The Kent State Gymnastics team (2-2), coming off a marginal loss to Minnesota at Penn State, is preparing for its first home meet of the season.

“Home meets are always so much fun,” sophomore Amiah Mims said. “It’s our turf. It’s not as nerve racking just because we’re here, and everyone is here to support us.”

The Flashes are scheduled to face Western Michigan (2-0) and George Washington (4-2) at 7 p.m. at the M.A.C. Center.

The team last competed against Penn State, Minnesota, and Towson at Penn State where they finished second, closely behind Minnesota with less than a tenth of a point margin. This competition marked the end of a losing streak against Penn State in a series that is approaching 30 years.

“I think that when you’re talking about beating teams at the caliber of Penn State and Minnesota, obviously we did a lot of things right,” said Flashes coach Brice Biggin. “One of the other things that we’ve kind of tried to focus on this year was trying not to focus on any one individual a whole lot because we won’t be successful doing that.”

Standout performances by Mims, who competed in all four events and was around third in the All Around, helped boost the team’s overall score. Junior Marie Case finished third on the balance beam and fourth in the all around, while senior Rachel Guida received top honors in the uneven bars with a score of 9.875.

“Overall, we are very proud of this team,” Biggin said. “We’re headed in the right direction.”

About Western Michigan:

Western Michigan defeated Eastern Michigan 194.975-194.475 for its second win of the season. Their first win of the season came against Michigan State. Gymnasts should look out for are freshman Kayla Weber, who broke the school’s all around record, placing first in three of four events with a score of 39.300, according to the Kent State Athletics website. Senior Lauren Bledsoe took first in the vault, scoring a 9.850.

Kent State has a dominating lead against Western Michigan. The Flashes have 30 wins in the series with a 49-19 overall record, according to the athletics website. After their last meet, Western Michigan found themselves victorious for the first time since 2006.

About George Washington:

George Washington is coming off a third place loss to North Carolina and William and Mary, leaving them with a 4-2 record, according to the athletics website. Senior Stephanie Stoicovy led the team, taking second place in the all around and winning the floor routine for the second week in a row with a score of 9.850. Junior Betsy Zander was the only other member to place in the all around, taking fifth with a score of 38.200.

The Kent State gymnastics team has been victorious in every competition except one since 2002 – an overall record of 8-1 against the Colonials, according to athletics website. The teams last saw each other in 2011 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland. The Flashes tied for first with a score of 194.775 , while the Colonials placed third with a score of 190.775.

Up Next:

Kent State continues their 2013 season next at Bowling Green Sunday Feb. 3. The meet begins at 4:00 p.m and will take place at the Anderson Arena.

Contact Lily Flynn at [email protected].