BGSU Competes in Metroplex Invitational on Saturday

Saturday, January 28

Fort Worth, Texas

6:30 PM

Bowling Green State University

Central Michigan

Photo by: Christine Nelson, BGSU Marketing & Communications

January 27, 2017 | Gymnastics

By: by Matthew Daley, Athletic Communicationis Assistant

METROPLEX INVITATIONAL
BOWLING GREEN (1-5), CENTRAL MICHIGAN (3-1),
#18 GEORGE WASHINGTON (5-0), SAN JOSE STATE (0-7)
Sat., Jan. 28, 2017 | 6:30 p.m. CT | Fort Worth, Texas | Fort Worth Convention Center Arena
Game Notes: BGSU | Live Video
Road To Nationals

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS FOR THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIP
MARCH 18, 2017 -- STROH CENTER
Adults: $15, 12-and-under: $10, MAC Students: Free (w/ College ID)

COACH'S THOUGHTS
"I am excited to take the team to the Fort Worth Convention Center to compete against three excellent programs. Fort Worth will be packed with aspiring gymnasts this weekend, and we want to show everyone the team and the gymnastics we are capable of being on the road. This will be an excellent opportunity to continue to raise our team score and build on some of the progress achieved at our last meet. My expectation is to surpass the 194 mark and really aim for a 195. I was aware this January would be a slow build for us, but at this point, our lineups are ready to surge ahead based on athletes returning to full strength and showing strong routines in practice.

On a good note, Jovannah East has been cleared to compete this weekend, and I expect she will return on vault and possibly beam depending on our next few days of training. We have also tried some new strategies to build confidence within our uneven bars line up. I have seen a new level of determination in those athletes. I expect we will put together a clean lineup on that event. Overall, it will take a focused effort and the will to succeed on each and every routine."

-- BGSU Gymnastics Head Coach Kerrie Turner

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
The Bowling Green State University gymnastics team continues their 2017 season by participating in the Metroplex Invitational quad meet on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The meet will be held at Fort Worth Convention Center Arena in Fort Worth, Texas and will feature BGSU's first action against a Mid-American Conference opponent (Central Michigan). The Falcons also face #18 George Washington and San Jose State.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Bowling Green has split (1-1) a pair of meetings with San Jose State. They beat the Spartans during a quad meet in 1998 but dropped a decision to SJSU in a 2005 tri-meet. The Falcons are 1-8 all-time against George Washington. They defeated the Colonials 192.675-191.900 in 2002 during a tri-meet at North Carolina. BGSU has faced GWU four times during the Kerrie Turner era (2008, 2011, 2013, 2015). Against MAC foe Central Michigan, Bowling Green is 14-30 all-time and is seeking their first victory over the Chippewas since the 2008 season. Turner's Falcons downed CMU 193.350-192.775 in her inaugural campaign.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
George Washington
George Washington is ranked 18th nationally with an average team score of 195.592 and is 5-0 thus far in 2017. The Colonials have defeated Yale and Towson in duals and topped Pennsylvania, Cornell and North Carolina in a quad meet. Junior Sara Mermelstein (9.850) is second in the EAGL on the beam, Senior Chelsea Raineri is third in the EAGL on bars and second on vault. Junior Camille Drouin-Allaire leads the EAGL on vault and is third in the all-around.

San Jose State
San Jose State is ranked 47th nationally with an average of 193.067. They opened the season by finishing last of five teams at the NorCal Classic, then dropped a dual at Sacramento State. Last week, they scored 193.875 but finished third in a tri-meet against California and Washington. Junior Kaitlin Won ranks second in the MPSF in the all-around (38.750), while senior Rachel Heinl leads the MPSF on bars (9.825).

Central Michigan
Central Michigan is 3-1 thus far in 2017 and is ranked 37th nationally (193.892). CMU defeated Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Hamline in their season-opening tri-meet but has since split Mid-American Conference dual meets. They defeated Western Michigan to open MAC play before losing to Eastern Michigan last week. Junior Katy Clements ranks second in the MAC on bars and third on the floor, while junior Macey Hilliker is second on the floor. Sophomore Gianna Plaksa (39.000) is second in the MAC in the all-around.

LAST TIME OUT
Bowling Green defeated Illinois State 193.925-192.550 on Saturday, Jan. 21 in their 2017 home opener at Anderson Arena. It was the Falcons' fourth straight win in a home opener and gives the team a 34-13 all-time record in those events. The Falcons' team score (193.925) was a season-best, as were their event scores on beam (48.800) and the floor (48.625).

Individually, the Falcons won three of four events. Victoria Heath captured the floor title with a season-best 9.800. Rachel Reis posted a 9.750 to win the uneven bars, while Lauren Feely took the vault title with a 9.825. Lauren DeMeno, Alex Johnston, India McPeak and Taylor Worthington all had personal-best performances.

ALL-TIME HOME RECORD
The Falcons are 134-68-1 all-time when hosting meets in Bowling Green and 103-53-1 when those meets are duals. During the Kerrie Turner era, those records are 19-23 (overall) and 16-18 (duals).

SENIOR STYLE
Victoria Heath set a new personal standard with an amazing 9.875 vault at Utah State. That leap led BGSU to it's first 49.000+ team event score of 2017. Fellow senior Lauren Feely aided the effort with a 9.850, which topped her 9.825 at Penn State. The Falcons' third senior, Rachel Reis, owns three of the Falcons' top four scores of 2017 on the uneven bars, and she posted a season-best 9.800 at Utah State.

GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
Freshman Jovannah East needed just one meet to establish herself as one of BGSU's top performers. In her first college routine, she earned a 9.825 on the balance beam, ultimately winning the co-championship in the event at Penn State. Later, she posted a 9.775 to take third place on vault. East continued her good work in the second meet at Utah State by adding a 9.800 on vault.

