The BG gymnastics team struggled on several apparatuses this weekend, posting a 48.050 on bars.
The Falcons finished in second place in a three-team meet in College Park, Md., beating Yale 193.875 to 188.525 and losing to first-place Maryland who had a score of 194.675.
“One area we need to do better [in] is stuck landings on our bar dismounts,” coach Kerrie Turner said. “While the scores didn’t reflect this, the team did work on details all week long and made some excellent improvements on their routines.”
The team got off to a rough start and was not able to overcome the deficit Maryland gave them.
“It is always hard when you have a start like that because we know we were capable of doing better, but at that point there is nothing you can do but move forward and focus on making the rest of the meet the best that you can,” said BG gymnast Alyssa Nocella.
The team now falls to 6-5 overall of the season and even with the defeat, the Falcons get a sixth win, which is the most wins in a single season since the 2002 season.
“Recruiting, training, mind set and all the other factors that go into a collegiate program have really brought us to this point and we plan to continue building on this as our program continues to grow,” Turner said.
Despite the team’s loss, the Falcons were resilient and ended the meet on a good note especially on floor and vault. The Falcons posted a 48.975 on vault, the team’s best event with Amanda Lievendag, Lauren Feely, and Nocella achieving a 9.800 or better score.
“We did not have our best meet but kept fighting until the very end,” Nocella said. “We had a rough start on bars and beam, but really came together and finished with two strong solid rotations on the floor and vault.”
Along with the floor, Nocella posted a season-high 9.875 on the event. In addition to Megan Harrington, several other Falcons scored a 9.700 score or higher on the event.
“This team knows how to fight and finish a meet,” Turner said. “After having to count a fall on balance beam, they really rallied, knowing that meets are never over until the last routine. It really speaks to the character of this team.”
BG will return home to Anderson Arena on senior night Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. to face off against MAC opponent Northern Illinois for a chance to improve their conference record.
