Bowling Green State University Athletics
Five Gymnasts Named Academic All-MAC
March 30, 2016 | Gymnastics
Cleveland, Ohio – Five Bowling Green State University gymnasts were named Academic All-MAC, as announced by the league office this afternoon. The Falcons tied their program-high with five athletes receiving the award.
There were 51 student-athletes named to the Academic All-MAC team across the seven women's gymnastics programs. To qualify for the award, student-athletes must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and must have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that sport.
"The commitment shown by our gymnasts in both the gym and the classroom is essential to our program," said head coach Kerrie Turner. "This recognition is a great honor and a testament to the work they have all committed towards balancing life as student-athletes."
Senior Alyssa Nocella now joins Megan Harrington as the only two gymnasts in program history to be named Academic All-MAC three straight years. She won Female Scholar Athlete of the Week (Feb. 17) and two Gymnast of the Week awards this season (Feb. 15, March 15). Nocella was named First-Team All-MAC, as well as Senior Gymnast of the Year. This season, she earned a personal best score of 39.425 in a meet against Northern Illinois, which sits at the third highest all-around in the history of the program. She has achieved nine all-around scores over 39 points this season and she is currently ranked tied for first in the conference by RQS rankings in the all-around. Nocella has scored 9.900 five times this season, three times on floor and twice on bars.
Senior Caroline Ellingboe and juniors Lauren Feely and Rachel Reis have now been named Academic All-MAC two times each. Together, Feely and Reis earned two of the conference's four total 4.0 grade point averages.
Ellingboe set a personal best balance beam score this season, earning a 9.900 versus Northern Illinois on March 12. The team's co-captain tied her personal best uneven bars score, recording a 9.875 in a tri-meet with West Virginia and Ohio State on March 6. On bars at MAC Championships, she earned a 9.850, the highest individual bar score at MACs in Kerrie Turner's nine seasons as head coach. The senior recorded one first-place tie on bars, one first-place tie on beam and one outright beam title in 2016.
Feely, the team's second all-around competitor, was named Female Scholar Athlete of the Week on Jan. 27 and Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 2. The junior was tabbed Second-Team All-MAC and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. she captured the title of 2016 MAC All-Around Champion at the conference championship meet, earning a score of 39.300. Feely had a career season, setting personal-best scores in the all-around (39.375 vs. NIU 3/12/16), uneven bars (9.850 vs. Denver 1/30/16), balance beam (9.850 at MACs 3/19/16) and floor exercise (9.900 vs. NIU 3/12/16) in 2016. Feely currently sits tied for first in the all-around with teammate Nocella.
Reis scored a career-high 9.850 on bars against Northern Illinois on March 12, and recorded seven scores of 9.800 or higher throughout the season. She also earned a personal-best on beam with a 9.800 at Kent State on Feb. 21. The junior received four scores of 9.700 plus in 2016 on the event. Reis, along with Nocella, Feely and Ellingboe, was a part of a school record-breaking team beam score of 49.200, as well as a school-record overall score of 196.500 in BGSU's meet against NIU. One competition later, the team again broke the beam record, scoring a 49.250 at MAC Championships where Reis scored a 9.750.
Sophomore Shannon Goniwiecha receives the award this year for the first time in her career as a Falcon. Goniwiecha has competed on vault and uneven bars this season for the Falcons. She tied for fifth on vault with a career-high 9.750 at the UNC quad meet on Feb. 6. Goniwiecha has scored a 9.700 plus five times on the apparatus. The sophomore also set a personal-best on bars against Kent State on Feb. 21, earning a 9.750 and placing ninth. Goniwiecha has hit a mark of 9.700 or higher on the event six times.
BGSU's 2016 Academic All-MAC Award Winners
Caroline Ellingboe, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.607, Graphic Design
Lauren Feely, Bowling Green, Junior, 4.00, inclusive early childhood
Shannon Goniwiecha, Bowling Green, Sophomore, 3.888, Biology
Alyssa Nocella, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.775, Exercise Science
Rachel Reis, Bowling Green, Junior, 4.00, Exercise Science
There were 51 student-athletes named to the Academic All-MAC team across the seven women's gymnastics programs. To qualify for the award, student-athletes must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and must have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that sport.
