Gymnasts and Specialist of the Week
Gymnast of the Week:
Laura Rogers
Central Michigan
Fr. ● (Overland Park, Kan./Saint Thomas Aquinas)
AA
Rogers posted the top all-around score in the MAC this season, 38.900, in leading CMU to a win in a triangular meet with Texas Woman's University and Brown on Sunday. She scored 9.800 on vault, 9.675 on bars, 9.725 on beam, and 9.700 on floor, finishing second on both vault and floor. Rogers also had a 9.700 on the floor exercise in Friday's triangular meet against No. 13-ranked Oklahoma and Missouri.
Other Nominees:
Jholeen Ponce
Bowling Green
Jr. ● (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Daniel Melntyre Collegiate Institute)
Bars/Beam/Vault
It was a night of career bests for Ponce. She competed in three events and set two new personal bests. Her first came on vault as she finished third with a 9.750. The next came on beam where she landed a 9.825, and winning her the event. Last she took fifth on bars scoring a 9.350. Her previous personal bests were 9.650 and 9.600, respectively.
Erica Gilkerson
Ball State
Jr. North Branch, Minn./ North Branch)
AA
Gilkerson brought her upperclassmen experience to the gym as she shined with her floor routine after capturing a fourth place finish and posted a career-high with a score of 9.775. Gilkerson also tied her personal best on vault with a score of 9.750. Despite the loss Gilkerson helped the Cardinals improve their team total from last year's MAC opener.
Jill Kowalski
Kent State
Jr. ● (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North)
AA
Kowalski took home her second all-around crown in as many weeks as she finished the meet with a tally of 38.425. Along with her win in the all-around she also finished second on bars with a score of 9.800 and third place on floor with another 9.800.
Specialist of the Week:
Sheena Smith
Central Michigan
Sr. ● (Middleburg, Fla./Ridgeview)
Vault, Uneven Bars
Smith won both of her events at a triangular meet with Texas Woman's University and Brown on Sunday, posting a conference-best score of 9.850 in her first vaulting appearance of the season and a 9.825 on the uneven bars. Those scored helped CMU to a win in the meet and to its highest team score of the season thus far. In Friday's triangular meet with No. 13-ranked Oklahoma and Missouri, Smith scored a 9.600 on the bars.
Other Nominees:
Jacquelyn Bernhardt
Bowling Green
Jr. ● (Chandler, AZ/Hamilton)
Floor/Vault
Jacque's best proformance of her career came tonight on vault. She had a flawless routine earning a 9.800. This sets a new personal best and places her in the record books as she ties for the eighth in the all time personal vault scores. Previously, Jacque's best vault was a 9.750.
Kristin Peters
Kent State University
Position: V, UB, BB
Jr. ● (Maineville, Ohio/ Kings)
Descriptions of accomplishments: Peters had another outstanding performance this week as she led the Flashes over the Ball State Cardinals. She took home first place honors on bars with a stellar routine that earned her a 9.825. Her powerful vault scored a 9.800 which was good for a tie for first place on that event and her solid performance on beam earned her a 9.700 which was good for second place.
Courtney Lesson
Western Michigan
Jr. ● (Troy, Ny./
Lesson hit a season and career-high mark, taking first on the vault against Bowling Green, with a score of 9.800. Lesson also took second in the all-around with a score of 37.275. She was one of only two Broncos to place first in an event against the Falcons.
Jenna Tarkington
Ball State
Sr. ● (Kokomo, Ind./Northwestern)
Tarkington earned a first place finish for the Cardinals on Friday against Kent State. Ball State's senior and co-captain tied for first after collecting a 9.800 performance on vault. Tarkington led the team with the highest scoring performance for BSU at the meet.
Eastern Michigan did not compete last week.