Falcons Travel to In-State Rival Kent State for Sunday Showdown

Sunday, February 21

Kent, Ohio

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Kent State

Photo by: Greg Long, LongShot Photography

February 17, 2016 | Gymnastics

By: by Alexx Klein, BGSU Athletic Communications

BGSU GYMNASTICS WEEKLY SCHEDULE
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME
2/21/16	vs. Kent State	1 p.m. (ET)

Bowling Green (4-7, 0-2 MAC)
vs.
Kent State (5-3, 3-0 MAC)
Sunday, February 21, 2016; 1:00 p.m. ET
M.A.C. Center / Kent, Ohio
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM
MEET NOTES
PERFORMANCE LIST

Bowling Green, Ohio – After recording a top 10 team score in program history, the Bowling Green State University gymnastics team takes on Kent State this Sunday for a Mid-American Conference matchup, BGSU's third of the season. The Falcons (4-7, 0-2) look to earn a conference road win in the M.A.C. Center at 1 p.m.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
Fans can follow the BGSU Gymnastics team on Twitter @FalconGymn for in-meet updates, news and notes. Links to live stats, video (as available) and away-meet live stats can be found at BGSUFalcons.com. For home meets, fans can follow live stats by downloading the app, "Beyond The Scores," on your smartphone or tablet. Create an account, add "Bowling Green State Gym Team" to your favorites, select the meet, and enjoy an interactive scoring system.

HEAD COACH'S THOUGHTS
Kerrie Turner: "This meet at Kent State is an exciting opportunity for our team to continue to build on the momentum we have gained throughout the first half of the season. Kent is a challenging opponent and our in-state rival. I have no doubt our program will be giving every effort to perform at our best. We continue to work this week on the small details and making sure our line-ups build from start to finish the best scores we can achieve. I am pleased with the commitment of the gymnasts to train efficiently and intelligently at each practice. The standards and expectations are high and I am certain our team will rise to the occasion."

ABOUT KENT STATE
In his 25th season as head coach of the Golden Flashes, Brice Biggin has led Kent State to a 5-3 overall record this season, and are an undefeated 3-0 in the MAC. KSU has recorded conference wins over Western Michigan, Northern Illinois and Ball State. Most recently, the team competed at Ball State against the Cardinals, Kentucky and Lindenwood, scoring a 194.625. At the meet, the Golden Flashes recorded a season-high 49.075 on floor exercise. Two weekends ago against GWU and NIU, Kent State posted season-high scores in all four events leading them to a team score of 196.050. Sophomores Rachel Stypinski and Ali Marrero swept the weekly MAC awards for their efforts. Stypinski has scored a 9.9 or higher on three of her five floor routines this season.

LAST TIME OUT
Despite falling to Eastern Michigan in the battle of the birds, the Falcons flew by the SEMO Redhawks last Saturday scoring a season-high 195.425. The team has improved their score in every meet this season, culminating a result that ranks 10th best in program history. For the first time in 2016, the Falcons had two individuals hit the 9.9 mark with senior Alyssa Nocella and sophomore Laura Mitchell recording the team's top scores of the season. Nocella's 9.9 came on uneven bars and Mitchell earned her 9.9 on balance beam. In all-around competition, Nocella placed first with a 39.325, good for fourth best in BGSU history. Teammate Lauren Feely was not far behind, finishing second with the eighth best score in school history (39.175).

EVENT SCORES RISING
Against Eastern Michigan and SEMO, the Falcons earned three season-high event scores out of a possible four. BGSU's 49.100 on beam this past weekend, led by Laura Mitchell's season-high 9.9, came just .025 away from tying the school record. The Orange and Brown recorded a 48.925 on uneven bars, highlighted by Alyssa Nocella's 9.9 routine. Finally, thanks to a pair of 9.825s from Nocella and Lauren Feely, the Falcons earned a 48.800 on vault.

