michigan (Bars; Beam - Alternate)
Laura Mitchell, BGSU (Beam)
India McPeak, BGSU (Beam)
Tia Kiaku, Ball State (Floor)
Bri Slonim, Ball State (Vault - Alternate)
Lacey Rubin, Eastern Michigan (Bars - Alternate)
Kayla Rose (Floor - Alternate)
BGSU History at NCAA Regionals (2008-2017)
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Four student-athletes from the Bowling Green State University gymnastics team have earned the right to represent the Falcons at the 2018 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Central Regional. Lauren DeMeno, Jovannah East, India McPeak, and Laura Mitchell will join six teams and other qualified individuals at 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 7 in Columbus, Ohio. The regional meet will be contested at St. John Arena and hosted by Ohio State University. This is the eighth time in head coach Kerrie Turner's 11 seasons that BGSU will have multiple representatives in the postseason, and the four qualifiers matches the most in that span. The Falcons qualified as a team in 2016.
East qualified for the second consecutive year. She was in position to qualify in three separate events prior to the Mid-American Conference Championships, but after competing in the all-around at the MACs, she earned an all-around Regional Qualifying Score (RQS). At 39.180, her score earned an at-large spot in the all-around at the regional meet. East's all-around RQS is third in the MAC and tenth in the Central Region. Her RQS on vault (9.885), beam (9.875), and floor (9.890) all rank in the MAC's top ten, the top 15 of the region, and the top 100 nationally. Last year at regionals, she tied for seventh on the vault (9.800) and tied for 22nd on the beam (9.800). She is BGSU's first individual to compete in the all-around at regionals since Alyssa Nocella in 2015.
DeMeno secured her first career at-large regionals berth. It will be her second appearance in the postseason, as she was part of the 2016 squad that qualified as a team. She scored a 9.800 on vault and tied for seventh at the 2018 MAC Championships. She finished the season with a 9.830 vault RQS, which was aided by four separate performances that resulted in scores of 9.850 during the regular season. DeMeno ended the year ranked fourth in the MAC, 22nd in the region, and 102nd out of 502 nationally. At BGSU's regional in 2016, she registered a 9.600 for her vault.
Mitchell also earned her first at-large spot in a regional and her second appearance overall. Over the last month of the season, she was one of the best beam gymnasts in the country, as she scored 9.9 or better in the final three meets and four of the last five. At the MAC Championships, she tied for second with a 9.925. She broke the BGSU beam scoring record, which stood for nearly 20 years, by earning 9.950 against Central Michigan and Ohio State. Mitchell matched that at Kent State, then added a 9.900 on Senior Day against Northern Illinois. She ranks third in the MAC, tied for ninth in the region, and tied for 34th nationally (out of 494). She competed at the 2016 NCAA Regionals in 2016 when BGSU qualified as a team and tied for third on beam by scoring 9.850.
McPeak will compete in the NCAA postseason for the first time on April 7. She secured her berth by tying for second place on beam with Mitchell at the MAC Championships. By scoring 9.925, she improved her beam RQS to 9.855, which placed her in a tie with Eastern Michigan's Kendall Valentin. McPeak won the tiebreaker to earn that at-large opportunity. She scored 9.775 or better on beam in 12 of her 13 meets this season and reached 9.850 or better in four of the last five. Her RQS ranks sixth in the MAC and in the Central Region's top 20.
Junior Kayla Rose will also travel to the regional event as the first alternate for the floor exercise. She had an incredible finish to the 2018 season, scoring 9.825 or better in each of her final six meets. She posted a season-high 9.875 twice, first at the Elevate The Stage quad meet and again in the home finale against Northern Illinois. She also scored a 9.850 at Kent State. Last Saturday at the MAC Championships, she tied for 11th overall by earning a 9.825. As a result, her RQS improved to 9.840. Rose will serve as first alternate on floor for the second consecutive season. She competed in the 2016 regionals as part of BGSU's team effort.
"I am incredibly pleased for Jovannah, Laura, India and Lauren for earning the opportunity to compete at the 2018 NCAA Regional Gymnastics Championships. In addition, I am equally pleased for Kayla for earning the alternate position on floor. Jovannah has worked hard to add the fourth event, uneven bars, to her repertoire, and she really showed she is a top all around competitor. She certainly has the opportunity to qualify to NCAA Nationals with a solid competition at regionals. Meanwhile, Laura and India have been unstoppable on balance beam all season, and we may use this opportunity to add additional difficulty to their routines," said BGSU head coach Kerrie Turner. "Lauren has really found her consistency on vault. She has stuck several vaults this season and that has been a true benefit to our team and her RQS. Lastly, Kayla has brought such personality to her floor routine and matches that with aggressive tumbling. This will be a fantastic opportunity to represent BGSU at the NCAA post-season. The experience for our competitors is important and I know they look forward to competing at this event."
