Three of Ohio’s top teams will face off today in Bowling Green, where the host Falcons will celebrate senior night. Kent State enters as the clear favorite, as the only team in this tri-meet still in the hunt for a regionals berth.
Brampton, Ontario, will be well represented tonight, with two standout gymnasts hailing from the city: Bowling Green’s Kayla Shaw and Yale’s Kiora Peart-Williams, both of whom will be in contention for individual bars honors. For the Golden Flashes, Nene Alvine is coming off a conference-best 9.925 on vault and will aim to match that score as she inches closer to leading the event by NQS. Keep an eye on Alyssa Guns as well—she has been a consistent high-scorer for Kent State on both beam and floor.
Love Akpan will be back in two lineups for Bowling Green today, after being seen in a boot and out of competition for almost a month.
Rotation 1: Bowling Green VT, Kent State UB, Wilberforce BB
Thornton (BG): large hop back from the pike down, but an otherwise lovely and high fty. 9.700
Kelly (WU): sticks her bhs loso series, then nearly comes off after her switch split. major break again after her full turn. cleanly through her dismount though — bhs two feet to layout 1.5. 8.975
Dzialo (BG): holds the stick on her FTY! she’ll take a bit of a deduction with bent hips, though it was necessary for the stick. 9.775
Alvine (KSU): toe hs maloney pak series without any breaks, blind full to double tuck with a step forward. big hit routine after mid-season inconsistency! 9.800
Bryant (WU): cat to front aerial, mid size break. she repeats and connects the full series, cat to front aerial side aerial. cleanly through her switch to split, and transverse split half. punch front full to close out a hit routine for the Bulldogs. 9.200
Bingham (BG): make that two stuck FTYs in a row for the Falcons! 9.850
Peart-Williams (WU): switch to switch half as we join her mid-routine, then a floaty gainer full! 9.500
Coburn (BG): gets tons of power blocking for her FTY, then has a serious pike down and large hop in order to land. 9.500
Cook (WU): switch split series floats off the beam and gets well past 180 on each leap. small hesitation before her punch front, then falls off after the skill. goes for it again, nailing her front tuck to bhs series. finishes with a punch layout full, taking a slight knee bend deduction and a step. 8.875
Brown (BG): another clean FTY in the air, small hop forward. 9.675
Schultz (KSU): clear hip to Maloney and overshoot handstand, a tad loose catching the handstand, small hop back out of her double layout. 9.850
Jean-Marie (WU): opens with a split to split 1/2, short on rotating the half. then off on her bhs loso, but rallies to get on the beam again quickly. large check but holds onto her side aerial. gainer pike dismount gets tons of distance to close out her first routine of the afternoon. 8.425
Mendez-Abolnik (BG): FTY, maintains a flared shape throughout and takes a small hop back. 9.750 for her last vault in the Stroh Center.
Butler (WU): GORGEOUS 180 scale off the start of her routine! bhs loso is a hit, she’s settles into this routine. switch to straddle half is slow, but will get connection credit. off on her cat leap to side aerial, then dismounts with a gainer full. 8.825.
After 1: Kent State 49.275, Bowling Green 48.750, Wilberforce 45.375
I wish the stream had shown more than two of Kent State’s rotation, notching their highest team score on any event of their season so far. A trio of 9.875’s from Brynne Tsipis, Charlie Behner, and Nastia Rudnitskaya has helped propel the Golden Flashes to almost a half point lead over Bowling Green. A massive 9.850 on vault for Madison Coburn’s stuck Yurchenko full currently leads the event, as does Kiora Peart-William’s 9.500 on beam.
