With only a .250 scoring difference between first and third place, the Kent State gymnastics team finished third out of four teams at the Eastern Michigan Eagle Invite Saturday in Ypsilanti, Mich.

“I’m not disappointed,” Kent State coach Brice Biggin said.

No. 13 Missouri won the meet with a score of 195.700, while Central Michigan earned a 195.675. The Flashes came in third with a score of 195.450, and host Eastern Michigan finished in last with a score of 193.375.

Even with the third-place finish, the Flashes came home with their best road score of the season, as well as their best floor score.

“We did phenomenal (on) floor,” Biggin said. “We went 49.500, which is a tenth off of our team record for highest score ever.”

Seniors Rachel Stuck and Laci Hendress tied for first on floor with career-high scores of 9.925 for both gymnasts. Junior Lydia Barrett tied with Eastern Michigan junior Erin Grigg for third with a score of 9.900.

The Flashes also had a strong win on vault, with an overall score of 49.000. Barrett and sophomores Christine Abou-Mitri and Christina Lenny placed in a five-way tie for second along with Central Michigan’s Kristin Teubner and Missouri’s Mary Burke.

Kent State’s performance on bar was good with a score of 48.625, but the team’s struggles on beam continued, with the team earning a score of 48.325.

“We didn’t have to count a fall,” Biggin said, “but we just didn’t look very clean over there.”

The win over Eastern Michigan put Kent State at 5-0 in the Mid-American Conference regular season and secured the Mid-American Conference regular-season championship. The gymnasts will finish the season Sunday at home against Western Michigan.

Contact sports reporter Pamela Crimbchin at [email protected].