Kent State gymnasts stick it to Bowling Green

Freshman Kesley Lawless, landed a 9.725 on bars, March 10. Kent State came out with a win against Bowling Green at the M.A.C. Center. 196.400-193.525. Photo by Emily Martin.

Freshman Kesley Lawless, landed a 9.725 on bars, March 10. Kent State came out with a win against Bowling Green at the M.A.C. Center. 196.400-193.525. Photo by Emily Martin.

Erica Mucci

The Kent State gymnastics team reached a season’s peak Sunday, dominating Bowling Green by hitting all 24 out of 24 routines.

Coach Brice Biggin said the most positive effect of the match was the team’s effort. He said the girls are coming to understand that it can’t just be one or two of them who contribute.

“They understand that for us to do well, the entire team has to do well,” Biggin said. “We have to be strong all the way through to our exhibition . . . and today we went out and hit 29 of 29 including those exhibition routines. You really can’t ask any more from a team than that.”

The Flashes posted a season-best 196.400 to the Falcons’ 193.525. This electrifying team score is their best since the 2009 season. Sophomore Marie Case’s 39.225 earned her the all-around title for the second straight meet.

Case said the fact the meet was such a team effort speaks to the overall mindset of the team headed into the home stretch of the season.

“It finally feels like we’re a good team,” Case said. “We’re feeling like it can only go up from here. We know now we can go out and hit 24 routines and we’re confident.”

Junior Lindsay Runyan said the team started building up to this meet early in the week.

“Everyone was excited, and practice went really well all week,” Runyan said. “I feel like that confidence just carried over.”

For the past few weeks, low scores on the floor exercise have been plaguing the Flashes. Biggin said this last week during practice he switched freshman Amiah Mims to the leadoff spot in hopes she would contribute a score that could jumpstart the rest of the lineup.

“She did exactly that,” Biggin said. “She did a beautiful routine and went 9.800. You can’t ask your leadoff kid to do more than that.”

Senior Rachel Goldenberg also had a change made to her routine that proved to be for the better.

“To her credit, she didn’t whine or complain about it,” Biggin said. “She went out and scored a 9.900. She really stepped up to the plate today and did a phenomenal job.”

That 9.900 allowed Goldenberg to tie her career-best and earn her fourth floor victory of the season.

Biggin said Goldenberg and the other gymnasts understand the decisions made are always for the best of the team.

After weeks of trying to find their groove, Biggin said a meet like this is what he works for and what the girls train for.

“Everything came together today,” Biggin said. “They looked great and I don’t say that often. It was so fun to watch as a coach.”

Goldenberg remarked a meet like this puts the Flashes right where they want to be headed into the final meet of the regular season.

“It would be great to see us build off of a meet like this and take it into the championship part of the season,” Goldenberg said.

The Flashes host Cornell Sunday at 1 p.m. before starting the Mid-American Conference Championships March 24.

Contact Erica Mucci at [email protected].