Bowling Green State University Athletics
Sunday, January 27
DeKalb, Ill.
2:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
at
Northern Illinois
MAC Competition Opens Sunday At Northern Illinois
January 25, 2019 | Gymnastics
FALCONS HEAD TO NIU FOR MAC OPENER
Bowling Green opens conference competition Sunday when the Falcons travel to DeKalb, Ill. to face preseason conference favorite Northern Illinois. Familiar foe, UIC, who the Falcons just competed against this week, will also be at the meet. Although the Huskies were picked to win the MAC, they are just 1-1 in league action thus far this year as Western Michigan earned a victory over them.
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COMPLETE GAME NOTES
LIVE VIDEO (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)
LIVE SCORES
BREAKING DOWN THE HISTORY
BGSU is 14-10 all-time against Northern Illinois and 7-5 all-time against UIC, including this past week's loss to the Flames. The Falcons beat Northern Illinois a year ago in Anderson Arena, but the Huskies have won five consecutive meetings in Illinois. BGSU hasn't won in DeKalb since 2007.
The Falcons have faced UIC on a neutral floor four times previously, with both teams winning twice. Most recently, UIC picked up a neutral site win in 2010 at Western Michigan.
HISTORICALLY GREAT
Bowling Green has placed in the top three at the MAC Championships in each of the past three seasons, peaking with a runner-up finish in 2017. For the Falcons, it is the first time the team has placed that high in three consecutive years since doing so for eight straight years from 1981-88.
FALCONS PICKED SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL
The Mid-American Conference coaches have selected Bowling Green as the MAC runner-up in the preseason coaches poll. The Falcons earned one first place vote and 37 total vote points. Northern Illinois was selected to win the MAC with 42 vote points and three MAC Championship votes. Defending MAC champion Central Michigan is third, followed by Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Kent State and Western Michigan.
LAWSON SENDS NOTICE EARLY
Sophomore Elena Lawson opened the 2019 season by recording a career-best 9.800 on vault in the Alabama quad meet. She followed that up by setting three more career-highs against UIC in the home opener last weekend. She once again broke her own personal best on vault with a 9.825, while adding career-best scores of 9.725 on floor and 9.500 on uneven bars.
JOVANNAH EAST GOING WHERE FEW HAVE GONE BEFORE
As a sophomore a year ago, Jovannah East became just the second Falcon gymnast to qualify for the NCAA Division I National Championships and the first to do so in the all-around competition. Her 39.250 score in Columbus was the greatest all-around performance ever by a BGSU gymnast in a regional meet, tying for fourth place. She scored identical scores of 9.850 on beam and floor, added 9.825 on vault and had a 9.725 on bars. She won the tiebreaker and advanced to the national championships.
EAST'S OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Jovannah East became the first Falcon to advance to the NCAA Women's Gymnastics National Championships since Marny Oestreng reached nationals in 1999 on the floor. Oestreng went on to win the national championship with a 9.925. East's career accomplishments include the following:
Two-time First Team All-MAC (2017, 2018)
Academic All-MAC (2018)
MAC Vault Co-Champion (2018)
MAC All-Tournament Team (2017, 2018)
NCAA Regionals Qualifier (2017, 2018)
NCAA Nationals Qualifier (2018)
MAC Gymnast of the Week (2x in 2018, 1x in 2019)
MAC Specialist of the Week (2017)
IN THE RECORD BOOK
Junior Jovannah East put her name at the top of the record book on the balance beam Saturday. With a 9.950, she tied former teammate Laura Mitchell for the top mark in program history. East has also posted two of the five highest single-meet all-around scores in program history (39.425 and 39.400), as well as the third-highest vault score in program history (9.925) and fourth-highest beam score (9.925). East is also among the top 10 on floor (9.925). Alexandra Fochler has a pair of the top 10 uneven bars scores in school history (two identical 9.875 scores). On floor, Kayla Rose recorded a 9.950 in 2017, tied for the second-highest score ever by a Falcon on the event.
DEMENO'S CLUTCH PERFORMANCE ON BEAM
Prior to Saturday's meet against UIC, Lauren DeMeno had not competed on beam since 2017. But the senior captain nailed her routine, culminating with a career-best 9.825 to help the Falcons post a 49.175 on the event. That is the team's highest score for any event rotation this year.
49 OR MORE
Bowling Green posted a team score of 49.000 or higher in three of the four rotations Saturday against UIC. It is the first time the team has done that since the 2017 MAC Championships. The Falcons scored 49.175 on beam, 49.050 on vault and 49.025 on floor.
AWARD WINNERS
Jovannah East and Taylor Worthington swept this week's MAC awards with East earning Gymnast of the Week honors and Worthington taking home Specialist of the Week honors. For East, it is the third time in her career she has been named MAC Gymnast of the Week, while it is Worthington's first accolade.Â
FROM COACH TURNER
"Last week, the team took the opportunity to get back on track with a strong score. We still have several areas needing improvement and our focus has been practicing competitive line-ups with the detail work in place. Our goal will be to not focus on the scores, but rather to focus on the performances by each individual gymnast. I am looking forward to meeting Northern Illinois and UIC this weekend. NIU has had a strong start and this is a great opportunity for an exciting competition as any of the teams can come out with the win. It will really come down to mental toughness, solid preparation and stepping up to perform well on competition day. " -- Kerrie Turner
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Bowling Green opens conference competition Sunday when the Falcons travel to DeKalb, Ill. to face preseason conference favorite Northern Illinois. Familiar foe, UIC, who the Falcons just competed against this week, will also be at the meet. Although the Huskies were picked to win the MAC, they are just 1-1 in league action thus far this year as Western Michigan earned a victory over them.
