The Kent State gymnastics team (4-6, 1-3 Mid-American Conference) lost a close match on the road, as they fell to Northern Illinois University. The Huskies’ last floor routine gave them the walk-off win, 194.825-194.775. 

“The score is a non-reflection of the outcome today,” coach Brice Biggin said. “When you hit 23 out of 24 routines, it’s really a true team effort. Most of the team did their job. You can’t do much better.”

It was harder than normal for Biggin to single out one performer today because he was so happy with the total team effort. He finally broke the silence and mentioned that sophomore Rachel DeCavitch and junior Riley Danielson were the stars today. 

Danielson won the individual event title on bars with a season-high score of 9.850. 

DeCavitch tied for first on floor with a 9.875. She also tied for second on vault (9.775) and bars (9.800). 

Sophomore Karlie Franz tied for second on vault as well, posting a 9.775. 

Although Biggin said he was frustrated with the loss, he was very pleased with the consistency of how his team performed. They hit on 23 of their 24 routines and fought until the end. 

The teams were even on the scoreboard for most of the match and both teams were nearly perfect on routines, there were very few slips. 

“I am proud of how they played,” Biggin said. ”We didn’t warm up well, but we came on at the end.” 

The Flashes have two meets left before the MAC Championships. They are set to host Ball State on March 7 at 1 p.m. They will end the regular season on March 12 at Bowling Green. 

Sean Blevins is a sports reporter. Contact him at [email protected].