Falcons Face NIU and WMU in Pair of Weekend MAC Duals

BOWLING GREEN (1-8, 0-0 MAC) at NORTHERN ILLINOIS (6-2, 1-1 MAC)
Fri., Feb. 3, 2017 | 7:00 p.m. ET | DeKalb, Ill. | Convocation Center (9,100)
WESTERN MICHIGAN (1-5, 0-3 MAC) at BOWLING GREEN (1-8, 0-0 MAC)
Sun., Feb. 5, 2017 | 2:00 p.m. ET | Bowling Green, Ohio | Anderson Arena (2,800)
Game Notes: BGSU | Live Stats
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
"This meet marks the beginning of our regular season Mid-American Conference competitions. It is crucial that the team is focused and ready to make their routines look effortless. We have made some changes to practices, focusing on creating a competitive environment on all of the events. In addition, we have named two captains, Kayla Rose and Laura Mitchell. The team dynamic must be strong, and I feel Kayla and Laura can bring some new perspectives to the group in practice and on competition day."

"Our line ups will look similar to last weekend. However, the order may change on some events. Our staff would really like to see the athletes have a steady start to the line up and then work on growing the scores as each line up progresses. We have not put an entire meet together yet, and I feel strongly that this weekend is pivotal in our ability to return to the NCAA post-season. Our opportunities are becoming limited at this point in the season, and our team must fight for every tenth. However, the mental toughness needed to accept this challenge and use this to our advantage rather than see this as a distraction will be key."

-- BGSU Gymnastics Head Coach Kerrie Turner

DOUBLE DIP
The Bowling Green State University gymnastics team begins official Mid-American Conference play this weekend with a pair of dual meets. First, the Falcons travel to DeKalb, Ill. for their 2017 MAC opener against the Northern Illinois Huskies. That meet begins at 6:00 p.m. local time on Friday, Feb. 3. Then, the Falcons return home on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 2:00 p.m. to square off against the Western Michigan Broncos. Sunday's meet will be Military Appreciation Day at Anderson Arena.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Bowling Green has compiled a 13-9 all-time record against NIU and has won two of the last three meetings. On Senior Day last March, the Falcons defeated the Huskies 196.500-195.475 and set the school record for team score. BGSU seeks their first win in DeKalb since a 190.200-188.225 victory in 2007. Against WMU, Bowling Green is 27-15-1 dating back to their first meeting in 1976. The Falcons won back-to-back meets against WMU in 2013 (195.175-192.950) and 2014 (192.825-191.450) but has dropped the last two against the Broncos.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Northern Illinois
The Huskies are currently ranked 40th nationally with an average team score of 193.919. NIU is 6-2 overall and holds an undefeated 5-0 record at home. They opened the 2017 season by sweeping a quad meet against Western Michigan, Iowa and Lindenwood (194.825), then most recently won a tri-meet last Sunday against Kent State and Southeast Missouri State (194.425). Junior Ashley Potts is the defending MAC Gymnast of the Week and ranks second (38.950) in all-around average. She is also in the MAC's top ten on vault, bars and beam. Senior Courtney Dowdell won MAC Specialist of the Week on Jan. 10.

Western Michigan
The Broncos are currently ranked 45th nationally with an average team score of 193.700. WMU is 1-5 overall and 1-3 away from Kalamazoo. The Broncos' last three losses have all come in MAC duals, against Central Michigan, Kent State and Eastern Michigan. However, WMU posted their best score of 2017 (194.900) in last Sunday's loss to EMU. Senior Anna Corbett (38.837) ranks third in the MAC in all-around. She is also third in the league on vault and tied for eighth on beam. Junior Jessica Juncaj is tenth in the MAC on beam.

LAST TIME OUT
Bowling Green traveled to Fort Worth, Texas for the 2017 Metroplex Invitational on Friday, Jan. 27. BGSU placed fourth in the quad meet after scoring 193.550, just behind San Jose State's 193.650 and Central Michigan's 194.125. George Washington won the meet with a 196.150. The Falcons' 48.875 on vault was the high score of the meet, while their floor exercise score of 48.750 was a season best.

Individually, Laura Mitchell (uneven bars) and Jovannah East (vault) were co-gold medalists. Mitchell's 9.850 on bars was the team's best score thus far in 2017 on that apparatus. In addition to her 9.850 on vault, East also posted a 9.825 on the balance beam.

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).

MAC LEADERS
Through four weeks of the 2017 season, the Falcons enjoy the best team scores in the Mid-American Conference on the vault (48.794) and the balance beam (48.463). In addition, Lauren Feely (9.825) and Jovannah East (9.808) rank first and second in the MAC's individual vault rankings.

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. At the Metroplex meet, Heath equaled her best floor routine of 2017 with a 9.800, while Feely posted season-best scores on the uneven bars and balance beam.

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. After missing the home opener, East returned to action in Fort Worth and won the vault with a PR of 9.850. She also tied for sixth on the beam with another 9.825.

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. In Fort Worth, she set a new personal best on vault and tied for tenth with a 9.750.

RANKED IN THE MAC
Bowling Green has several gymnasts ranked in the Mid-American Conference top ten lists after four weeks of action. India McPeak has averaged 9.781 on the balance beam and now ranks fifth in the MAC, while the team (48.463) leads the league in that event. On vault, Lauren Feely (9.825) least the MAC, while freshmen Jovannah East (9.808) and Randi Morris (9.767) are second and ninth. The team's 48.794 average on vault is tops 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.

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