East Named MAC Gymnast of the Week for Second Time

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bowling Green State University sophomore gymnast Jovannah East has been named the Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week. The announcement was made by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon (March 20). Last Saturday, East punctuated her sophomore season with the best meet of her career, as she accumulated a career-best 39.425 points in the all-around competition. Her effort helped the Falcons post the second-highest team score in school history and defeat Northern Illinois, 196.475-195.700. This marks the second weekly award of the season and third of her career. East won her first Gymnast of the Week honor on Feb. 20; she earned a MAC Specialist of the Week award in 2017.

Against the Huskies, East won two individual events, finished third in another, and took top honors in the all-around. She captured the vault title with a 9.875; it is her ninth win in 12 meets on that apparatus, and she won the event outright against all six MAC opponents in 2018. She followed that by tallying a 9.750 on the uneven bars, which is her second-best score in five career attempts. In the second half of the meet, East was even better. She placed third on the balance beam thanks to a 9.875. In the final rotation, she closed the meet by tying her personal record in the floor exercise. Her 9.925 gave BGSU a season-best 49.350 team score on floor, and it boosted her all-around total to 39.425, the third-best total in school history. She has earned 39-or-better in four of five meets while performing the all-around.

East is virtually assured of qualifying as an individual for the NCAA Regionals. Presently, she leads the MAC with a Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) of 9.885 on vault. That is also tied for fifth in the Central region and 23rd in the country. She is also in position to qualify for beam and floor exercise. On beam, she ranks fourth in the MAC and 14th in the region (9.865). Her 9.890 RQS on floor places third in the MAC and tenth in the region.

For potential regionals qualification as an all-around gymnast, East has not performed the all-around in enough meets to qualify. However, she would meet that requirement if she completes the all-around at the upcoming Mid-American Conference Championships. Her current all-around average is 39.205. With an all-around score of 38.400 or better this weekend, East would finish with an RQS of 39 or better. Heading into this weekend, the final Central region individual all-around spot belongs to Kaitlyn Menzione of Ball State, who owns a 38.820 RQS.

To qualify for NCAA Regionals as an individual, a gymnast must have one of the four best RQS among all-around gymnasts in their region who are not on a team that has advanced to the postseason. Alternatively, a gymnast can qualify on an individual event with one of the two best RQS in that event among gymnasts not on postseason teams. Six teams (LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Ohio State, and Kent State) are locked into the postseason from the Central region. Central Michigan is on the bubble and could qualify this weekend.

BGSU's final team meet of the 2018 season will be the 2018 MAC Championships, which take place at 2:00 p.m. in Mount Pleasant, Mich. on Saturday, March 24. Last season, BGSU scored a 196.400 and finished second overall, the team's highest finish at the MAC Championships in 30 years.

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