Falcons Head To NIU For Crucial MAC Competition

Sunday, February 15

DeKalb, Ill.

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Northern Illinois

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

February 12, 2015 | Gymnastics

Bowling Green will travel to DeKalb, Illinois in search of its first win on the road in MAC play in 2015.

By: by James Nahikian, BGSU Athletic Communications

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY FALCONS (4-4; 1-1 MAC)
AT
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY HUSKIES (4-1; 2-1 MAC)
WITH
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE SEAWOLVES (3-3; 1-0 MPSF)
Sunday, Feb. 15 | 3 p.m. ET | Convocation Center | DeKalb, Illinois
Live Stats: www.BGSUFALCONS.COM
Live Video: ESPN3
Follow Along: @FalconGymn | @BGAthletics
COMPLETE MEET NOTES (.PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University gymnastics team will be in search of its first Mid-American Conference road win of the season this Sunday, as the Orange and Brown will travel to DeKalb, Illinois to take on Northern Illinois on Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. Alaska Anchorage will also compete against the two MAC schools. The Falcons posted a 195.200 on Feb. 6 against Ohio State, and a 195.500 in a win over Ball State on Feb. 8. Both scores rank inside the top 10 in program history.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
A link to follow live stats can be found at BGSUFalcons.com for this weekend's triangular with Northern Illinois and Alaska Anchorage. The meet will also air live on ESPN3 – a link to the stream can be found at BGSUFalcons.com. Fans can also follow the BGSU Gymnastics team on Twitter @FalconGymn for in-meet updates, news and notes, or BGSU Athletics @BGAthletics. Furthermore, Bowling Green fans can follow the gymnastics team on Instagram by searching "bgsu_gymnastics," or BGSU Athletics by searching "bgfalcons."

HEAD COACH'S THOUGHTS
Kerrie Turner: "After two great meets at home this past weekend, I look forward to competing on the road over the next two weekends. NIU has had some bright moments this season, but we are ready to rise to the challenge. I have been working with our team on sheer determination and confidence in competition. My expectation is that we will come out strong on uneven bars, and continue to build from there. This competition is crucial as we work to build road scores for our regional qualifying score, which is essential to getting our program to the postseason."

ABOUT THE HUSKIES
Northern Illinois sits atop the MAC standings, despite averaging the lowest team score (192.825) in the conference. The Huskies upset Central Michigan last Friday (Feb. 6), 194.025–193.925, on the road. Western Michigan defeated the Huskies the week prior, but Northern Illinois opened the MAC season by downing Kent State, 193.375–193.025. The Huskies will compete on Friday (Feb. 13) against Iowa State and Yale at the Chicago Style Meet in Chicago, Illinois, before hosting Bowling Green and Alaska Anchorage.

ABOUT THE SEAWOLVES
The Falcons and Seawolves competed against each other earlier in the year at the Ozone Collegiate Classic (Jan. 17) in Knoxville, Tennessee. On that day, Bowling Green finished second of four teams by scoring a season-low 191.175, while Alaska Anchorage earned a 188.850 to place fourth. The Seawolves are averaging a 191.119 team score, with a team-high of 192.250, which they registered in a win over Winona State on Jan. 10. Alaska Anchorage will also compete on Friday, as they will take on Wisconsin-Whitewater and Winona State in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Harley Davidson Invitational.

WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN
* A win over both schools would inch the Falcons to 6-4 on the season, putting the Orange and Brown in a nice position to secure the program's first winning season since 2002.
* A victory over Northern Illinois would be Bowling Green's second straight, but first in DeKalb since 2007.
* A triumph against Alaska Anchorage would be BGSU's second on the year, and third since 1997.

HISTORIC WEEKEND AT ANDERSON ARENA
Bowling Green returned to Anderson Arena over the weekend with a boom. On Friday, Feb. 6, the Falcons scored a 195.200 in a dual-meet loss against Ohio State. On Sunday, Feb. 8, the Orange and Brown earned its first Mid-American Conference victory of the season by defeating Ball State, 195.500–193.875. The two team scores – which are BGSU's top two marks in 2015 – rank eighth and ninth in program history, respectively. On Friday, 10 season highs were set, along with six career highs. And on Sunday, 11 season bests were set, and eight career highs were established. Laura Mitchell and Amanda Lievendag tied for first on bars on Friday. On Sunday, Lauren Feely and Lievendag tied for first on vault, while Mitchell took the bars title again and Alyssa Nocella won floor. Nocella also won the all-around both nights.