THE MCPEAK OF SUCCESS
Junior India McPeak, who tranferred to BGSU from the University of Michigan, had her best meet as a Falcon against Illinois State. She equaled her personal best on beam (9.800) and set a new PR on the floor (9.700). She also continued good work with a 9.650 on the vault. McPeak began her Falcon career with a 9.800 on the balance beam at Penn State. It was one of three 9.800-or-better scores for the Falcons during the quad meet and helped her acheive third place in her collegiate debut. At Utah State, McPeak led the Falcons and placed sixth overall on beam by earning a 9.775.

STEPPING IN, STEPPING UP
Freshman Randi Morris competed in the floor exercise in the season-opening quad at Penn State and was originally scheduled to do the same at Utah State. However, necessary late lineup changes thrust Morris into a much greater role, and she responded well. She improved from 9.650 to 9.700 on the floor but added routines on vault and the uneven bars. Her 9.800 was tied for the team's third best vault and helped the Falcons earn a season-best 49.050 on the apparatus. On the bars, she had the team's third-best score (9.675) and helped key BGSU's two-point improvement over the first meet.

"WORTH" EVERY PENNY
Taylor Worthington continues to improve as her freshman season with the Falcons progresses. In her first home meet at BGSU, she finished second on the balance beam with a personal-best 9.825. That mark is also the best by any Falcon on the apparatus thus far in 2017. Her beam score has gone up in each meet, from 9.125 to 9.750 to 9.825. Worthington also notched a 9.675 on vault against the Redbirds.

RANKED IN THE MAC
Bowling Green has several gymnasts ranked in the Mid-American Conference top ten lists after three weeks of action. India McPeak has averaged 9.792 on the balance beam and now ranks fourth in the MAC, while the team (48.375) leads the league in that event. On vault, Lauren Feely (9.833) is second in the MAC, while freshmen Jovannah East (9.787) and Randi Morris (9.775) are fifth and sixth. The team's 48.767 average on vault is second in the MAC.

ELITE SCHEDULING
The Falcons' strength of schedule is ranked 29th nationally headed into the 2017 season. The rating is tabulated by reverse-assigning points to each team based on their final 2016 ranking. BGSU's opponents combined to provide 646 points for an average of 49.69. Ten of Bowling Green's 16 opponents are ranked in the 2017 preseason coaches' poll; that includes seven of the team's ten non-conference opponents.

ROUTINE GREATNESS
Bowling Green produced three of the school's top ten all-time team scores in 2016. In a meet against Ohio State and West Virginia, the Falcons posted a 195.725, a mark only eclipsed five times in school history. On Senior Night against Northern Illinois, BGSU shattered the school record with a 196.500. Only once previously in team history had the Falcons broken the 196 barrier. Finally, at the MAC Championships, BGSU scored a 195.625. It was the best team score ever for the Falcons at the MACs and was the tenth-best in team history.

MAKING HISTORY NOW
The Falcons qualified as a team for the NCAA Regionals in 2016. It was the team's first trip to the NCAA postseason in 25 years and the seventh in school history. Bowling Green finished the event with an overall mark of 193.850, the best-ever team score at the event for BGSU. The Falcons also have regional appearances in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1991.

WE'VE GOT THAT CHAMPIONSHIP FEEL-Y
Senior Lauren Feely will go down as one of the best gymnasts in BGSU history. She owns a place on BGSU's all-time top-ten individual score lists for vault, floor exercise and all-around competition. She is also just the fifth athlete in team history to win multiple MAC championships and the first since Marny Oestreng (1999-2002). She took the vault championship in 2015, then last season, won the all-around championship with a 39.300. Feely is a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree and was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2016.

PUTTING THE STUDENT IN STUDENT-ATHLETE
Falcon gymnasts value excellence in the classroom just as much as they do in the gym. Last July, BGSU was recognized as having the 19th-best team GPA nationally (3.5312) and nine Falcons were named NACGC/W Scholastic All-America. Five members of the team were recognized as Academic All-MAC following the 2016 season, and Lauren Feely earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. In 2016's fall semester, the team GPA rose to 3.677 and nine Falcons carried 4.0 averages.

NEW FACES, HIGHER STAKES
The 2017 Falcons feature an exciting class of newcomers that could make an immediate impact for BGSU and push the returning athletes to new heights. The roster will include six freshmen (Lexi Augustine, Jovannah East, Alex Johnston, Randi Morris, Shannon St. Jean and Taylor Worthington), as well as India McPeak, who is a junior transfer from the University of Michigan.

PRESEASON POLL
The Falcons were picked to finish tied for third in the Mid-American Conference in 2017 as voted on by the league's head coaches. Kent State was selected to win the conference, while Central Michigan was chosen to place second. Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green followed, with Northern Illinois, Western Michigan and Ball State rounding out the conference. In a show of the parity within the conference, each team received one first-place vote in the poll.

GYMNASTICS ADDITIONS
BGSU and head coach Kerrie Turner announced the signings of four student-athletes for the 2018 season in November. The additions are Whitney Cronin (High Point, N.C.), Alexandra Fochler (Cranberry Township, Pa.), Nacaida Kearns (Waterford, Ohio) and Samantha Marion (Franklin Lakes, N.J.).

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
Fans can follow the BGSU Gymnastics team on Twitter @FalconGymn for in-meet updates, news and notes. Links to live stats, video (as available) and away-meet live stats can be found at BGSUFalcons.com. For home meets, fans can follow live stats by downloading the app, "Beyond The Scores," on your smartphone or tablet. Create an account, add "Bowling Green State Gym Team" to your favorites, select the meet, and enjoy an interactive scoring system.