Â
COMPLETE GAME NOTES
LIVE VIDEO (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)
LIVE SCORES
BREAKING DOWN THE HISTORY
BGSU is 14-10 all-time against Northern Illinois and 7-5 all-time against UIC, including this past week's loss to the Flames. The Falcons beat Northern Illinois a year ago in Anderson Arena, but the Huskies have won five consecutive meetings in Illinois. BGSU hasn't won in DeKalb since 2007.
The Falcons have faced UIC on a neutral floor four times previously, with both teams winning twice. Most recently, UIC picked up a neutral site win in 2010 at Western Michigan.
HISTORICALLY GREAT
Bowling Green has placed in the top three at the MAC Championships in each of the past three seasons, peaking with a runner-up finish in 2017. For the Falcons, it is the first time the team has placed that high in three consecutive years since doing so for eight straight years from 1981-88.
FALCONS PICKED SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL
The Mid-American Conference coaches have selected Bowling Green as the MAC runner-up in the preseason coaches poll. The Falcons earned one first place vote and 37 total vote points. Northern Illinois was selected to win the MAC with 42 vote points and three MAC Championship votes. Defending MAC champion Central Michigan is third, followed by Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Kent State and Western Michigan.
LAWSON SENDS NOTICE EARLY
Sophomore Elena Lawson opened the 2019 season by recording a career-best 9.800 on vault in the Alabama quad meet. She followed that up by setting three more career-highs against UIC in the home opener last weekend. She once again broke her own personal best on vault with a 9.825, while adding career-best scores of 9.725 on floor and 9.500 on uneven bars.
JOVANNAH EAST GOING WHERE FEW HAVE GONE BEFORE
As a sophomore a year ago, Jovannah East became just the second Falcon gymnast to qualify for the NCAA Division I National Championships and the first to do so in the all-around competition. Her 39.250 score in Columbus was the greatest all-around performance ever by a BGSU gymnast in a regional meet, tying for fourth place. She scored identical scores of 9.850 on beam and floor, added 9.825 on vault and had a 9.725 on bars. She won the tiebreaker and advanced to the national championships.
EAST'S OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Jovannah East became the first Falcon to advance to the NCAA Women's Gymnastics National Championships since Marny Oestreng reached nationals in 1999 on the floor. Oestreng went on to win the national championship with a 9.925. East's career accomplishments include the following:
Two-time First Team All-MAC (2017, 2018)
Academic All-MAC (2018)
MAC Vault Co-Champion (2018)
MAC All-Tournament Team (2017, 2018)
NCAA Regionals Qualifier (2017, 2018)
NCAA Nationals Qualifier (2018)
MAC Gymnast of the Week (2x in 2018, 1x in 2019)
MAC Specialist of the Week (2017)
IN THE RECORD BOOK
Junior Jovannah East put her name at the top of the record book on the balance beam Saturday. With a 9.950, she tied former teammate Laura Mitchell for the top mark in program history. East has also posted two of the five highest single-meet all-around scores in program history (39.425 and 39.400), as well as the third-highest vault score in program history (9.925) and fourth-highest beam score (9.925). East is also among the top 10 on floor (9.925). Alexandra Fochler has a pair of the top 10 uneven bars scores in school history (two identical 9.875 scores). On floor, Kayla Rose recorded a 9.950 in 2017, tied for the second-highest score ever by a Falcon on the event.
DEMENO'S CLUTCH PERFORMANCE ON BEAM
Prior to Saturday's meet against UIC, Lauren DeMeno had not competed on beam since 2017. But the senior captain nailed her routine, culminating with a career-best 9.825 to help the Falcons post a 49.175 on the event. That is the team's highest score for any event rotation this year.
49 OR MORE
Bowling Green posted a team score of 49.000 or higher in three of the four rotations Saturday against UIC. It is the first time the team has done that since the 2017 MAC Championships. The Falcons scored 49.175 on beam, 49.050 on vault and 49.025 on floor.
AWARD WINNERS
Jovannah East and Taylor Worthington swept this week's MAC awards with East earning Gymnast of the Week honors and Worthington taking home Specialist of the Week honors. For East, it is the third time in her career she has been named MAC Gymnast of the Week, while it is Worthington's first accolade.Â
FROM COACH TURNER
"Last week, the team took the opportunity to get back on track with a strong score. We still have several areas needing improvement and our focus has been practicing competitive line-ups with the detail work in place. Our goal will be to not focus on the scores, but rather to focus on the performances by each individual gymnast. I am looking forward to meeting Northern Illinois and UIC this weekend. NIU has had a strong start and this is a great opportunity for an exciting competition as any of the teams can come out with the win. It will really come down to mental toughness, solid preparation and stepping up to perform well on competition day. " -- Kerrie Turner
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