TURNER-COACHED TEAMS POST TOP–10 SCORES
For the second straight year, head coach Kerrie Turner has seen her teams post multiple top-10 team scores. In 2013, Bowling Green scored a 195.925 at Kent State and a 195.550 versus Central Michigan. Those scores rank fourth and seventh in BGSU gymnastics history. With BGSU's 195.200 and 195.500 now jumping into the top 10 over the weekend, Bowling Green's 10th best score in program history is now a 195.175, instead of a 195.125.

NOCELLA NAMED MAC GYMAST OF THE WEEK
Junior Alyssa Nocella – from Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania – was named the MAC Gymnast of the Week for her performance over the weekend against Ohio State (Feb. 6) and Ball State (Feb. 8). The junior won the all-around both nights. On Friday, Nocella scored a 39.175 in the all-around, and set season highs on bars (9.725), beam (9.825) and floor (9.850). Nocella placed tied for second on floor and beam, while also scoring a 9.775 on vault to place tied for fourth on that apparatus. On Sunday, Nocella stole the show. She earned a 39.350 in the all-around, which is tied for third best in program history. The junior won floor by posting a career-best 9.925, which is tied for the fifth-best routine on floor in BGSU gymnastics history. Nocella also surpassed her season high on bars, which she set two nights earlier, by scoring a 9.825 to place tied for the second in the event. While also posting a 9.800 on beam, Nocella placed tied for third on vault by earning a 9.800. The 9.800 on vault tied a career best. In total, Nocella earned seven top-three finishes over the weekend, which includes the two all-around titles, as well as the first-place finish on floor on Sunday.

MITCHELL TABBED AS MAC SPECILAIST OF THE WEEK
Laura Mitchell – a freshman from London, England – earned a pair of first-place finishes on bars for BGSU over the weekend. On Friday (Feb. 6), Mitchell scored a career-high 9.825 to finish tied for first on bars, and also scored a 9.825 on beam to finish tied for second on that apparatus. On Sunday (Feb. 8), Mitchell claimed the outright title on bars, and topped her 9.825 that she posted on Friday, by registering a career-best 9.850. Her 9.850 helped BGSU score a 49.000 on the event, which stands as the team's highest score on an apparatus this season. The freshman also recorded a 9.725 on beam. Mitchell has now placed first on an apparatus across the first four competitions of her collegiate career.

A TRIO OF CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR ALI AND LIEVENDAG
Seniors Jamilah Ali and Amanda Lievendag have earned three first-place finishes apiece in 2015. Lievendag tied for first on bars on Friday and tied for first on vault on Sunday, scoring a 9.825 both times. Lievendag won bars against Michigan State on Jan. 10 by posting a season-high 9.850. Ali, on the other hand, finished first on an apparatus in BGSU's first three meets in 2015. She registered a career-high 9.875 on vault against Michigan State, a 9.625 (tied) on beam at the Ozone Collegiate Classic Jan. 17, and won another outright championship on vault at Eastern Michigan on Jan. 24 by scoring a 9.850.

RAE'S BIG DAY
In Bowling Green's MAC victory over Ball State on Sunday (Feb. 8), freshman Jordan Rae – who hails from Auckland, New Zealand – established three career highs. Rae scored a 9.825 on bars – an apparatus that she has competed on in each of Bowling Green's six meets this year – to place tied for second. The freshman earned another 9.825, this time on beam, to finish tied for third. Rae has earned spot in BGSU's beam lineup in each meet since the season opener. Rae then made her debut on floor and recorded a 9.775, finishing tied for fifth on the event.

