The Kent State gymnastics team was unstoppable Friday night, securing five first place individual finishes and an overall win against Northern Illinois at a dual meet in Dekalb, Ill.
The team’s success improved its undefeated season record to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Mid-American Conference.
“I was 100% happier than last week,” coach Brice Biggin said. “We had almost the exact same overall score as last meet, but the feeling was so much different. They came out confident and stayed confident throughout the competition.”
Rotation one began on bars, where the Flashes claimed the top three scores.
Juniors Heidi Schultz and Nastia Rudnitskaya tied for first place with scores of 9.775. Behind them in third place was senior Brynne Tsipis who scored a 9.725.
Vault followed during rotation two.
Sophomore Nene Alvine earned a score of 9.825 to tie for first place with a Northern Illinois gymnast. Sophomore Gabby Riley also placed, tying an opponent for third place with a score of 9.750.
The Flashes stood out big time during rotation three on floor. Here, they earned their best team score in any event this season at 49.125, and they recorded the top three individual scores of the entire meet.
Leading the Flashes in first place was senior Alyssa Guns with a score of 9.900. Alvine and Riley were close behind, tying for second place with scores of 9.875.
“For the first time this season, they really competed in a way that they are capable of on floor,” Biggin said. “There was confidence in the way they tumbled, danced and in their presentations — they looked like they owned the floor. That’s what we want to see.”
The dual meet came to a close on beam.
During rotation four, the Flashes again claimed all three podium spots. Sophomore Ashley Morgan won the event with a score of 9.825. Alvine placed second, scoring 9.800, and Schultz rounded out the group in third place with a score of 9.775.
Additionally, this was Alvine’s third podium finish of the meet.
“Nene [Alvine] has been competing all around for us,” Biggin said. “But today, we saw her really take a huge step in just going out there, trusting herself and letting her talent show.”
Altogether, the Flashes recorded a final team score of 195.200, defeating the Huskies’ 193.450.
Now sitting at an overall record of 6-0, Biggin wants to take some time to refine all routines to ensure the team can keep its momentum going.
Six athletes compete for each team in every event, with the top five scoring routines on each team being counted into the overall score. Biggin wants to see five to six well-rounded and polished routines in every event.
“If we’re going to win meets, it’s not just going to be that top score,” he said. “We want to have depth and at least five good, solid routines on every event because it’s more gratifying to see everyone stepping up and contributing.”
The Flashes have a little over a week to prepare for their next meet against both Rutgers and Michigan in Piscataway, N.J. Feb. 15.
Biggin said they’re focusing on every competition week by week to stay focused on making improvements and getting to where they want.
“We’ll have four full days of training before our next meet, which is nice compared to only two full days last week,” Biggin said. “This week will mostly be fine tuning everything and trying to clean up to hit those little mistakes that have cost us in some areas.”
As the Flashes head deeper into the season, Biggin is excited to see them bring this week’s energy forward.
“They finally trusted themselves, and they didn’t hold back,” Biggin said. “They went out, performed, had fun and they were loud. That’s what we want to see. That’s when they do their best.”
Kailyn Tibolla is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].