Bowling Green plays host in this afternoon’s tri-meet, welcoming conference rival Central Michigan and national rankings neighbor SEMO. All three teams are looking to break the elusive 194 mark after hovering in the 193 range, with Central Michigan coming the closest so far at 193.950.
Taylor Ingle has established herself as a standout for SEMO, competing in all four events as a junior. Keep an eye on her contributions on vault and floor, where she holds the team’s season highs of 9.850 and 9.875, respectively. Seniors Lindsay Ockler and Janelle Lopez will anchor the Redhawks’ bars lineup, but SEMO will need at least three more 9.700+ scores to solidify that rotation. If they hit on bars, expect the team’s experienced upperclassmen to carry the momentum through the rest of the meet.
For Bowling Green, fans are eagerly awaiting Kayla Shaw’s debut at the Stroh Center. A former four-star recruit, Shaw has already made a name for herself as a floor powerhouse and has tremendous potential on vault and bars. Alongside Shaw, all-around returners Love Akpan and Megan Bingham have stepped up to fill the void left by high-scoring routines from last season.
Central Michigan enters the meet as the team to beat and will rely heavily on all-arounder Luciana Alvarado-Reid to lead the way. Alvarado-Reid holds the top all-around and bars scores in the MAC after three weeks, cementing herself as a key competitor to watch in this meet.
Rotation 1: Bowling Green VT, SEMO UB, Central Michigan BB
Light (CMU): calmly through her series, a unique bhs to side aerial. a tad low on her switch to straddle 1/4, but holds it with no checks. beat jump to side somi, and then dismounts with a gainer pike off the end. 9.575
Hamilton (SEMO): high fives her teammates in the background of Light’s beam. 9.650
Thornton (BGSU): strong Y full to start the Falcons’ home campaign. 9.700
Dzialo (BGSU): very squared off Y full! gorgeous form in her block, and takes it high with only a step to the side on landing. 9.700
Crouch (SEMO): a tad short on her final handstand, into a low but landed toe on front pike half dismount. 9.425
Pelfrey (CMU): commanding presence in her opening choreo, into a side aerial to roundoff series. switch to split 3/4, small check from having an abundance of power. closes out with a HIGH cartwheel gainer full, with a hop back. 9.750
Coburn (BGSU): nearly clips the corner of the board on her roundoff entry, and commits to the Y full but takes it to her knees. 8.750
Jones (SEMO): blind half to a dynamic piked Jaeger, then bails to handstand with a bit of a loose back. dismounts with a rock solid blind full to double tuck, and a big celebration. 9.575
Brown (BGSU): effortless twisting in her Y full, with only two small hops. 9.750
Appleget (CMU): small hop forward on her roundoff 1.5 dismount. 9.750
Mendez (BGSU): in the sixth spot, swapping with freshman Shaw. nearly holds her stick on the Y full, after a year out of competition recovering from a hip injury. 9.800
Shannon (CMU): opens with her signature shoulder roll, then gets right to business with her bhs bhs loso. HUGE extension in her switch and split half, well past 180 on both. she carries that power into her roundoff 1.5, jumping forwards with otherwise impeccable form. 9.725
Johnson (SEMO): toe hs into a Maloney Pak series, then short once she’s back at the high bar on her handstand. blind full to a high double tuck, small hop forward. 9.675
Alvarado-Reid (CMU): bhs loso like its on the floor! very solid switch to switch half, covers up an arm circle gracefully. she’s grown more comfortable on this event every year, and shows it off with a nearly stuck gainer pike dismount. 9.800
Skrupa (CMU): in the anchor spot, and she opens with a fluid switch split mount. front aerial to bhs series stays cool calm and collected, then a small check on her full turn. she shakes it off and goes sky high on her switch to split. cat to side aerial with another small check, then closes with a stuck bhs to 1.5! with this hit, Central Michigan puts up six hit routines to start their afternoon. 9.700
Garcia (CMU): exhibition — candle mount! bhs loso a little apprehensive, and then off the side. gorgeous flare out of her full turn, then off on her front toss as well. this routine has the pieces to score big, but will need more speed to avoid the checks.
