Falcons Host Kent State On Senior Day Saturday

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY FALCONS (7-8; 1-4 MAC)
VS.
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN FLASHES (6-6; 2-3 MAC)
Saturday, March 14 | 4 p.m. ET | Anderson Arena | Bowling Green, Ohio
Twitter: @FalconGymn | @BGAthletics
Live Stats: www.BGSUFalcons.com
COMPLETE MEET NOTES (.PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University gymnastics team will host Kent State on Senior Day March 14 at 4 p.m. inside of Anderson Arena. After the competition, seniors Jamilah Ali, Amanda Lievendag, Alexandria Porter and Gina Locigno will be recognized for their careers at BGSU. The meet is Bowling Green's last of the regular season. The Orange and Brown will compete at the MAC Championships on March 21 on the campus of Kent State University.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
A link to follow live stats for this Saturday's meet 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."

ABOUT THE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent State owns a record of 6-6, and sits at 2-3 in Mid-American Conference competition. The Golden Flashes scored a season-high 196.800 in a win over Ball State last Sunday (March 6). A week earlier, Kent State notched a 195.700 in a victory over George Washington. The Golden Flashes have scored over a 195.000 two other times. Kent State sits behind the Falcons in the RQS at No. 42 with a score of 194.600. The Golden Flashes' average score of 194.714 is slightly higher than Bowling Green's 193.925.

HEAD COACH'S THOUGHTS
Kerrie Turner: "This weekend marks our annual Senior Day, making it a special meet for our four seniors, as we will be celebrating their final competition at Anderson Arena. Gina, Amanda, Jamilah and Alex have been a huge part of this program's progression. And this will be a great opportunity to honor their efforts. In addition, we compete against rival Kent State. Kent State is always an outstanding program, so we will be working hard to do our best routines. This will also be an opportunity to continue to increase our Regional Qualifying Score. Our goal is to score above our current high score (195.500). Our team is capable of doing that, and winning this competition. Our focus will be on the routines, not the scores. When the gymnasts bring together great performances, focusing on making all the little details perfect, the scores will be a positive result of that effort."

WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN
* With a win over Kent State on Saturday, the Falcons would finish the regular season with a record of 8-8 (2-4 MAC). Bowling Green hasn't finished with a .500 record, or better, since the 2002 season.
* A victory over the Golden Flashes would be Bowling Green's first since 2002. Kent State has defeated BGSU 18 straight times.
* If the Falcons could knock off Kent State, it would be the program's first win over the Golden Flashes in Bowling Green since 1999.

SENIOR DAY AT ANDERSON ARENA
After the conclusion of Saturday's competition, head coach Kerrie Turner and her staff will recognize seniors Jamilah Ali, Amanda Lievendag, Alexandria Porter and Gina Locigno for their careers at BGSU.

Jamilah Ali: MAC Freshman of the year in 2012 … Regional qualifier on beam in 2012 … MAC Vault Co-Champion in 2013 … Second-Team All-MAC performer in 2012 and 2013 … Won an event across the first three weeks this season, highlighted by a 9.875 on vault in a season-opening win against Michigan State … Also won the beam title (9.625) at the Ozone Collegiate Classic, and the vault title (9.850) for a second time on the year at Eastern Michigan … Career-high on beam, floor and vault is a 9.875, while her career-high on bars is a 9.650.

Amanda Lievendag: MAC Vault Champion in 2014 … MAC All-Tournament selection in 2014 … Named MAC Specialist of the Week three times during her junior year … Has won bars twice this season, and vault once … Won bars against Michigan State to open the 2015 season with a 9.850 … Took home the bars title again against Ohio State with a 9.825, and won vault with a 9.825 versus Ball State … Has competed on only bars and vault as a Falcon, owning career highs of 9.925 (bars) and 9.875 (vault).

