Falcons Record Fourth-Highest Score In Program History

Thursday, March 6

Kent, Ohio

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

195.925

196.225

Kent State

March 06, 2014 | Gymnastics

By: by Jason Knavel, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

Final Results (.pdf)

Kent, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University gymnastics team went into Thursday night's meet at Kent State with an opportunity to earn a share of the regular season Mid-American Conference Championship. The Falcons did everything they could, posting a season-best 195.925, but Kent State rallied with a tremendous floor rotation late to score 196.225 for the win.

Bowling Green's 195.925 was its highest team score since scoring a 196.100 in 2005. In fact, it was the fourth-highest score in program history and will most certainly put the Falcons in position to vie for an NCAA Regional spot. The Falcons were ranked No. 38 in the country heading into the meet with the top 36 teams advancing to the NCAA postseason.

BGSU has struggled on the uneven bars for much of the year but the Falcons sent an early message by recording a season-best 49.025 on the event during the first rotation. Amanda Lievendag's 9.925 was a career-best and the third-best score in program history in the event. Alyssa Nocella added a 9.850 and Gina Locigno scored a 9.800 to give the Falcons a 49.025-48.950 lead after the first rotation.

The lead stayed the same as the Falcons moved to the vault and Kent State went to bars as each team scored 48.950 on the second rotation. Lievendag was strong again, tying her career best with a 9.875. Locigno had her second score of at least 9.800 on the evening with a 9.825 and BGSU led the Golden Flashes at the midway point.

Bowling Green pushed its lead out further on the third rotation by scoring a season-best 49.200 on its best event, the floor exercise. Both Alyssa Nocella and Megan Harrington recorded scores of 9.900, two of the top 10 scores in BGSU history on floor. Specialist Megan Valentini scored 9.850 and Locigno had a third strong routine with a 9.800.

Kent State needed to close the fourth rotation with an All-American performance and the Golden Flashes got it, scoring 49.475 on floor. Bowling Green's 48.750 on beam tied its second-best of the year but it wasn't quite enough despite 9.875 scores from Locigno and Nocella. The Falcons also got a 9.850 from Harrington and 9.825 from Jamilah Ali.

Kent State's Marie Case won the all-around with a 39.600 but Nocella was second with a career-best 39.350, the third-highest score in BGSU history. Locigno added a 39.300 which is tied for the fourth-best ever.

With the win, Kent State moves to 9-3 on the season and wins the MAC regular season title outright at 6-0. Bowling Green falls to 7-7 and 4-2 in MAC play, ending third in the regular season. The Falcons, though, will look to rebound in their final regular season meet of the year, a triangular at UCLA with Utah State. That meet is scheduled for March 16 at 5 pm. Following that, BGSU will compete in the MAC Championships March 22 at Eastern Michigan, beginning at 2 pm.