Bowling Green State University
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Falcons Lose Tight Meet
March 15, 2008 | Gymnastics
March 15, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - On Friday the Bowling Green State University gymnastics team lost a tough battle at home against Mid-American Conference opponent Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois. NIU claimed the top spot in the meet with a 193.625, EMU followed closely behind with a 193.500, then BGSU with their second highest score on the season at 193.125. The Falcons were led by sophomore Breanne Guy who claimed fourth in the all-around with a 38.550 and Queenita Gamble who set new career highs on two events.
Head coach Kerrie Beach was very pleased with her team's effort in the loss tonight. "It is good to be back in the 193 mark, which was a huge effort by the team. Our balance beam was much improved, and our floor was much better from the week before. We are also very happy to have broken a 48 on beam, for the first time all season."
The team opened the meet up on the vault where every vaulter set a new season high. In doing so the team posted a season high vault score of 48.775. Lauryn Carr vaulted for the first time this season and posted a 9.575. Guy and Jacque Bernhardt tied for first with scores of 9.875. Jenna Wirtanen tied for eighth with a 9.775 while Gamble finished in 11th with a 9.650. Along with their team high on vault the team also posted the highest vault score out of the three teams.
Bars would be the weakest event for the Falcons. Senior Jholeen Ponce posted a new season high when she landed a 9.700 tying her for second. Guy followed behind in fourth place with a score of 9.675.
The team next moved to beam where for the first time in over two seasons the team posted a 48 or higher on beam. Gamble tied for second with a 9.775. Megan Chronister had her best performance on the year when she posted a 9.7 and tying for sixth.
The Orange and Brown ended the meet on floor where Rachel Gourley and Gamble would both post season highs. The Falcons also saw a new performer in Anna Podgornaya who competed for the first time all season. Bernhardt led the team with a 9.825. Guy and Gamble trailed behind with scores of 9.775. Goulrey flipped to a 9.750.
Beach was very pleased with how her team did throughout the whole meet, especially on floor. "I thought the team did a great job all together tonight. We saw some nice highlights from Queenita Gamble getting out there and stepping up; really the whole group on floor had a phenomenal night. I really feel like it was a group effort. There was not just one person who made it happen tonight and that's the best part when you have a team sport. When you have everyone come out and step up."
BGSU returns home next week for a 4:00 p.m. meet in Anderson Arena on Saturday March 22. They will go head to head with the Wildcats of Kentucky. Following that meet the team will prepair to do battle in Kent, Ohio. The team will head to the MAC Championships on Saturday March 29th. The meet will get underway at 2:00 p.m. The Falcons have ended their MAC competition side of their schedule and do so at 3-3.
Beach and the Falcons will use next week's meet as a practice for their final MAC showdown. "Starting at this moment the focus is on MACs. We are going to use next week as a building block for the MAC Championship. We are hoping to come out with strong performances. The people who are stepping up in spots that were taken away by injury, we will really be looking to them next week to come out and hit and get the confidence they need."
