KALAMAZOO, Mich. –  The Western Michigan gymnastics team travels to Ohio State on Saturday, Feb. 17 for the first of three consecutive away meets. This will be the most critical stretch of the season for the Broncos, who will need impressive road scores in order to qualify for the 2018 NCAA Regionals. The dual meet is set to begin at 4 p.m. inside St. John Arena.

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LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos had their two-meet win streak snapped last time out against Kent State on Sunday with a final score of 195.575-194.975. The loss handed WMU its first loss at home this season, falling to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the Mid-American Conference.

As a team, Western Michigan improved on all but one of their events against the Golden Flashes but only took vault. Four different Broncos led on all four events, highlighted by freshman Sarah Shirley garnering her first win on vault with a career-high 9.800. Junior Rachael Underwood, sophomore Taylor Buis and freshman Stacie Harrison all went three-for-three on the day.

TEAM SCORES THIS SEASON
The best total so far for the Brown & Gold occurred back on Jan. 28 against Bowling Green with a 195.675, the fifth-highest total in program history. The Broncos also posted the seventh-highest program score on the floor exercise of 49.175 and tenth-highest program score on the uneven bars (48.950) against the Falcons. The highest vault and bars scores of the season came at Central Michigan on Jan. 20 with 48.950 each, as both totals are good for the tenth-highest in Bronco history.
 
WHERE WE STAND
Western Michigan is currently 44th in the 2018 NCAA Rankings, averaging 194.385 through five meets this season. The Broncos are sixth in the MAC behind Central Michigan (26), Kent State (33), Bowling Green (38), Ball State (42) and Northern Illinois (43) while Eastern Michigan (46) rounds out the conference. As a team, the Broncos rank 42nd on vault (48.675) and bars (48.505), 44th on the floor (48.780) and 46th on the balance beam (48.425).
 
Individually, Underwood is tied for 39th nationally in the all-around with a 39.150 score while freshman Morgan Spence has won the all-around title in three of her last four meets and is 68 nationally. Sophomore Amelia Mohler averages a 9.806 on the vault, good for fifth in the MAC.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes (6-3), who are undefeated at home this season, are coming off a 196.200-196.025 victory over Penn State and have clinched event titles on the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise for three consecutive meets. Ohio State sits 27th in the nation and scored its sixth-highest total of 196.775 back on Jan. 27 in a home tri-meet. The Scarlet & Gray have proven to be strong on the floor and vault so far this season, averaging 49.575 on the floor which is good for 18th overall and a 48.975 vault average that places them in 20th. OSU is coached by Meredith Paulicivic, who is in her first season at the helm.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Following Saturday the Broncos remain on the road, traveling to Piscataway, N.J. for a quad-meet on Saturday, Feb. 24. The meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the RAC versus host Rutgers, Towson and Ursinus.