KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan gymnastics team returns to Kalamazoo on Sunday, Feb. 11 for its annual
Pink Meet, welcoming Mid-American Conference opponent Kent State. The dual meet is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. inside University Arena and will also be streamed on ESPN3. Fans are encouraged to wear
PINK for breast cancer awareness. Admission to all home gymnastics meets is free.
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The Broncos are coming off their second straight win at Southeast Missouri on Friday, Feb. 2, defeating the Redhawks with a score of 192.425 – 191.650. Western Michigan is now 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the MAC.
As a team the Broncos scored their lowest score of the season but took vault and beam in unfamiliar territory. Junior
Rachael Underwood led the Brown & Gold in two events, taking first and second on the balance beam and vault. Sophomore
Amelia Mohler took first on the bars while senior
Jessica Juncaj and
Kelsey Hood and freshman
Morgan Spence led WMU on the floor. In just her fourth meet for WMU, Spence also won her third consecutive all-around.
Western Michigan is currently 42nd in the 2018 NCAA Rankings, averaging 194.28 through four meets this season. The Broncos are fifth in the MAC behind Central Michigan (19), Kent State (32), Bowling Green (35) and Ball State (41) while Eastern Michigan (45) and Northern Illinois (46) round out the conference. As a team, the Broncos rank 41st on beam (48.488), 42nd on the vault (48.638), 44th on the floor exercise (48.719) and 46th on the uneven bars (48.394). Individually, Underwood is tied for 35th nationally in the all-around with a 39.150 score.
Kent State comes into Sunday's meet with a 4-2 overall record and a 1-1 record in the league, second-best among MAC schools with a 194.975 average. Last time out, the Golden Flashes defeated William & Mary on Sunday, Feb. 4 in Washington, D.C. with a 195.325 score. Senior Rachel Stypinksi leads Kent State after being named MAC Gymnast of the Week for the third time this season. Stypinski is currently 15
th in the nation on floor exercise with an average of 9.894, which is first in the MAC. The Golden Flashes are coached by Brice Biggin, who is in his 27th season, and were picked to finish second in the MAC Preseason Poll.
Following Sunday the Broncos begin a three-meet road stand, beginning with Ohio State on Saturday, Feb. 17 in Columbus, Ohio. WMU then travels to New Brunswick, N.J. for a quad meet hosted by Rutgers on Saturday, Feb. 24, and finishing the road tilt with Northern Illinois on Sunday, March 4.
