Sat Feb 11 2012
By Colin Harris
Record-Courier staff writer
There’s consistency in a program’s message and then there’s Kent State gymnastics.
Throughout the Golden Flashes’ 51 years of women’s gymnastics, only two coaches — Rudy Bachna and Brice Biggin — have been at the helm of the team.
Biggin’s Flashes picked up a 195.275-191.200 Senior Day victory over Bowling Green on Sunday, clinching a share of the Mid-American Conference title while honoring their coach for 30 years of dedication to KSU as both an athlete and a leader.
After competing for the Flashes from 1980-83, Biggin was named the first-ever graduate assistant coach for the women’s gymnastics program, a position he served in from 1985-87. Biggin took over for Bachna in 1992 as the women’s coach and has since guided the program to new heights.
“I couldn’t possibly think of anyone who could have done a better job with this program than Brice has,” said Bachna. “Brice has been here a long time from a gymnast to an assistant and now the coach. In my mind, there’s no one who could have replaced him and the things he’s accomplished.”
Biggin has been selected the MAC Coach of the Year seven times and has led the Golden Flashes to MAC championships on six different occasions.
During his time at the helm, he has coached 28 MAC individual champions, 28 All-MAC First Team selections, six All-MAC Second Team honorees, four NCAA regional champions and one All-American.
“First off, I can’t thank Rudy enough for all he’s done to set me in the right direction as I was starting my career out,” said Biggin. “Then, between the assistant coaches, administrators and just a group of kids who haven’t been afraid of hard work and sacrifice, I’ve been very blessed during my time at Kent State.”
Undefeated in MAC play with only one league contest remaining, the Flashes (8-3, 5-0) swept all four events Sunday, including big wins over BGSU on bars (48.625-46.900) and beam (48.600-47.175).
“This meet was real important as we’re looking to solidify, at least a tie for a regular season MAC championship,” said Biggin. “(Winning the regular season title) gives us first choice for where we want to start at for the MAC Championships. It also gives us a little upper hand, confidence-wise, because we know we’ve been able to go out and beat every other team in the conference already.”
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Contact Colin Harris at charris@recordpub.com
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