Flashes place above No. 25 N.C. State

The Kent State gymnastics team finished second in a three-team meet Friday night in Ann Arbor, Mich., defeating No. 25 North Carolina State.

The meet finished with No. 8 Michigan in first with a team score of 194.325. The Flashes scored 193.525, and the Wolfpack scored 191.150.

Kent State coach Brice Biggin was pleased with his team’s performance, compared to last week’s loss to Maryland.

“The team went in there feeling that they had a lot of prove, mostly to themselves, that they are a better team,” Biggin said.

Kent State sophomore Christina Lenny tied for first on vault with Michigan senior Tatjana Thuener-Rego with a score of 9.825.

“That’s something that Christina has been able to do since she’s come in,” Biggin said. “She’s probably one of the best vaults we’ve ever seen at Kent State.”

Junior Carly Conory also tied with Thuener-Rego and University of Michigan senior Huneth Lor for second place on the balance beam with a score of 9.775.

Thuener-Rego and Lor took first and second consecutively in the all-around scores, with sophomore Christine Abou-Mitri in third and Lenny in fourth.

Overall, the Flashes won the floor exercises with a score of 48.375 against the Wolverines’ 47.925 and Wolfpack’s 47.900.

Kent State took second to Michigan in vault and on beams, and Michigan and N.C. State both defeated the Flashes on bars.

“I think the girls did a great job of not being intimidated, not holding back,” Biggin said. “They really did a good job at working together.”

Next up, the Flashes will host Ball State at 7 p.m. Friday in the M.A.C. Center.

Contact sports reporter Pam Crimbchin at [email protected].