Falcons Host Senior Day on Friday, Travel to Michigan State on Sunday

KENT STATE (3-8, 1-3 MAC) at BOWLING GREEN (3-11, 2-2 MAC)
Fri., March 3, 2017 | 6:00 p.m. ET | Bowling Green, Ohio | Anderson Arena (2,800)

BOWLING GREEN (3-11, 2-2 MAC) at MICHIGAN STATE (4-6, 0-5 B10)
Sun., March 5, 2017 | 2:00 p.m. ET | East Lansing, Mich. | Jenison Field House (5,017)

Game Notes: BGSU
Live Stats | Live Video (ESPN3)
Road To Nationals

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS FOR THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIP
MARCH 18, 2017 -- STROH CENTER
Adults: $15, 12-and-under: $10, MAC Students: Free (w/ College ID)

COACH'S THOUGHTS
"Friday marks a very special competition for our team honoring our seniors. We look forward to a great competition against Kent State and striving to achieve great routines in honor of Rachel, Victoria and Lauren. This is also an opportunity to build on the past two wins. Practice has been strong this week and the team is ready for a strong meet.."

-- BGSU Gymnastics Head Coach Kerrie Turner

SENIOR DAY
The Bowling Green State University gymnastics team hosts their final regular season meet of 2017 on Friday, March 3 at 6:00 p.m. against Kent State. The Falcons will honor their three seniors -- Lauren Feely, Victoria Heath and Rachel Ries -- following the meet. BGSU will seek to win their third consecutive dual meet and improve their MAC record to 3-2.

DOUBLE DUALS
BGSU has less than a 48-hour turnaround following their Friday meet when they return to the mat at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 5. The Falcons will travel to East Lansing, Mich. to meet the Michigan State Spartans in BGSU's final non-conference meet of 2017. The Falcons' non-conference dual meet record is 1-1 in 2017 with a win over Illinois State and a loss to New Hampshire.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Bowling Green holds a 13-46-1 record in their history against Kent State. This includes a 1-8 record during Kerrie Turner's years as head coach. BGSU won the most recent meeting between the two teams held at Anderson Arena. In that 2015 meet, the Falcons scored their eighth-highest total in school history to win 195.700-195.050.

Bowling Green's all-time record against Michigan State is 3-14. However, the Falcons have won the last two meetings. BGSU opened the 2015 season at Anderson Arena by defeating the Spartans 194.775-194.075. Later that season, they topped MSU in a quad meet at East Lansing, 195.250-194.350. Those are the only two meetings during the Kerrie Turner era.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION (KENT STATE)
Kent State is currently 3-8 overall and 1-3 against MAC opposition. However, the Golden Flashes own a 195.100 Regional Qualifying Score (RQS), which is ranked 32nd nationally and would currently qualify them for the NCAA Regionals. The Flashes lead the MAC in floor exercise RQS (49.110). KSU has posted their three best scores of the season in their last three meets: 195.550 against Eastern Michigan, 195.675 against Central Michigan, and 196.125 in a tri-meet against North Carolina State and George Washington.

Individually, junior Rachel Stypinski owns the MAC's best floor exercise RQS (9.905). She also ranks third on the balance beam (9.840) and fifth in the all-around (38.785). She is a two-time MAC Gymnast of the Week in 2017. Senior Jordan Hardison is third in the MAC for vault RQS (9.825) and tied for fourth in floor exercise (9.835). Brooke Timko (uneven bars) and Skyelee Lamano (floor) are also in the MAC's top ten.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION (MICHIGAN STATE)
Michigan State features a 4-6 overall record, but they are 4-1 against non-conference opponents in 2017. MSU has defeated Arkansas and Illinois-Chicago in duals and finished second in a quad meet against Rutgers, Cornell and Ursinus. Prior to Sunday's meet, MSU also has a Friday quad meet against Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Towson. The Spartans currently rank 39th nationally in RQS at 194.515. Their national rankings per event are 52nd (vault), 44th (uneven bars), 31st (balance beam) and 37th (floor exercise).

Individually, Nicola Deans is xixth in the Big Ten for all-around RQS (39.060), including a season-best 39.375 at Penn State. She would currently qualify for Regionals as the top-ranked all-around gymnast from a non-qualifying team in the region. Lindsey Lemke (9.830, bars) and Kira Frederick (9.855, floor exercise) are also in position to qualify.