The two highest scoring teams at the regional will advance to the national championship meet. However, others can secure at-large spots. Among gymnasts not on the two advancing teams, the two who score highest in the all-around are awarded berths to the NCAA Championships. Additionally, a gymnast can advance by winning an individual event at the regional. Marny Oestreng, who won a national championship for BGSU in 1999, earned her place at the NCAA meet by winning the floor exercise competition at the regional
This will be the final season in which the NCAA uses the current Division I postseason format for gymnastics. Beginning with the 2019 season, the NCAA will adopt a three-day regional/super-regional format to determine who advances to the national championships.
NCAA Gymnastics Central Regional (@ St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio; Saturday, April 7, 6:00 p.m. ET)
Teams
3. UCLA
10. Arkansas
15. Boise State
Ohio State (*host)
Pittsburgh
Kent State
Individuals
Jovannah East, BGSU (All-Around)
Lea Mitchell, Michigan State (All-Around)
Emili Dobronics, Eastern Michigan (All-Around)
Morgan Spence, Western Michigan (All-Around)
Rachael Underwood, Western Michigan (Vault; Floor; All-Around - Alternate)
Lauren DeMeno, BGSU (Vault)
Hailee Westney, Michigan State (Bars)
Kendall Valentin, Eastern Michigan (Bars; Beam - Alternate)
Laura Mitchell, BGSU (Beam)
India McPeak, BGSU (Beam)
Tia Kiaku, Ball State (Floor)
Bri Slonim, Ball State (Vault - Alternate)
Lacey Rubin, Eastern Michigan (Bars - Alternate)
Kayla Rose (Floor - Alternate)
BGSU History at NCAA Regionals (2008-2017)
| VT | UB | BB | FX | AA | |
| 2017 | |||||
| J. East | 9.800 (T7th) | 9.800 (T22nd) | |||
| L. Feely | 9.800 (T7th) | ||||
| 2016 | |||||
| TEAM | 193.850 (6th) | ||||
| L. DeMeno | 9.600 (T38th) | ||||
| L. Mitchell | 9.625 (T34th) | 9.850 (T3rd) | |||
| 2015 | |||||
| A. Nocella | 9.800 (T12th) | 9.750 (T31st) | 9.700 (T35th) | 9.850 (T11th) | 39.100 (T6th) |
| 2014 | |||||
| A. Nocella | 9.775 (T24th) | 9.750 (T24th) | 9.775 (29th) | 9.850 (T15th) | 39.150 (T9th) |
| M. Harrington | 9.625 (40th) | 9.600 (32nd) | 9.850 (T15th) | 9.850 (T15th) | 38.925 (10th) |
| G. Locigno | 9.725 (T32nd) | 9.625 (T29th) | 9.200 (41st) | 9.800 (T31st) | 38.400 (12th) |
| 2013 | |||||
| A. Nocella | 9.650 (T35th) | 9.625 (T32nd) | 9.425 (T35th) | 9.850 (T9th) | 38.550 (11th) |
| M. Harrington | 9.575 (41st) | 9.600 (35th) | 9.650 (T26th) | 9.700 (35th) | 38.525 (12th) |
| 2012 | |||||
| M. Harrington | 9.550 (41st) | 9.475 (41st) | 9.700 (T24th) | 9.500 (36th) | 38.225 (18th) |
| G. Locigno | 9.650 (39th) | 9.075 (42nd) | 8.550 (41st) | 9.700 (29th) | 36.975 (19th) |
| D. Wishart | 9.800 (T24th) | ||||
| J. Ali | 9.550 (T33rd) | ||||
| 2011 | |||||
| K. Fillmore | 9.425 (41st) | 9.600 (40th) | 9.700 (T30th) | 8.600 (42nd) | 37.325 (21st) |
| D. Christman | 9.050 (40th) | ||||
| 2010 | |||||
| B. Guy | 9.575 (42nd) | 9.500 (36th) | 9.750 (T9th) | 9.750 (T33rd) | 38.575 (T14th) |
| K. Fillmore | 9.600 (41st) | 9.650 (T28th) | 9.450 (T33rd) | 9.600 (40th) | 38.300 (16th) |
| D. Wishart | 9.700 (T35th) | ||||
| 2009 | |||||
| B. Guy | 9.825 (T18th) | 9.575 (34th) | 9.625 (30th) | 9.800 (T17th) | 38.825 (10th) |
| 2008 | |||||
| B. Guy | 9.825 | 9.625 | 9.075 | 9.650 | 38.175 (16th) |
| J. Bernhardt | 9.775 (T25th) |
Players Mentioned
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