Rotation 2: Bowling Green UB, Kent State BB, Wilberforce FX
Riley (KSU): we join halfway through for her side aerial, and nearly stuck gainer full off the side. 9.550
Clements (WU): seems to be competing a base routine, opening with a layout for her first pass. switch full to split full, and then a punch front layout for pass two. I’m eager to see what this routine can grow into! 6.825
Kreinbrink (BG): has gorgeous high bar work, toe handstand to Geinger to her bail. Double layout is a bit labored, but she keeps it on her feet. 9.675
Morgan (KSU): she’s attacking her routine, and goes cleanly through her switch split series. beat jump to front aerial fits just on the end of the beam, then she nearly sticks her bhs 1.5 dismount. 9.750
Jean-Marie (WU): also opens today with a layout for her first pass. switch half to split ~3/4, and then another back layout for her second pass. after two routines with base tumbling, i’m thinking this is a team decision for today. 6.700
Bingham (BG): nearly stuck DLO! 9.775
Rankin (KSU): we join in time for her cat leap to gainer pike. 9.500
Peart-Williams (WU): tour jete half to split full as we join halfway, and then a punch layout to front full to close her routine. 8.950
Shaw (BG): toe hs, giant full, double tuck! i wish we had seen the first half, because the celebration looked massive. 9.825
Alvine (KSU): small check on her loso loso, with both getting significant lift. switch switch fluid as ever. checks on her front aerial, then dials in for her bhs bhs 1.5. 9.550
Kelly (WU): double tuck to open, and wastes no time getting back into her dance. switch split to Popa takes her to the next corner, where she fits five skills! front tuck through to 1.5 front pike. 9.025
Akpan (BG): catches her Ray, then goes toe handstand to bail handstand! cranks her giants to a double layout with a small hop backward. Welcome back Love Akpan! 9.750
Cook (WU): she means business! opening with a roundoff 1.5 punch layout that sits down, just a tad short on rotating out of the 1.5. switch ring to tour jete half hangs in the air, as does her front layout front full shortly after.
Thornton (BG): toe hs Maloney, hip form break but connects to her Pak. she’s making a point of her handstands today, and launches her FTDLO. 9.800
Schultz (KSU): comfortable as ever on beam, opening with her jump series. cat leap to front toss, then bhs loso both solid with landings and connection speed. closes with a bhs 1.5, taking a small hop forward. 9.825
Gianfancesco (BG): exhibition — massive Jaeger, then catches her Pak. a little short on her handstands, but manages her giants into a 1.5 twisting flyaway. 9.650
Most (KSU): exhibition — cat leap to front aerial scale, showcasing her flexibility and style on beam. dismounts with a gainer pike, and a small hop forward. 9.775
After 2: Kent State 97.800, Bowling Green 97.575, Wilberforce 85.825
Wilberforce’s low start values on floor will keep them from the 180 team scoring range this week, but is a good strategy to maintain the slim lineups they have for the last month of the season. MAC rivals Bowling Green and Kent State both had par-for-the-course rotations on bars and beam respectively, with standout routines from Kayla Shaw (UB) and Alyssa Guns (BB).
Rotation 3: Wilberforce VT, Bowling Green BB, Kent State FX
Clements (WU): two steps back out of a tsuk tuck. 9.000
Riley (KSU): Tokyo Drift theme gets the Golden Flashes started, as she opens with a front tuck through to double tuck and keeps it in bounds by a hair. Tour jete half to Popa and wolf full, indicating a two pass routine. closes with a fhs rudi loso. 9.675.
Johnson (WU): front handspring over the table, small shuffle on her landing. 8.400
Milligan (BG): we join halfway, for her transverse straddle half, and a nearly stuck roundoff 1.5 dismount. 9.350
Masse (KSU): punch front to double tuck to start, really holding back on her power to stay in bounds. tons of height as well in her leaps, and gets to the next corner quickly. double pike with a large step back, and then ends with a short masterclass on floor facial expressions. 9.725
Bingham (BG): bhs loso without any major faults, and keeps her cool through her cat leap to aerial, and beat jump to split 3/4. a hair shy of sticking her roundoff 1.5 as well! 9.650
Bingman (KSU): opening with a fhs front double twist, then goes almost right back into her ronudoff 1.5 to front layout. closing out with a Rudi to controlled lunge-jump, and a big team celebration. 9.825
Peart-Williams (WU): FTY! 9.525
Parente (BG): we join partway through for her switch to switch half, and isolated side aerial. hops forward out of her roundoff 1.5. 9.750
Behner (KSU): front tuck through to double back, slides back while she lunges but stays in bounds. switch half to split full both get great lift off the floor, setting her up for her punch double twist. 9.775
Alvine (KSU): FLOATS her double pike to get her routine started, then twists precisely through her front layout front full. switch ring to tour jete half, and she’s having fun with her team in the corner before tumbling again. double tuck, and she’s down holding her right lower leg. 9.200
Akpan (BG): bhs loso looks clean! she takes a small check on her signature aerial roundoff, but more than anything looks happy to be back on beam. nearly holds the stick on her roundoff 1.5. 9.775
Guns (KSU): front layout to Rudi with her usual power, then seems to rush through her switch ring to switch ring half. neither hit the ring shape, but we’ll see what the floor judges do with them. she closes with a bouncy double pike. 9.650
After 3: Kent State 146.450, Bowling Green 145.850, Wilberforce 130.575
Continued tentative gymnastics from the Bulldogs puts them in the tentative 170 range again this week, after simple vaults from a few athletes. Nene Alvine’s status is in question after the camera left her on floor, though she’s still listed to compete on vault.