After 1: Bowling Green 48.750, Central Michigan 48.725, SEMO 48.250
MAC rivals Bowling Green and Central Michigan are neck and neck after one rotation! SEMO is still in it, with bars likely to be the equalizer once they all visit the event. We see Shaw’s fhs pike half in the rotation replay, getting plenty of height but landing with a low chest; making the lineup switch to put in Mendez Abolnik saved the Falcons 0.150. We’ve yet to see a bar routine at the 9.800 mark so far, but not for lack of trying! Ingle currently has the score to beat at 9.750, with her veteran presence leading the Redhawks to beam.
Rotation 2: Bowling Green UB, SEMO BB, Central Michigan FX
Dzialo (BGSU): textbook vertical on her opening handstand and clear hip, then the feed moves to floor. 9.675.
Parker (CMU): casually slips in Hootie and the Blowfish with this routine, small section of Wagon Wheel between her first and second pass! a tad low bounding in her second pass, with the roundoff 1.5 punch layout staying at an even height throughout. 9.625
Thornton (BGSU): Maloney Pak with a small leg separation, but very on top of her handstands today. Small hop on her full in dismount. 9.625
Zimmerman (CMU): bringing her dramatic floor style to the NCAA, she opens with sharp choreography and a punch double front full. classy cartwheel loso, and she gets her team into the dance. unique triple series up next, switch ring to switch half and split full! closes her routine with a front layout front full. 9.675
Hernandez (SEMO): we join halfway, to see her fluid switch to split jump. she dials in on her dismount, and shows off a double twist with a bit of a low chest and hop forward. 9.575
Bingham (BGSU): third Falcon in a row to be nailing handstands today! big Tkatchev, and then takes her bail to an exact 180. closes with a double layout, hops forward and looks like it could’ve used a few more inches of height. 9.700
Appleget (CMU): she’s LOCKED in. opens with a front tuck through to double pike, new for this year. switch split to Gogean rotates around easily. closes with a floaty front full punch layout, with only a small leg separation. 9.775
Akpan (BGSU): big Ray, then into a toe handstand to bail handstand! she wastes no time getting back up to the high bar, dismounting with an easy double layout. 9.725
Skrupa (CMU): big double pike to start, covers up her low chest on the landing quickly. very fluid roundoff 1.5 punch layout, almost walking right out of it into her choreo. switch to switch ring gets plenty of extension. she finishes with a double tuck, and blows a kiss to her teammates. 9.725
Kreinbrink (BGSU): Geinger to bail! she pikes down her double lay to keep it on her feet, but is sure to find her timing on this dismount as the season progresses. a grat routine for her, making lineups for the first time in her career as a senior. 9.750
Parton (SEMO): mounts with a fun handstand to front support, and looks incredibly calm. bhs loso and easily into her choreography. switch with a small wobble, into a smart beat jump to double stag for series credit. she has great toe point, and shows it off going into each skill! gainer full to close out a dynamic routine. 9.250
Wellmeier (CMU): we join halfway through, in time for her double tuck. small shuffle on her landing. 9.825
Alvarado-Reid (CMU): she’s making this floor her own! opens with a big fhs rudi to double stag, and then carries her momentum to a switch half to split half. i’m loving the camera angles, showing her teammates dancing along as if you’re in the corral. 9.900 — first one of the afternoon!
Ingle (SEMO): LONG wait before she gets the go ahead. mounts with a middle split, showing off her flexibility. bhs bhs loso, fits it on the beam by a matter of inches. switch to straddle 1/4 floats. pauses before her dismount, then drills her double twist with her ankles glued together through both rotations. 9.750
Reader (SEMO): super unique front toss from her knee, ultimately off the side with a low landing. massive switch split to split half, then a second front toss with a major check. i can’t wait to see this routine with a hit first front toss — it must set up a confident set! She finishes with a gainer pike. 7.900 after lots of start value deliberation.
