BGSU Posts Sixth-Best Team Score In Program History, Defeats Kent State For First Time Since 2002

Saturday, March 14

Bowling Green, Ohio

4:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

195.700

195.050

Kent State (Senior Day)

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

BGSU Posts Sixth-Best Team Score In Program History, Defeats Kent State For First Time Since 2002

March 14, 2015 | Gymnastics

Bowling Green won bars, beam and floor en route to a 195.700-195.050 win over Kent State.

By: by James Nahikian, BGSU Athletic Communications

NCAA Score Sheet (.PDF)
Event Results (.PDF)
All-Around Results (.PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University gymnastics team posted the sixth-best team score in program history en route to a 195.700–195.050 victory over Kent State Saturday evening inside of Anderson Arena on Senior Day. The win was the program's first over the Golden Flashes since 2002. The Falcons had not defeated Kent State in Bowling Green since 1999. Kent State had defeated Bowling Green 18 straight times heading into the competition.

With the win, Bowling Green improves to 8-8 (2-4 MAC), while Kent State drops to 6-7 (2-3 MAC). BGSU has not finished the regular season with a .500 record, or better, since the 2002 season.

"I was just really proud of the effort that the athletes put in," said head coach Kerrie Turner. "Last week, we had a change in schedule, and we put together a meet that night. We talked a lot about how they seemed really focused, and how it seemed a little bit easier for them. They seemed calm, but excited. And tonight, and it was the same thing. They were really excited when the athletes were going, but they had more of a confident look to them. And, obviously, for the seniors, I'm so happy for them. What a great way for them to finish off their careers at BGSU. This is my 12th season here, and we've never beaten Kent State. I was almost in tears at the end of the meet. What an honor it is for this team."

The Falcons won bars (49.075–48.925), beam (48.750–48.300) and floor (48.975–48.775), while also scoring a 48.900 on vault. The 49.075 on bars is a season high for the Orange and Brown. Bowling Green's 48.975 is the second-best score on floor this year, and the 48.900 on vault ranks third in 2015.

For the second straight week, Bowling Green improved its Regional Qualifying Score (RQS). By setting a new season high, the Falcons can now count their previous season high – a 195.500 that they scored on Feb. 8 against Ball State. By doing so, Bowling Green's RQS jumps from a 194.690 to a 194.835. The RQS is calculated by averaging five scores – your top three road scores along with your next three highest scores. You don't get to count your best score. The Falcons will have one final shot to improve their RQS, and can do so by scoring above a 193.025 at next week's MAC Championships. Bowling Green entered play ranked No. 40 in the RQS. The top 36 schools go to the NCAA Regionals.

Individually, many Falcons shined. Junior Alyssa Nocella won the all-around for the sixth time this season by scoring a 39.225. Nocella finished in the top six on every event, highlighted by a second-place finish on floor. On vault, senior Jamilah Ali tied for first by scoring a 9.850. Ali will finish the regular season with four event titles. Sophomore Lauren Feely finished fourth by scoring a 9.825. Feely has now scored at least a 9.800 on vault at nine of Bowling Green's 11 competitions. Nocella placed tied for fifth with a 9.800, while senior Amanda Lievendag scored a 9.750 and placed tied for eighth.

Sophomore Rachel Reis paced the Orange and Brown on bars. The sophomore – who did not compete across BGSU's last three meets – took home the outright title by notching a career-best 9.850. For the second straight week, junior Caroline Ellingboe scored a 9.825 – she finished tied for second. Freshmen Morgan Denlinger and Jordan Rae, along with Nocella, tied for sixth by registering a trio of 9.800 scores. For Denlinger, the 9.800 was a career best. As a whole, the Falcons did not have to count a score on the apparatus below a 9.800.

Ellingboe capped her strong competition by earning another top-two finish. The junior led the way on beam for the Falcons, finishing tied for second by posting a 9.800. Feely and Nocella scored a pair of 9.775 scores, and placed tied for fourth. The 9.775 for Feely established a new career high. Rae, freshman McKenna Schoenberger and senior Gina Locigno finished tied for seventh by notching 9.700's.

The Falcons dominated on floor, scoring five of the top six scores on the event. Rae and Nocella scored a 9.850 apiece to finish tied for second, while Feely placed fourth by earning a 9.775. Schoenberger and Locigno were close behind, as they finished tied for fifth with a pair of 9.750 scores. Junior Katrina Carpenter recorded a 9.725 and placed tied for eighth.

The competition was a thriller. Kent State held a 48.925–48.900 advantage after the first rotation. And after two rotations, the score was knotted up at 97.975 apiece. Kent State reclaimed the lead again heading into the fourth rotation, 146.750–146.725. But a pair of falls on beam for the Golden Flashes, coupled with the Falcons turning in a solid 48.975 on floor, allowed the hosts to pull away for the come-from-behind victory.

Bowling Green will compete at the MAC Championships on the campus of Kent State University on Saturday, March 21, at 4 p.m. The Falcons' hopes of earning a trip to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 1991 are very much alive.