Rotation 4: Kent State VT, Wilberforce UB, Bowling Green FX
Dzialo (BG): sky high front layout to Rudi opens her routine, with soft knees throughout but plenty of height. switch split to wolf 1.5 gets her exactly where she needs to be for her roundoff layout half to front full, staying just within bounds. easily through her front layout front full to close, and she’s surrounded by her team to celebrate shortly after. 9.775
Rudnitskaya (KSU): FTY, hops forward to compensate for her underrotation. 9.700
Williams (BG): front layout to Rudi looks calm, as does her switch to wolf full right afterwards. fun standing tuck tells me to be ready for more front tumbling — it’s a clean front layout front full! it’s great to see she’s found a composition that works for her, and can control her power throughout. 9.750
Bingham (BG): massive whip to double pike, then isolated front tuck and wolf 1.5 en route to her second pass. another huge lift into her double tuck, then the dance party begins! switch full to split full blends seamlessly into her closing choreo. 9.800
Bryant (WU): joining halfway through for her toe handstand to toe on front tuck. 8.950
Coburn (BG): double pike, barely in bounds. switch side to two Popas with all three getting plenty of height and precise rotation. for her second of two, she drills a front tuck through to double tuck! 9.875
Behner (KSU): a stuck FTY for the Golden Flashes! 9.850
Tsipis (KSU): steps up from the exhibition role into the sixth spot replacing Alvine, scoring a 9.650.
Kelly (WU): after a long wait, we join her right after her Pak. off on a giant before what would have been her dismount, then gets back up for a layout flyaway. 8.300
Shaw (BG): she’s grown into her spot at the back end of the lineup, opening with a massive double pike. switch full to two split fulls, then a little balance check in the corner before nailing her front tuck through to double tuck. 9.850
Thornton (BG): she’s been in clutch positions on floor before, and has been set up by her teammates for another big score today. opens with her Rudi easily, and dances to the corner for her roundoff 1.5 punch layout. switch half to Popa, then bounces out of her double tuck but manages to keep it in bounds. 9.625
Parente (BG): exhibition — she brings her beam flare to floor today, opening with a nearly stuck cold front double twist. switch full in isolation, then a floaty switch half to Popa as she prepares for her last pass. effortlessly through her roundoff 1.5 punch layout to finish the meet! 9.775
FINAL: Kent State 195.150, Bowling Green 194.950, Wilberforce 165.750
That’s all from the Stroh Center today! No shortage of specialists to watch for, and ultimately routines from athletes on all three teams stepping up to complete lineups. Next up for the Falcons will be a test on the road at Northern Illinois. Kent State will host Ball State, while Wilberforce takes part in Western Michigan’s home quad meet.
VT: Megan Bingham (Bowling Green), Charlie Behner (Kent State): 9.850
UB: Brynne Tsipis (Kent State), Charlie Behner (Kent State), Nastia Rudnitskaya (Kent State): 9.875
BB: Alyssa Guns (Kent State): 9.875
FX: Madison Coburn (Bowling Green): 9.875
AA: Megan Bingham (Bowling Green): 39.075
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Live blog by Peri Goodman