Johnson (SEMO): exhibition — bhs loso then off the side. cat to side aerial with a smaller check, stays on. steps to the side on her otherwise very controlled gainer pike.
After 2: Central Michigan 97.625, Bowling Green 97.350, 95.400
Central Michigan pulled ahead, thanks in part to big floor scores from Wellmeier and Alvarado-Reid. The Falcons put up a fight and demonstrated precise handstands to stay in the race, showing big improvements in team depth compared to this time a year ago. Their bars core are showing bails to handstand, a major upgrade from bails to horizontal and their associated body position deductions. Over at beam, balance checks and low start values hindered the Redhawks — the team will have to rally hard at floor (which it can do!) to get back into the team title conversation.
Rotation 3: Central Michigan VT, Bowling Green BB, SEMO FX
Germond (CMU): low landing but keeps her y full to her feet. big step forward, and likely amplitude deductions in the coming score. 9.600
Dubin (BGSU): bhs bhs and no salto after, then throws a big beat jump to straddle 3/4. side aerial with no issue, and then dismounts with a front tuck full. while she recovered well, the start will be lower than what the Falcons planned on beginning the rotation with. 9.000
Bootz (CMU): very floaty fhs tuck half! she keeps her knees together as best she can while twisting, and then takes a hop backwards on landing. 9.700
Phillips (SEMO): big double pike to start, switch side to Popa gets lots of height and stays in control. front lay front full second pass, small leg separation in the layout. closes with a low 1.5 punch lay, keeping it to her feet with a low squat. 9.400
Shaw (BGSU): smooth side somi and wolf turn, making the most of her ability to land without seeing the beam. calm bhs loso as well! dismounts with a gainer pike, unfortunately pulling her pike too far and sitting the landing. very graceful interior on her routine. 9.100
Hamilton (SEMO): unique 2.5 to start, going out of bounds with a large step. undercooks her second pass and steps backwards on her front lay front full. third time’s the charm, accurately gauging where the floor is on her roundoff 1.5 punch lay. 9.275
Bingham (BGSU): bhs loso to start, and then off on an otherwise confident cat leap to side aerial. beat to split 3/4 gest textbook height and rotation, as does her roundoff 1.5 albeit with a hop forwards. 9.050
Crouch (SEMO): joined in the middle of the routine, in time for a stunning roundoff 1.5 punch full. 9.625
Parente (BGSU): again joining for the end, with a calm roundoff 1.5 and a small hop forwards. 9.425
We’re not seeing lots of vault coverage in this rotation, but the Chippewas are running away with the meet. All of their counting vault scores are 9.700 or above, highlighted by Wellmeier’s 9.850.
Greene (SEMO): she means business! opens with a front lay to rudi and controlled step back, then a switch half to two wolf fulls. closing with a high double tuck — she held the block for more than enough time, and then takes a step forward to counter her takeoff timing. 9.725
Ingle (SEMO): she’s having fun before her first pass, a big 2.5 punch front tuck then seamlessly into her dance. second pass twists as easily as the first, with a front layout punch rudi. this routine is bananas! 9.800
Reader (SEMO): exhibition — double pike with tons of power, going out of bounds with a big lunge. front full front lay lands comfortably albeit without the extra height the judges want in a bounding pass. long pause before her double tuck, chest low but stays on her feet. 9.475
After 3: Central Michigan 146.550, Bowling Green 144.025, SEMO 143.525
The plot shifted from from “can Bowling Green continue to fend off Central Michigan” an hour ago, to “will Bowling Green keep SEMO from sneaking into second place”, with beam proving a struggle. Emily Castiglia’s 9.625 was the only score above 9.500 for the home team on beam. Of note, only two gymnasts got their full beam start value credited by both judges in this rotation.