LAST TIME OUT
Bowling Green won at Central Michigan on Feb. 26, 195.725-195.625. It was the team's first victory in Mount Pleasant since 1987 and first overall against CMU since 2008. The 195.725 set a season high and tied for the team's seventh-best all-time score. The team also set season-highs for score on uneven bars (48.875) and the floor (48.950).

Jovannah East tied her career best to win the vault with a 9.875, while Rachel Reis set a new personal record and won the uneven bars, also with a 9.875. Four other PRs were also set, including East (9.850) and Laura Mitchell (9.850) during the floor exercise, Julia Beyer (9.850) on the bars, and Katie Morsefield (9.775) on vault.

THE POST-SEASON APPROACHES
Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) averages were released for the first time for the week of Feb. 20. Those scores are used to determine the teams and individuals that advance to the six NCAA regional meets. The top 36 teams by RQS qualify for the reginoals. Among individuals who are not on qualifying teams, the top four all-around gymnasts and the top two athletes from all four events are selected from each of the six regions.

RQS is determined by taking the top six scores (at least three of which must be from "away" meets). The best score is eliminated, and the next five scores are averaged.

CHASE FOR A REPEAT
Bowling Green is chasing the team's first back-to-back trips to the NCAA postseason since qualifying for four years in a row from 1984-1987. Thanks to their performance at CMU, the Falcons made a big RQS jump this week. They currently rank 47th nationally at 194.100. They have moved closer to 36th place, from 0.850 last week to 0.725 this week. BGSU closes the season with two more road meets, which presents an excellent chance to improve that RQS.

OTHER REGIONAL HOPES
Should BGSU not make the NCAA Regionals as a team, several Falcons have placed themselves in contention for individual berths. Jovannah East (9.855) and Lauren Feely (9.850) are ranked first and second in the region for vault, among gymnasts from non-qualifying teams. East and Taylor Worthington also currently occupy the top two spots in the balance beam..

WE'RE NUMBER ONE!
Through eight weeks of the 2017 season, the Falcons enjoy the best team score in the Mid-American Conference on the vault (48.955). Jovannah East own the MAC's best vault RQS (9.855). East has a 9.850 or better on vault for six straight meets.

ON THE NATIONAL SCENE
BGSU's vault lineup has moved into the nation's top 25. The Falcons' vault RQS (48.955) ranks 23th and is just 0.025 behind Ohio State, Washington and Auburn, who are tied for 20th. Bowling Green is ranked 30th nationally on the balance beam (48.780) and is just 0.095 behind #25 Nebraska. Freshman Jovannah East is tied for 25th on the vault (9.855), while senior Lauren Feely is tied for 31st nationally at 9.850.

SENIOR STYLE
Lauren Feely aided BGSU's efforts to defeat Ball State by winning the vault with a 9.900, but that was not her best leap of the season. She set a new personal record of 9.925 against Western Michigan and tied the second-best mark in BGSU history. Feely, the 2016 MAC all-around champion, competed in all four events for the first time in 2017 at CMU.

Rachel Reis has been among the Falcons' best on the uneven bars, with six of the team's top 14 scores on the apparatus. The best of those was a team 2017 best and a personal record 9.875 at CMU. That routine helped Reis win the MAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Week award on March 1.

Victoria Heath has two event wins this season. She won a vault title with a 9.875 at Utah State, then captured the floor exercise with a 9.800 against Illinois State.

GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
Jovannah East is only a freshman, but she is competing like a seasoned veteran. Since returning from a one-week hiatus against Illinois State, she has scored 9.800 or better in all 14 of her events, including three 9.875s and a 9.800 in her first collegiate floor routine. East has won individual events eight times in 2017. She owns the MAC's best RQS (9.855) on the vault and is fourth (9.825) on the balance beam. She was also named MAC Specialist of the Week on Feb. 7.

THE MCPEAK OF SUCCESS
Junior India McPeak, who tranferred to BGSU from the University of Michigan, had her best meet as a Falcon at Northern Illinois. McPeak set new personal records on beam (9.850) and floor (9.800), and her beam routine resulted in a tie for first place. She pushed her floor exercise PR to 9.825 against New Hampshire. McPeak began her Falcon career with a 9.800 and a third place finish on the balance beam at Penn State. McPeak's balance beam RQS (9.790) is tenth in the MAC.

STEPPING IN, STEPPING UP
Freshman Randi Morris assisted in the Falcons' victory over Ball State last week with a 9.800 and a tie for second place in the floor exercise. She added a fifth-place tie on the vault (9.775) and scored 9.750 in her first official balance beam effort. Morris had a pair of 9.800s in the previous meet against New Hampshire.

