KENT, Ohio -- The Western Michigan gymnastics team posted the fifth-best team score in program history to win at Kent State for the first time since 1991 on Thursday evening. The Broncos notched a team score of 196.050, going over 196 for the fifth time in school history, to top Kent State's 195.850.
Kent State had a narrow lead after the first rotation with a 48.925 on vault just ahead of WMU's 48.850 on bars. The Broncos responded with a mark of 49.125 on vault to take the lead after two rotations, 97.975-97.475. WMU then scored 49.025 on floor exercise while the hosts posted a mark of 48.950 on balance beam. The lead, coupled with a Bronco score of 49.050 on balance beam, was enough to secure the win in spite of the Golden Flashes recording 49.425 on floor exercise.
Sarah Moravansky won the all-around competition, as the freshman had the best mark of her young collegiate career at 39.175. She finished just ahead of teammate
Ronni Binstock, who had a personal-best all-around score of 39.050.
The Broncos went 1-2 in vault, as
Payton Murphy won with a 9.875 (personal-best), just ahead of Moravansky's 9.850. Two Broncos finished in a four-way tie for second place on bars, as Moravansky and
Alexis Olivier both posted marks of 9.850 that only trailed Kent State's Jade Brown (9.900).
Murphy won balance beam with her third 9.900 on the apparatus this season.
Charlotte Tishkoff tied for second on beam at 9.875.
The victory gave WMU its first win at Kent State since Jan. 25, 1991, when the Broncos defeated the Golden Flashes, 180.40-180.25. The Bronco team score of 196.050 marked the first time they exceeded 196 as a team since last season against Kent State. That day, head coach
Penny Jernigan's squad used a score of 196.075 to defeat the Golden Flashes and clinch the 2020 MAC regular season title. It turned out to be the last competition of the 2020 season thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team record is 196.175, set against Eastern Michigan in 2015.
| Penny's Thoughts
On the win...
"This is a huge road win for our program. It was even better that it was 100-percent a team effort. Ronni (Binstock) led us off strong in three of the four events while finishing second in all-around and that was to her teammate. Freshman
Sarah Moravansky won all-around and she looked like a veteran out there."
On returning to action in three days...
"We're excited to compete again so quickly. It will be another awesome opportunity against another strong team in Eastern Michigan."
| Leaderboard
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*-Set or matched collegiate-best
|Â Up Next
The Broncos return to University Arena on Sunday, Feb. 21, when they host Eastern Michigan for a Senior Day dual meet. Action begins at 1 p.m. ET and the meet can be seen on ESPN3.
