MAC Announces Gymnast and Specialist of the Week
Gymnast of the Week
Katy Clements, Central Michigan, Senior
Katy Clements opened her senior year with a win on the Balance Beam with a score of 9.875, which helped her to be ranked 12th Nationally. She was second on floor with a 9.875 to her CMU teammate. Katy also scored a 9.800 on vault to take second behind another one of her CMU teammates. The 9.800 on vault was also her highest season opener on vault in her career at CMU. With Katy’s performance, she helped CMU earn a third-place National ranking after the first weekend.
Vault: 9.800 | 2nd
Beam: 9.875 | 1st
Floor: 9.875 | 2nd
Specialist of the Week
Lacey Rubin, Eastern Michigan, R-Senior
Redshirt senior Lacey Rubin had an impressive outing in the regular season opener against Penn State Saturday, Jan. 6, in State College, Pa. Rubin started her day on bars, where she notched a 9.850 to take her first event title of the year. Additionally, the Plainview, N.Y.-native ended her day by posting a 9.775 on beam, which was good for the second-best event score and a team-high on the apparatus.
Bars: 9.850 | 1st
Beam: 9.775 | 2nd
Gymnast Nominations
Kaitlyn Menzione, Ball State, Junior
Kaitlyn Menzione, a junior all-around gymnast for the Ball State Cardinals matched her career high all-around score of 38.975 earning second place last Friday against Kentucky, Semo, and George Washington in Rupp Arena. Menzione is projected to break her record all-around score this season, since she didn’t post nearly her potential on two apparatuses. On vault she earned a 9.775 claiming sixth. On bars she swung into third with a score of 9.825 matching her career high. Menzione posted a 9.675 (11th) on beam and a 9.700 (17th) on floor respectively. Coming out of the gates Menzione has proven strong and a fierce competitor in the Mid-American Conference.
Vault: 9.775 | 6th
Bars: 9.825 | 3rd | Tied Personal Best
Beam: 9.675 | 11th
Floor: 9.700 | 17th
All Around: 38.975 | 2nd | Tied Personal Best
Jovannah East, Bowling Green, Sophomore
Jovannah East, the 2017 MAC Freshman of the Year, began her sophomore season by competing in three events at Michigan State. She won the vault competition with a 9.850 and finished tied for fourth on the beam (9.750) and the floor (9.800). Her effort helped BGSU score a 194.000 and defeat Michigan State 194.000-193.350. It is BGSU's third-highest opening meet team score in school history and their first season-opening win since 2015 (also against Michigan State). East has now recorded a victory in 10 of her 14 career meets for a total of 13 event wins. In addition, East has earned a 9.800 or above in 30 of her 35 career events and has posted 9.800 or above in multiple events during 11 of her 14 career meets.
Vault: 9.850 | 1st
Beam: 9.750 | T4th
Floor: 9.800 | T4th
Ashley Potts, Northern Illinois, Senior
Senior Ashley Potts tied for second in the all-around competition narrowly missing first place by a tenth of a point at 39.975. She led the Huskies on the uneven parallel bars, tying for first with a member of the NC State Wolfpack. On vault, Potts tied her own teammate for third place with a 9.750. She scored another 9.750 on floor and posted a 9.650 on balance beam.
Vault: 9.750 | T3rd
Bars: 9.825 | T1st
Beam: 9.650 | T7th
Floor: 9.750 | T5th
All Around: 38.975 | T2nd
Specialist Nominations
Maddie Macdonald, Ball State, Sophomore
Sophomore Maddie Macdonald started on two events for the Cardinals, vault and bars, against Kentucky, Semo and George Washington last Friday in Rupp Arena. Previously, Macdonald only competed on bars once earning a 8.250 last year against Missouri. Against Eastern Michigan she claimed a career high score on vault of 9.825. Opening the 2018 season Macdonald claimed first place on bars posting an impressive 9.850 leading the Cardinals to a team total of 48.875, which marks the highest bar total compared to last season. On vault she stood 11th with a score of 9.725. The Ball State Cardinals expect to see great things from Maddie Macdonald this year on vault and bars.
Vault: 9.725 | 11th
Bars: 9.850 | 1st | Personal Best
Randi Morris, Bowling Green, Sophomore
Randi Morris, a sophomore from Arlington, Texas, completed the best meet of her young career in the Falcons’ 2018 season opener at Michigan State. Morris equaled her personal best by earning a 9.800 on the vault. That mark earned Morris sole possession of second place in that event. Later in the meet, she was awarded a 9.825 for her floor exercise routine and finished that event as BGSU’s top scorer and in third place. Her efforts helped lead Bowling Green to a 194.000-193.350 victory over the Spartans. It is BGSU’s third-best season-opening team score in school history and the squad’s first season-opening victory since 2015. This was the first meet in Morris’ career in which she competed in multiple events and scored 9.800 or better in each.
Vault: 9.800 | 2nd | Tied Personal Best
Floor: 9.825 | 3rd
Macey Hilliker, Central Michigan, Senior
Macey Hilliker won floor with a score of 9.925 to earn herself a second place National Ranking. She finished with a score of 9.725 on Balance Beam in her first beam routine of the season. Macey’s routines helped CMU earn a third-place National ranking after the first weekend.
Beam: 9.725 | 8th
Floor: 9.925 | 1st
Cinny Lamberti, Northern Illinois, Sophomore
Sophomore Cinny Lamberti tied her own teammate for the highest vault score from the Huskies on Sunday against UIC and NC State. She also had a chance to show off her balance beam routine for the first time in front of the judging tables as an exhibition performer.
Vault: 9.750 | T3rd