STEADY GROWTH
So far this season, Bowling Green's overall team scores have increased each meet, beginning with a 191.900 against Nebraska and Arizona State and ending with a season-high 195.425 against Eastern Michigan and SEMO.

TOP ROUTINES IN 2016
All-Around: 39.325 | Alyssa Nocella (2/13/16 vs. EMU/SEMO)
Vault: 9.825 | Lauren Feely, Alyssa Nocella (2/13/16 vs. EMU/SEMO)
Bars: 9.9 | Alyssa Nocella (2/13/16 vs. EMU/SEMO)
Beam: 9.9 | Laura Mitchell (2/13/16 vs. EMU/SEMO)
Floor: 9.850 | Lauren Feely, Victoria Heath, Alyssa Nocella

MAC RANKINGS
Listed below are the student-athletes, and their averages, who rank top 10 in the conference in each event.

Vault- 6. Lauren Feely 9.754
Bars- 4. Alyssa Nocella 9.817
Beam- 1. Laura Mitchell 9.833
Floor- 8. Lauren Feely 9.804
All-Around- 5. Lauren Feely 38.862, 6. Alyssa Nocella 38.837

NOCELLA WINS GYMNAST OF THE WEEK
Alyssa Nocella was named Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week for her performance against Eastern Michigan and SEMO last Saturday, as announced by the league office Tuesday morning. This is Nocella's first conference award of the season and third of her career. She was the team's top scorer on two of the four individual events (vault and bars) and placed first in All-Around competition with a season best 39.325. Her score ranks fourth best for BGSU all-time. Adding to her record-setting night, Nocella earned the team's first 9.9 of the season, as she finished first on uneven bars with the third highest score recorded in program history on the event.

MITCHELL IS BEAMING, REMAINS CONFERENCE-BEST
Sophomore Laura Mitchell continues to sit atop of the conference on balance beam this season with an average score of 9.833 through six meets in 2016. Mitchell has recorded the top four scores on beam for the Falcons, highlighted by a team-high 9.900 against Eastern Michigan and SEMO. Her scores this season are a 9.900, 9.875, 9.850, 9.800 (two times) and 9.775. The England native won MAC Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 26 following her performance against Alaska Anchorage.

ELECTRIC FEEL-Y
Junior Lauren Feely, the 2015 MAC co-vault champion, continues to impress on the apparatus. This season, she has earned the top three scores on the event, topping off with a 9.825 this past weekend against Eastern Michigan and SEMO. In all-around competition, she holds two of the top three scores, as well as the second highest all-around score this season with a 39.175, where she set a new personal best against EMU and SEMO. Feely also is tied for the highest score on floor exercise with a 9.850.

CASE'S RETURN
Bowling Green Assistant Coach Marie Case returns to her alma mater this weekend, Kent State. Case wrapped up a storied four-year career at KSU in 2014, before joining Brice Biggin's staff as a volunteer assistant in 2015. Case, a former three-time MAC Gymnast of the Year, is the Golden Flashes all-time points leader at 1,808.125.

NEWCOMERS TAKE OVER
The 2016 BGSU roster features seven freshmen and one redshirt-freshman who will all look to compete for the first time as collegiate gymnasts in 2016. The newcomers include Julia Beyer, Rachel Creagh, Lauren De Meno, Leslie Delgado, Erika Houser, Taylor Livingston, Katie Morsefield and Kayla Rose.

PRESEASON POLL
The Falcons were picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference in 2016 as voted on by the league's head coaches. Central Michigan was selected to win the conference, while 2015 tournament winners Kent State were chosen second. Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green followed, with Northern Illinois and Western Michigan tying for fifth and Ball State rounding out the conference.

GYMNASTICS ADDITIONS
In November, Turner announced the addition of five student-athletes for the 2017 season. Randi Morris, Shannon St. Jean, Alex Johnston, Taylor Worthington and Kelsi Kuprat have all committed to BGSU, and will join the team next fall. Additionally, the Falcons added Leslie Delgado to this season's squad in December.