Recaps courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 2026 Mid-American Conference Gymnastics season came to a close on Friday night as a total of eleven gymnasts competed as individuals in NCAA Regional action across the weekend.

The Ball State gymnastics team turned in several strong routines Friday afternoon in NCAA Lexington Regional action at Historic Memorial Coliseum, led by a 9.900 from junior Ashley Szymanski on bars in the final rotation.

The effort helped Szymanski tie for third in the day's opening session and followed a solid effort on beam, where she scored a 9.800. Her bars routine was her sixth of the season to earn at least 9.900, while her beam routine was her 12th of at least 9.800 on the event this year.

In her NCAA regional debut, junior Delaney McMahon shined on beam with a score of 9.875. It was her fifth beam score of 9.875-or-higher this season. She finished the session tied for second overall.

With five gymnasts in action on the day, senior Zoe Middleton kicked off the action with a 9.725 on bars in her first of four events in the final all-around competition of her illustrious career.

In her second event, Middleton tied for the highest beam score in rotation two with a 9.850. The effort ties as her second-highest beam routine of the season and was followed by a 9.800 on floor in rotation three.

Middleton closed her collegiate career with a 9.825 on vault and an all-around total of 39.200. A three-time All-Mid-American Conference honoree over her career, Middleton was the only MAC gymnast to record a score of 9.900-or-higher in all four events this season, ending her career tied for the program record with 26 such efforts.

In her NCAA regional debut, senior Mary Rose Bellan followed her MAC Championship winning performance on bars with another solid routine, scoring 9.775. It was her eighth bars score of at least 9.775 this season.

Ball State's final gymnast to compete Friday was junior Ava Molina who tied for sixth in the session with a 9.875 on floor. The effort tied as her third-best score of the season, trailing only her two marks of 9.900.

Overall, the Cardinals scored 9.800-or-higher in seven of its nine routines Friday, upping its season total to 122.

A bittersweet night for the two Chippewas, Luciana Alvarado-Reid and Lia Kmieciak.

Central Michigan gymnasts Alvarado-Reid and Kmieciak competed as individuals in the NCAA Regional Semifinal at the University of Kentucky on Friday—where the pair each capped their outstanding careers as Chippewas.

Alvarado-Reid competed as an all-arounder and posted a 39.375 to tie for third; Kmieciak competed on vault and bars, with scores of 9.825 and 9.750.

Kmieciak, the graduate student from Naperville, Ill., rotated with Oklahoma—while Alvarado-Reid, the senior from Cartago, Costa Rica, rotated with Ohio State.

For rotation one Alvarado-Reid competed on the beam, where the senior posted a 9.850. Kmieciak took on vault and secured a 9.825.

The second rotation consisted of Alvarado-Reid on floor for a 9.900 and Kmieciak on bars with a 9.750.

Alvarado-Reid performed on vault then bars for the final two rotations, where she posted a 9.800 on vault and 9.825 on bars to finish off the night.

Her 39.375 all-around score tied for third out of seven highly competitive gymnasts.

The two Chippewas finished Thursday's first round session against Rutgers each with event titles. Kmieciak claimed first on vault and bars, and Alvarado-Reid took home the floor title.

The top two teams from each regional receive an automatic berth to the national championships. In addition, the top all-around competitor and top event specialist from round two at each regional (who is not on a team advancing to nationals) advance to the national championships. Event specialist qualifiers will only compete in the events they qualified.

Three Kent State gymnasts performed at the NCAA Lexington Regional Second Round, competing as individual qualifiers at Historic Memorial Coliseum against some of the nation's top programs.

Charlie Behner led the Golden Flashes with a standout performance on vault, posting a 9.900 that placed her in a four-way tie for second overall on the apparatus, which was the best vault score among all individual qualifiers in the session. She also turned in a 9.725 on uneven bars, good for a tie for 23rd.

Heidi Schultz delivered a 9.750 on balance beam, tying for 15th overall on the event. Jersey Bingman rounded out Kent State's contingent with a 9.625 on vault in her NCAA Regionals debut.

The 2026 NCAA women's gymnastics championship will take place from April 16-18 in Fort Worth, TX.