“Team.”

It was the single most consistent term used by Kent State’s gymnasts and head coach following the final home meet of the regular season on at the M.A.C Center Thursday night.

As a team they defeated Bowling Green with a final composite score of 196.225 to 195.925, sealing the deal on a MAC regular season title on senior night.

In the first rotation, with Kent on the vault, they finished close behind their opponents only down .075 points. After the second rotation on the uneven bars, the Flashes still trailed Bowling Green.

The Flashes went into the final rotation, the floor exercise, down 147.175-146.750. Marie Case scored a career-best 9.975 in leading the Flashes to a season-high 49.475 as a team.

“It was stressful and we knew we needed to go out there to perform our best floor routine,” said Kent State head coach Brice Biggin in an interview with Kentstatesports.com. “The floor team did a phenomenal job.”

Case, a “leader” on the team according to Biggin, would end up taking first in the All-Around after totaling a career-high score of 39.600. It was the second-best score in school history.

Three Kent State seniors were honored during the senior night festivities – Case, who after Thursday has now accumulated 1,534.300 career points; Nikki Moore, who scored a 9.675 on the balance beam; and Ashley Transue, who returned from injury Thursday night to score a 9.775 on the uneven parallel bars.

“You can’t appreciate enough what these kids go through,” said Biggin. “They love their team.”

The 9-3 Flashes will travel to Pittsburgh next Saturday for their final regular season meet. That will be the team’s final opportunity to tune up before the MAC championships in Ypsilanti on March 22.

Contact Brianne Berkebile at [email protected].