CALL HER "CAREER HIGH" HEATH
Sophomore Victoria Heath – who made her debut in the team's season opener against Michigan State on Jan. 10 – has set a new career high in each of Bowling Green's six meets in 2015. Heath improved her vault score over the first four meets of the season. After earning a 9.450 against the Spartans, Heath posted a 9.675 at the Ozone Collegiate Classic Jan. 17, a 9.700 Jan. 24 at Eastern Michigan and a 9.725 Feb. 1 at George Washington. Heath has also broke her floor career high three separate times, culminating in a 9.775 against Ohio State on Feb. 6. Heath then made her beam debut against the Buckeyes by registering a 9.650, but topped that just two days later against Ball State Feb. 8 when she scored a 9.750.

SIXTH ON VAULT FOR A REASON
Sophomore Lauren Feely – who hails from Gurnee, Illinois – sits sixth in Bowling Green's vault lineup, as head coach Kerrie Turner knows that she can rely on the 2013 MAC Freshman of the Year to post a solid score to round off the rotation. Over the weekend, Feely registered a pair of 9.825 scores on vault. Feely tied for first on the apparatus against Ball State, and placed third versus Ohio State. The sophomore has scored a 9.800 or above on vault in all but one of the Orange and Brown's meets in 2015.

DENLINGER MAKES FALCON DEBUT
Freshmen Morgan Denlinger – a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania – competed for the first time as a collegiate gymnast over the weekend, leading Bowling Green off on bars in both meets. On Friday, Denlinger scored a 9.500 to place 10th. And followed that up on Sunday by earning a 9.750 to place tied for fourth. Denlinger, freshmen Jordan Rae, McKenna Schoenberger and Krista Walberer, as well as sophomore Victoria Heath, have all made their collegiate debuts now in 2015. Fellow freshmen Vanessa Emery, Shannon Goniwiecha, Taylor Livingston and sophomore Brianna McGuffie will look to make their debuts throughout the remainder of the season.

TOP ROUTINES IN 2015
All-Around: 39.350 | Alyssa Nocella (2/8/15 vs. Ball State)
Bars: 9.850 | Lievendag, Mitchell (1/10/15 vs. Michigan State; 2/8/15 vs. Ball State)
Beam: 9.875 | Laura Mitchell (2/1/15 at George Washington)
Floor: 9.800 | Alyssa Nocella (2/8/15 vs. Ball State)
Vault: 9.875 | Jamilah Ali (1/10/15 vs. Michigan State)

DOWN GOES SPARTY
Bowling Green opened the 2015 season with a 194.775–194.075 victory over Michigan State. The win was the program's first over a Big Ten Conference opponent since 2004. The triumph was also the Orange and Brown's second ever win against the Spartans, with the only previous win taking place in 1984. The Falcons bested Michigan State on vault (48.850), bars (48.675), and floor (48.650), and individually, took home the vault and bars titles. Jamilah Ali scored a meet-high 9.875 on vault, while Amanda Lievendag won bars with a 9.850. Bowling Green's team score of 194.775 was its highest at in opening meet since 2001.

PRESEASON POLL
BGSU was picked to finish second – along with Kent State – in the MAC Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's coaches. Central Michigan received five first-place votes and is tabbed to win the conference, while Bowling Green and Kent State each earned one first-place vote apiece. Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan were picked to finish fourth and fifth, respectively, with Ball State and Western Michigan bringing up the rear. The Falcons were picked to finish third last season, and fourth in 2013.

SCHOLASTIC ALL-AMERICANS
In August, nine Falcons were named Scholastic All-Americans by the National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches for Women (NACGC/W). Student-athletes must have a grade point average of 3.50 or higher to be honored. Lauren Feely, Rachel Reis, Alyssa Nocella, Caroline Ellingboe, Rachel Perry, Katrina Carpenter, Gina Locigno, along with graduates Megan Harrington and Megan Valentini, were recognized. Overall, the Falcons placed 18th in the nation with a team GPA of 3.4738, improving on last year's 3.1471 GPA that ranked 55th.

GYMNASTICS SIGNS THREE FOR 2016
In November, head coach Kerrie Turner announced the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2016 season. Julia Beyer (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley High School/Naperville Gymnastics Club), Chelsea Eley (Greensboro, N.C./Westchester Country Day School/High Point Gymnastics Academy) and Lauren De Meno (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville High School/Head Over Heels Gymnastics) will all join the program next fall.