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KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan gymnastics team improved to 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in MAC play, defeating both Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan in a three-way meet on Sunday. The Broncos finished with a total of 195.275, good for sixth best overall in school history. By comparison Bowling Green scored 193.575 and Eastern Michigan had 195.050. The matchup against the Falcons counted towards the conference standings, while the meeting with the Eagles was considered a non-conference matchup.
“I think it's great. The kids have been ready all this time and it really shows them what their potential truly is,” head coach Penny Jernigan said. “This was a very competitive meet. Both Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan were putting up a huge fight today. This was sort of a mini-MAC Championship meet for us with three strong teams and I think it's just going to bolster us going to our first road meet at West Virginia next week.”
The top event for the Broncos on the day was the balance beam where they posted a school reocrd with a 49.100. It surpassed the previous best of 49.050 accomplished three times. Leading the way on the beam was freshman Rachael Underwood who won her first of two events on the day with a 9.875. That is an improvement from last week's collegiate debut when she scored a 9.725.
Underwood's next event was the floor exercise, the last one of the day for the team. Western Michigan needed a score of 9.600 to surpass Eastern Michigan and Underwood was the final competitor for the Broncos. She nailed her routine, ending with a 9.825, giving Western Michigan the victory by 0.200 of a point.
Also shining throughout the day was last week's all-around champion Anna Corbett who won her second straight title with a score of 39.125. She scored at least a 9.775 in each event and also won a share of her second straight vault title.
Sophomore Kendall Carlson who missed last week's season opener made her season debut on the bars. In just her second collegiate routine, she scored a career-best 9.800, giving the Broncos a crucial uptick to end the event.
“Kendall has worked so hard in the gym and we are so proud of her,” Jernigan said. “We would have had to count a fall if she hadn't hit her routine and she ended up with the best one I've ever seen her do.”
In addition to Carlson, other Broncos had career-highs on the day including three who did it on the balance beam. The aforementioned Corbett accomplished the feat (9.800), along with Jessi Buis (9.850), Kira Hoy (9.825) and Underwood. Brittany Aragon also set a career-high on the vault with a 9.775.
Western Michigan will now have a week off before going to Big 12 country to take on West Virginia in Morgantown, W. Va. on Jan. 24 at 1 p.m.