"The commitment shown by our gymnasts in both the gym and the classroom is essential to our program," said head coach Kerrie Turner. "This recognition is a great honor and a testament to the work they have all committed towards balancing life as student-athletes."
Senior Alyssa Nocella now joins Megan Harrington as the only two gymnasts in program history to be named Academic All-MAC three straight years. She won Female Scholar Athlete of the Week (Feb. 17) and two Gymnast of the Week awards this season (Feb. 15, March 15). Nocella was named First-Team All-MAC, as well as Senior Gymnast of the Year. This season, she earned a personal best score of 39.425 in a meet against Northern Illinois, which sits at the third highest all-around in the history of the program. She has achieved nine all-around scores over 39 points this season and she is currently ranked tied for first in the conference by RQS rankings in the all-around. Nocella has scored 9.900 five times this season, three times on floor and twice on bars.
Senior Caroline Ellingboe and juniors Lauren Feely and Rachel Reis have now been named Academic All-MAC two times each. Together, Feely and Reis earned two of the conference's four total 4.0 grade point averages.
Ellingboe set a personal best balance beam score this season, earning a 9.900 versus Northern Illinois on March 12. The team's co-captain tied her personal best uneven bars score, recording a 9.875 in a tri-meet with West Virginia and Ohio State on March 6. On bars at MAC Championships, she earned a 9.850, the highest individual bar score at MACs in Kerrie Turner's nine seasons as head coach. The senior recorded one first-place tie on bars, one first-place tie on beam and one outright beam title in 2016.
Feely, the team's second all-around competitor, was named Female Scholar Athlete of the Week on Jan. 27 and Gymnast of the Week on Feb. 2. The junior was tabbed Second-Team All-MAC and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. she captured the title of 2016 MAC All-Around Champion at the conference championship meet, earning a score of 39.300. Feely had a career season, setting personal-best scores in the all-around (39.375 vs. NIU 3/12/16), uneven bars (9.850 vs. Denver 1/30/16), balance beam (9.850 at MACs 3/19/16) and floor exercise (9.900 vs. NIU 3/12/16) in 2016. Feely currently sits tied for first in the all-around with teammate Nocella.
Reis scored a career-high 9.850 on bars against Northern Illinois on March 12, and recorded seven scores of 9.800 or higher throughout the season. She also earned a personal-best on beam with a 9.800 at Kent State on Feb. 21. The junior received four scores of 9.700 plus in 2016 on the event. Reis, along with Nocella, Feely and Ellingboe, was a part of a school record-breaking team beam score of 49.200, as well as a school-record overall score of 196.500 in BGSU's meet against NIU. One competition later, the team again broke the beam record, scoring a 49.250 at MAC Championships where Reis scored a 9.750.
Sophomore Shannon Goniwiecha receives the award this year for the first time in her career as a Falcon. Goniwiecha has competed on vault and uneven bars this season for the Falcons. She tied for fifth on vault with a career-high 9.750 at the UNC quad meet on Feb. 6. Goniwiecha has scored a 9.700 plus five times on the apparatus. The sophomore also set a personal-best on bars against Kent State on Feb. 21, earning a 9.750 and placing ninth. Goniwiecha has hit a mark of 9.700 or higher on the event six times.
BGSU's 2016 Academic All-MAC Award Winners
Caroline Ellingboe, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.607, Graphic Design
Lauren Feely, Bowling Green, Junior, 4.00, inclusive early childhood
Shannon Goniwiecha, Bowling Green, Sophomore, 3.888, Biology
Alyssa Nocella, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.775, Exercise Science
Rachel Reis, Bowling Green, Junior, 4.00, Exercise Science
Players Mentioned
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