On the flip side of the coin, we saw SEMO show flashes of a strong floor core in Greene and Ingle. Some low landings prevented them from overtaking the host Falcons, but they’re sure to fight through vault in what’s now a very tight meet. Seemingly competing against themselves, Central Michigan is five hit bar routines from a mid 195.000
Rotation 4: SEMO VT, Central Michigan UB, Bowling Green FX
Dzialo (BGSU): very calm front lay to Rudi! she keeps her legs glued. unique switch split to wolf 1.5 gets her to the next corner, where she shows a roundoff layout half to front full. she closes with a front layout to front full, ending her masterclass on forwards bounding passes. 9.725
Johnson (CMU): big Tkatchev to bail, but takes a fall on the bail as she catches the bar in an odd position. closes with a textbook double layout. 9.350
Williams (BGSU): Falcon debut for the mid-season transfer! front lay to Rudi with a hop to readjust, otherwise looking very calm. clean through her switch to wolf full, then adds a standalone back tuck. front lay to front half, not as planned but kept to her feet safely.
Appleget (CMU): drills her double layout! 9.875
Hernandez (SEMO): tons of distance on her y full, but a closed shoulder angle stops her from getting the height it could have. she takes a large step back, and as bent knees throughout. 9.775
Schwab (CMU): Geinger catches low, but it doesn’t phase her as she takes her bail to handstand right after. nearly stuck double layout, and a big smile before being consumed by her teammate’s high fives. 9.800
Kuehn (SEMO): y layout half, keeps the landing movement within one step forward. 9.775
Alvarado-Reid (CMU): putting on a masterclass with her handstands, finishing her blind full right ontop of the bar before drilling her double tuck. 9.800
Bingham (BGSU): long wait after Williams’ score conference. whip to double pike gets her party started. standalone front tuck shortly after, and then a standalone wolf 1.5. double tuck with a calm landing, then gets great height in her switch to split full. interesting composition, but pays off with a 9.750
Kmeciak (CMU): joining halfway, for her sky high double layout! one step backwards, but otherwise great amplitude and shaping through her dismount. 9.775
Zimmerman (CMU): exh — very clean Pak and handstand work. finishes her blind full over the bar just like teammate Alvarado-Reid, then takes one step back on her double tuck. 9.725
Coburn (BGSU): big double pike to start, and gets plenty of amplitude on her switch half to two Popas. front tuck through to double tuck, a bit more open than planned as she takes a step forward to save it. 9.750
Shaw (BGSU): so happy to see her floor work in the NCAA, after a dominant level ten career in my home province. she opens with a big double pike, and absolutely floats her switch half to two split fulls. front tuck to double tuck closes out her routine, with what looks like energy still left over. 9.575, with room to go higher if she can stick both passes.
Thornton (BGSU): A hit routine will keep the Falcons ahead of SEMO, and she’s well on her way with a nearly stuck front layout to Rudi as a first pass. she found her floor groove mid season last year, and it’s since been invaluable for the lineup. very precise rotation in her switch side to Popa. she closes the afternoon with a flawless double tuck, sealing the rally over SEMO with a bow and a kiss to the crowd. 9.775.
FINAL: Central Michigan 195.600, Bowling Green 192.600, SEMO 192.375
Strong events from all three teams in the last rotation kept the crowd on the edge of their seats through to the last routine, with team event scores going north of 48.500 in the fourth. Similarly in the all around, Alvarado-Reid and Ingle went back and forth with a final differential of 0.125.
SEMO will get nearly a full week’s rest after this double meet week, next seeing action while hosting Illinois State on Friday, January 31st. Bowling Green will host Ball State on February 2nd for in-conference competition. Central Michigan, who now holds the MAC’s top team score, will be on a bye week.
VT: Wellmeier (Central Michigan), Ingle (SEMO): 9.850
UB: Appleget (Central Michigan): 9.875
BB: Alvarado-Reid (Central Michigan): 9.800
FX: Alvarado-Reid (Central Michigan): 9.900
AA: Alvarado-Reid (Central Michigan): 39.275
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Live blog by Peri Goodman