Alexandria Porter: Has competed at multiple competitions in each of her four years as a Falcon, competing on bars and vault … Scored a 9.675 versus Northern Illinois on bars as a freshman … Competed on bars for Bowling Green's first three meets in 2013, scoring a 9.45 or higher each outing … Scored a career-best 9.725 on vault at Texas Woman's as a junior … Notched a career-high 9.750 on bars at Ball State, also a junior … Scored a season-high 9.650 at Northern Illinois this season.

Gina Locigno: NCAA Regional Qualifier in 2012 and 2014 … Scored a pair of 9.800 scores against Western Michigan and Central Michigan on floor as a freshman … Competed in the all-around seven times as a sophomore, and finished the year ranked seventh in the MAC on floor … Recorded two of the team's top three all-around scores as a junior, and posted 12 total top-three finishes across the year … Has scored at least a 9.800 on floor five separate times this year … Won floor against Western Michigan with a season-high 9.850 … Career bests: 9.900 (floor), 9.875 (beam), 9.850 (vault), 9.800 (bars), 39.300 (all-around).

RACE TO REGIONALS
By scoring its second-best team score (195.250) of the season in a quad meet last Friday (March 6) at Michigan State with Arizona and Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green significantly improved its Regional Qualifying Score (RQS). With the top 36 schools earning a trip to the NCAA Regionals, BGSU jumped in the RQS from No. 44 to No. 40 by improving its RQS from a 194.180 to a 194.690. Bowling Green replaced a 192.700 that they scored at Central Michigan on Feb. 28 with Friday's 195.250. The RQS is calculated by averaging your top three road scores and then your next three highest scores, while also dropping your top score.

34. Eastern Michigan – 195.115
35. George Washington – 195.095
36. Utah State – 195.090

40. Bowling Green – 194.690

DOWN GOES SPARTY, AGAIN
The Falcons finished second at Michigan State's quad meet last Friday (March 6). By scoring a 195.250, Bowling Green defeated No. 23 Michigan State (194.350) and Eastern Michigan (195.225), who entered the meet ranked No. 33 in the RQS. BGSU nearly knocked off No. 19 Arizona, who scored a 195.450 to win the meet. BGSU's 195.250 is the eighth-best team score in program history. Bowling Green defeated MSU to open the 2015 season, 194.775–194.075, and by besting them again on Friday, the program earned two victories over Big Ten Conference schools across one season for the first time since 2002. The Falcons scored a season-high 49.000 on vault, and also notched a 48.950 on bars – the team's second-best mark on the apparatus this season. Sophomore Lauren Feely had the highest individual performance, as she placed fourth on vault by registering a 9.850. Junior Caroline Ellingboe led the led Falcons on bars (9.825), while freshman Laura Mitchell paced BGSU on beam (9.800). Alyssa Nocella scored a team-high 9.800 on floor.

RUTGERS TRIP CANCELLED
The Orange and Brown were originally schedule to compete on Saturday, March 7 at Rutgers University with Bridgeport and West Chester, but the team's flight was cancelled and there was no other way to get to the competition on time. The squad then had to call around late Thursday (March 5) night, and Michigan State graciously allowed BGSU to compete at their competition the next day. That wasn't finalized until almost midnight the night prior to the meet. The Falcons arrived in East Lansing, Michigan on the campus of Michigan State University the afternoon of meet day.

SCHOENBERGER DEBUTS ON BEAM
Freshman McKenna Schoenberger made her beam debut over the weekend at Michigan State, and finished tied for ninth by scoring a 9.750. The Tecumseh, Michigan native did not compete across Bowling Green's first three meets of the season, but made her collegiate debut at George Washington on floor on Feb. 1, and has competed on the event ever since. Schoenberger scored a career-high 9.775 on floor at Central Michigan on Feb. 22. The freshman has not scored below a 9.650, and has totaled four scores above a 9.700. Schoenberger competed on beam as an exhibition against Western Michigan on Feb. 28, prior to earning a spot in Kerrie Turner's lineup on Friday (March 6).

