Falcons Post Best Score Since 2004-05 Season to Remain Unbeaten in MAC Competition

Feb. 17, 2008

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - It took six girls hitting their routines in the final rotation Saturday night for the Bowling Green State University gymnastics team to remain unbeaten in Mid-American Conference play. The Falcons posted a season high 193.335 to top Central Michigan, who finished closely behind with a 192.775. This is the Falcons best score since the 2004-05 season in which they scored a 194.075 against Western Michigan.

"Reaching a 193 was huge," Head coach Kerrie Beach said. "Last season we were unable to break the 193 mark. I hope we are going to be able to build from here and get a 194. We had a few mistakes tonight so it's nice to know that the team is doing quality gymnastics and that a194 is very obtainable."

Heading into the last rotation, the Orange and Brown trailed EMU by 0.675 of a point. The meet's outcome rested on the shoulders of six girls and their floor routines.

Senior co-captain Jacque Bernhardt rallied the troops around her before taking to the floor. "We knew that every person had to count and we had to hit to out full potential," she said.

Sophomore Queenita Gamble also knew what her team had to do before they took to the mats. "As a team Kerrie [Beach] brought us together for floor and gave us some words of encouragement. That really psyched us up. We knew that we had to hit just like we had done all week in practice," she said.

Beach psyched the team up before the event by saying: "When I got the score sheet after beam, and knew beam wasn't terrible but wasn't perfect, it would take us absolutely hitting on floor to have a shot at winning. So I walked over to the girls and asked them if they wanted to win this meet. They were really pumped and ready to go. I told them it would take everyone one of them hitting, and they did that. They wanted it bad enough and we got it."

The first Falcon to compete was junior Jenna Wirtanen, who tied her career best when she landed a 9.600. Following her was Queenita Gamble who set a new career high at 9.725. Morgan Balzer tied her career high of 9.800, while freshman Meg Satterlee also scored a 9.800. Breanne Guy followed, flipping to a 9.775. The final one to go was Bernhardt. She left it all on the mats when she scored a 9.875, a new career best and landing her tied for eighth in all-time floor scores.

As a team, the Falcons posted a season high floor score at 48.975. Bernhardt won the event, while CMU's Andrea DelaGarza and Danielle Espinoza took second with scores of 9.850. Balzer and Satterlee tied for fourth followed y Guy in sixth.

The team opened the meet up on vault where Bernhardt and Guy finished second and third respectively with scores of 9.850 and 9.825 tying season highs. Ashlee deLeeuw posted a new season high mark at 9.700 placing her tied for fifth. With these high scores the Falcons jumped out to a early 0.700 of a point lead.

Guy led the team on bars with a score of 9.775, a new career best for her. She finished tied for third while Katie Follett finished in fifth (9.625), Jholeen Ponce claimed sixth (9.600), and Balzer and Megan Chronister tied for seventh (9.575). Ponce, Follett, and Chronister's scores are all season highs.

While the team did not post the best scores on beam, freshman Abby Ashley set a new career best at 9.750 to finish in third. Follett (9.625), Gamble (9.600) and Chronister(9.550) followed behind in fifth through seventh, respectively. DelaGarza and Espinoza took first and second with a 9.850 and 9.775 as well.

Gamble was the last gymnast to perform and knew she had to hit her routine so the team would not have to count two falls. "We have been doing pressure sets all year. I feel that really helped us tonight because it felt just like practice. I knew I had to deliver a routine and I felt confident in myself and I knew I could do it," she said.

Guy finished the meet by taking second in the all-around with a score of 38.525. DelaGarza won the all around with a 39.375.

After the meet, Bernhardt was really proud of her team's performance. "It feels really good to get a 193. You could just tell we were into it mentally this time because we finally are putting it all together. We know we have room for improvement but we did really well and I am really proud of this team," she said.

Beach was also impressed with her gymnast's ability, "Queenie [Gamble] came up to me before the meet and asked me where she was competing and I told her last. I know in a way that makes her nervous but she is also very good under pressure. She did exactly what she needed to do. We reviewed everything I wanted her to do in her routine before she went. But really it's just a tribute to her keeping it together and getting up there and pulling that last piece together."

After tonight's win, the Falcons remain at the top of the MAC at 3-0 and 7-3 overall. They will compete again on Sunday Feb. 24th at Western Michigan. The meet will be held at 1:00 p.m. and the team will then travel to Kent State on Feb. 29th. That meet will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Beach is very pleased with her team and their performance tonight. "I am so excited for tonight because I thought that we had a great comeback. The team was just so hungry for the win because we have had a few disappointing meets. It was great to see them put it together, but know we have so much more we can do. Undefeated in the MAC right now is absolutely fantastic," she said.

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