"WORTH" EVERY PENNY
Taylor Worthington continues to improve as her freshman season with the Falcons progresses. On Feb. 11 versus New Hampshire, she had an outstanding beam routine that scored a personal-best 9.875 and tied for first place. In her first home meet at BGSU, she finished second on the balance beam with a personal-best 9.825. In her next home meet against WMU, she won on the beam with a 9.850. At CMU, she was the Falcons' top beam scorer (9.825), and she now owns a 9.805 RQS on beam. That ranks sixth in the MAC.

RANKED IN THE MAC
Bowling Green has several gymnasts ranked in the Mid-American Conference top ten lists after eight weeks of action. On the balance beam, Jovannah East is fourth in the MAC with a 9.825 RQS, while Taylor Worthington is sixth with a 9.805. India McPeak is tenth (9.790). The team's 48.780 is second in the league. On vault, East leads the MAC at 9.855, while Lauren Feely is just behind in second place (9.850). The team's RQS (48.955) is tops in the league.

ALL-TIME HOME RECORD
The Falcons are 136-70-1 all-time when hosting meets in Bowling Green and 105-55-1 when those meets are duals. During the Kerrie Turner era, those records are 21-25 (overall) and 18-20 (duals).

ELITE SCHEDULING
The Falcons' strength of schedule is ranked 29th nationally headed into the 2017 season. The rating is tabulated by reverse-assigning points to each team based on their final 2016 ranking. BGSU's opponents combined to provide 646 points for an average of 49.69. Ten of Bowling Green's 16 opponents are ranked in the 2017 preseason coaches' poll; that includes seven of the team's ten non-conference opponents.

ROUTINE GREATNESS
Bowling Green produced three of the school's top ten all-time team scores in 2016. In a meet against Ohio State and West Virginia, the Falcons posted a 195.725, a mark only eclipsed five times in school history. On Senior Night against Northern Illinois, BGSU shattered the school record with a 196.500. Only once previously in team history had the Falcons broken the 196 barrier. Finally, at the MAC Championships, BGSU scored a 195.625. It was the best team score ever for the Falcons at the MACs and was the tenth-best in team history.

MAKING HISTORY NOW
The Falcons qualified as a team for the NCAA Regionals in 2016. It was the team's first trip to the NCAA postseason in 25 years and the seventh in school history. Bowling Green finished the event with an overall mark of 193.850, the best-ever team score at the event for BGSU. The Falcons also have regional appearances in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1991.

WE'VE GOT THAT CHAMPIONSHIP FEEL-Y
Senior Lauren Feely will go down as one of the best gymnasts in BGSU history. She owns a place on BGSU's all-time top-ten individual score lists for vault, floor exercise and all-around competition. She is also just the fifth athlete in team history to win multiple MAC championships and the first since Marny Oestreng (1999-2002). She took the vault championship in 2015, then last season, won the all-around championship with a 39.300. Feely is a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree and was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2016.

PUTTING THE STUDENT IN STUDENT-ATHLETE
Falcon gymnasts value excellence in the classroom just as much as they do in the gym. Last July, BGSU was recognized as having the 19th-best team GPA nationally (3.5312) and nine Falcons were named NACGC/W Scholastic All-America. Five members of the team were recognized as Academic All-MAC following the 2016 season, and Lauren Feely earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. In 2016's fall semester, the team GPA rose to 3.677 and nine Falcons carried 4.0 averages.

NEW FACES, HIGHER STAKES
The 2017 Falcons feature an exciting class of newcomers that could make an immediate impact for BGSU and push the returning athletes to new heights. The roster will include six freshmen (Lexi Augustine, Jovannah East, Alex Johnston, Randi Morris, Shannon St. Jean and Taylor Worthington), as well as India McPeak, who is a junior transfer from the University of Michigan.

PRESEASON POLL
The Falcons were picked to finish tied for third in the Mid-American Conference in 2017 as voted on by the league's head coaches. Kent State was selected to win the conference, while Central Michigan was chosen to place second. Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green followed, with Northern Illinois, Western Michigan and Ball State rounding out the conference. In a show of the parity within the conference, each team received one first-place vote in the poll.

GYMNASTICS ADDITIONS
BGSU and head coach Kerrie Turner announced the signings of four student-athletes for the 2018 season in November. The additions are Whitney Cronin (High Point, N.C.), Alexandra Fochler (Cranberry Township, Pa.), Nacaida Kearns (Waterford, Ohio) and Samantha Marion (Franklin Lakes, N.J.).

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.

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