THE DEFINITION OF SPECIALISTS
Junior Caroline Ellingboe and senior Amanda Lievendag are the definition of specialists in the gymnastics world, as they are the only two Falcons that have competed on the same two events across each of Bowling Green's 10 competitions in 2015. In fact, only two other Falcons – junior Alyssa Nocella and sophomore Lauren Feely – have even competed on at least two events at every meet this season. Ellingboe competes on bars and beam, while Lievendag is a bars–vault specialist. Lievendag has won three titles this year – two on bars and one on vault – and has scored at least a 9.800 on both events over BGSU's last two competitions. Ellingboe has come on very strong on bars. On Feb. 22 at Central Michigan, Ellingboe scored a career-high 9.875 to place third on the apparatus. This past Friday at Michigan State, Ellingboe notched a 9.825 to place tied for fifth.

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 established a career high in eight of Bowling Green's 10 meets in 2015. Most recently, Heath scored a 9.800 on vault to finish tied for third on the apparatus. This past Friday, Heath tied her career best by scoring another 9.800 on vault. The second-consecutive 9.800 on vault marks only the third time in her career that she's reached the 9.800 plateau. Heath scored a 9.825 on floor at Northern Illinois on Feb. 15.

KERRIE "TOP–10" TURNER
For the fourth time this season, head coach Kerrie Turner saw Bowling Green post a score that ranks inside of the top 10 in program history. Additionally, six of the program's best 11 team scores have been posted during the Kerrie Turner Era. The 195.250 that BGSU scored at Michigan State on Friday (March 5) ranks ninth–best in school history. The 195.500 that the Falcons posted in a win over Ball State ranks eighth-best, while the pair of 195.200 scores that were posted against Ohio State (Feb. 6) and Northern Illinois rank tied for 10th-best.

TOP ROUTINES IN 2015
All-Around: 39.350 | Alyssa Nocella (2/8/15 vs. Ball State)
Bars: 9.875 | Caroline Ellingboe (2/22/15 at Central Michigan)
Beam: 9.875 | Laura Mitchell (2/1/15 at George Washington)
Floor: 9.925 | Alyssa Nocella (2/8/15 vs. Ball State)
Vault: 9.875 | Jamilah Ali, Lauren Feely (1/10/15 vs. Michigan State; 2/15/15 at Northern Illinois)

MITCHELL'S MAGNIFICENT ROOKIE SEASON
Freshman Laura Mitchell – a native of London, England – finished second on balance beam for the Falcons at Central Michigan on Feb. 22. Mitchell has now earned four second-place finishes, to go along with her four first-place finishes. The freshman was named the Mid-American Conference Specialist of the Week on Feb. 9 for her performances against Ohio State (Feb. 6) and Ball State (Feb. 8), as she placed first on uneven bars in both competitions. In her collegiate debut at Eastern Michigan on Jan. 24, Mitchell won beam by posting a 9.850. The following weekend at George Washington on Feb. 1, Mitchell again placed first on beam by scoring a 9.875.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK
For the first time in school history, earlier in the year, BGSU gymnastics registered a team score above a 195.000 in back-to-back-to-back competitions. On Feb. 6, Bowling Green scored a 195.200 against Ohio State at Anderson Arena. Two days later – also inside of Anderson Arena – on Feb. 8, the Falcons defeated Ball State for their first Mid-American Conference victory in 2015 by totaling a 195.500. On Feb. 22 at Northern Illinois, the Orange and Brown scored another 195.200 to finish second at a triangular in DeKalb, Illinois. The 195.500 ranks eighth in school history, while the pair of 195.200 scores are tied for the 10th-best team score in program history.

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.

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Jamilah Ali

Katrina Carpenter

Caroline Ellingboe

Lauren Feely

Megan Harrington

Victoria Heath

Amanda Lievendag

Gina Locigno

Laura Mitchell

Alyssa Nocella

Rachel Perry

Alexandria Porter

Rachel Reis

McKenna Schoenberger

Megan Valentini

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