Laura Mitchell

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

Class:
Senior
High School:
Queens' School
Hometown:
London, England

2018: Second team All-MAC ... MAC All-Tournament Team ... became first Falcon to surpass one of the five school records held by former BGSU gymnast and 1999 floor exercise national champion Marny Oestreng ... scored a 9.950 on beam in tri-meet vs Central Michigan and Ohio State to pass Oestreng's former record (9.925) ... matched that record with another 9.950 at Kent State ... both of those resulted in Mitchell's two event victories in 2018 ... competed on beam and bars in all of BGSU's meets and on floor in all but one ... also competed on vault five times, participating in the all-around for the first time in her career ... on beam, reached 9.900 in four meets ... placed second on beam with 9.900 on Senior Day vs NIU ... tied for second on beam with 9.925 at MAC Championships ... added 9.850 on beam in three other meets (Utah State, at UNH, at Illinois) ... scored 9.7 or better on beam in every meet ... on floor, matched her career high with 9.850 at Kent State ... tied for third on floor with new career-best 9.875 on floor ... placed 15th on floor (9.800) at MAC Championships ... tied career high on bars at Ball State with 9.850 to earn second place tie ... set personal record on vault at MAC Championships with 9.725 for 29th place ... tallied career-best 39.125 in the all-around three times, beginning with tri-meet vs CMU and Ohio State ... third in the MAC, tied for ninth in the Central Region, and tied for 34th nationally with 9.895 beam RQS ... qualified for NCAA Regionals and tied for 15th with 9.800 on beam.

2017: Competed in all 13 of BGSU's meets on bars and beam, as well as in 10 of 13 on floor ... produced her best meet of the season at 2017 MAC Championships by tying two personal records and earning three top-ten finishes ... tied PR on floor 9.850 to tie for tenth and tied PR on bars with 9.850 to tie for eighth ... tied for seventh with season-best 9.875 in defense of her 2016 MAC beam title ... effort helped BGSU earn second place with 196.400, for best MAC finish in 30 years and second-best team score in school history ... earned RQS of 9.815 or better in three events ... led team with 9.825 RQS on bars and posted 9.815 RQS on beam and floor ... finished in first place four times ... won bars event outright with 9.825 against Ball State ... tied for first of 24 with 9.850 on bars at Metroplex Invitational quad meet that included top-20 squad George Washington ... tied for first on beam in back-to-back meets against Kent State (9.825) and at Michigan State (9.850) ... secured three top-five finishes at Central Michigan as BGSU won at CMU for first time in 30 years ... earned a top-three finish 13 times ... posted a 9.800 or better in 17 of 36 routines, including seven in a row to conclude season.

2016: Named MAC Gymnast of the Week (Jan. 26) … Competed in each of the Falcons’ 14 meets in 2016, making 14 appearances on bars and beam, and eight on floor … Served as the anchor performer on beam all year … Was crowned MAC Beam Champion after posting a 9.925, a score that tied the highest on the apparatus in school history … Earned three of the four 9.900’s that were scored this season by a Falcon on beam … Surpassed the 9.800 mark 12 times on beam … Had nine top three finishes on beam throughout the season … Holds the Falcons’ top 10 scores on beam in 2016 … Finished second overall on beam in the MAC rankings … Set a career PR on floor, scoring a 9.825 at UNC w/ Pitt and SEMO … Notched a season-high 9.775 on bars against Central Michigan (March 4) … Was a part of the school record-breaking team beam score of 49.250, as well as a school-record overall score of 196.500 … Competed at NCAA Regionals on bars and beam, after qualifying as a team for the first time in 25 years.

2015: Made eight beam appearances, seven bars appearances, while also competing on floor at two competitions … turned in one of the best freshman seasons in program history, totaling four first-place finishes and three second-place finishes … served as an alternate on beam at the NCAA Columbus Regional … won an event across the first four meets of her collegiate career … scored a 9.850 on beam at Eastern Michigan in her collegiate debut to win the event … followed up that performance by posting a career-high 9.875 at George Washington to win the apparatus again … named MAC Specialist of the Week for her performances against Ohio State and Ball State … tied for first on bars against the Buckeyes by notching a 9.825, and then registered a career-best 9.850 two days later to win the event against the Cardinals … finished second on beam versus Ohio State (9.825), at Northern Illinois (9.825) and at Central Michigan (9.850) … surpassed the 9.800 mark seven times, and scored at least a 9.700 a total of 11 times.

High School: A 2014 graduate of the Queens’ School ... one of the top gymnasts in England ... winner of five British titles including being named Junior British Champion ... represented her country at the Junior European Championships in 2010, posting her team’s highest all-around score ... selected to compete at the Youth Olympics in Singapore due to her performance at the European Championships ... placed 10^th at the 2014 British National Championships and was fourth on beam at the 2013 British National Championships.

Personal: Full name is Laura Rebecca Mitchell ... born Jan. 3, 1995 ... daughter of Andy Mitchell and Thomas and Julia Diston ... has two younger brothers ... major is undecided.

Mitchell Accolades
MAC Beam Champion (2016)
Second Team All-MAC (2015, 2018)
MAC All-Tournament Team (2016, 2018)
MAC Specialist of the Week (Feb. 9, 2015)
MAC Gymnast of the Week (Jan. 26, 2016)
BGSU school record, balance beam (9.950)
NCAA Regionals Qualifier (Beam, 2018)

Career Bests
All-Around -- 39.125; three times (2/25/18, 3/9/18, 3/17/18)
Vault -- 9.725 at MAC Championships (3/24/18)
Bars – 9.850; four times (2/8/15, 1/28/17, 3/18/17, 2/11/18)
Beam: 9.950; two times (2/25/18, 3/17/18)
Floor: 9.875 vs Northern Illinois (3/17/18)