Gymnastics Set For Exhibition Against Michigan

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team will prepare for its 2015 season with an exhibition meet against the University of Michigan Sunday, Dec. 7. The warmup dual will take place at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., beginning at 2 p.m. While the matchup is an exhibition meet, it will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.

The exhibition at the U-M is an opportunity for the Green and White to prepare for the upcoming season as the event will be run like a regular season meet. Feedback from the judges scoring the event will be helpful for the last month of training, showing strengths and weaknesses before the 2015 season begins. The competition will be the first for the Eagles under first year Head Coach Jay Santos. With the exhibition meet on the horizon and the 2015 regular season just over one month away, it is time to preview the upcoming campaign for EMU gymnastics.

Key Veteran Returners: Despite losing five seniors (Shawna Ciaramella, Miranda Jarvis, Kaylee Meyers, Taylor Patterson and Ashley Quinton) and two gymnasts due to transferring (Khadijah Hudson and Ariyanna Smith) from last year's squad, the 2015 Eagles return 13 letterwinners, led by First Team All-Mid-American Conference honoree Anna Willette (Pylesville, Md.-North Harford). Willette had a stellar junior campaign in which she represented the Green and White on beam at the NCAA Regional in Baton Rouge, La. In 2014, the Pylesville, Md. native led the Eagles in three of the four events by completing 24 of her 30 routines at 9.700 or higher. Along with her impressive scores all season long, four of those scores led to individual titles with two on vault and two on beam. She finished the year ranked fifth in the conference on beam with an average score of 9.767.

Aside from Willette, Eastern will also be led by four other seniors in Carrina Lo Bello (Oshawa, Ontario-McLaughlin Collegiate), Chantelle Loehner (Cary, Ill.-Cary-Grove), Paulina Miller (Halifax, Nova Scotia-Citadel High School) and Nikki Paterson (Oakville, Ontario-Iroquois Ridge). Lo Bello appeared in the beam and bars lineups during every meet last season, while also starting on vault towards the end of the year. Loehner was relied on throughout the year on the floor exercise as she claimed three individual titles. Miller returns after being a team captain in 2014, when she competed in all 10 meets on vault and floor. As a junior during last year's campaign, Paterson was in every bars lineup and added a routine to the EMU floor squad in the final three meets of the season.

Fresh Faces: EMU also welcomes six new Eagles looking to make immediate impacts as freshmen: Catie Conrad (Brighton, Mich.-Brighton), Kirsten Gendron (Birch Run, Mich.-Frankenmuth), Megan Marino (Girard, Ohio-Howland), Julia Schwartz (Gilbert, Ariz.-Mesquite), Rachel Slocum (Holly Springs, N.C.-Holly Springs) and Kendall Valentin (Holmdel, N.J.-Holmdel). Slocum competes on vault and floor, while the other five freshmen are all-around performers.

Swinging on the Bars: The Eagles welcome back five gymnasts that found significant time in the bars lineup a season ago. Lo Bello, Paterson and Willette will lead the group as the trio of seniors competed for the Green and White in every meet. Willette recorded the highest score of any bars returner with a 9.800 at the Michigan/Illinois Challenge, Feb. 1. Paterson also received a career-best 9.750 at that quad meet, while Lo Bello added scores of 9.725 three times throughout 2014. A pair of sophomores, Kelsie Brooks (Winston, Ga.-Alexander) and Bianca Jordaan (Oakville, Ontario-Abbey Park), split time in the rotation and will look to fill the void of Quinton and Smith from last year's squad. Both Eagles tallied 9.750 bar routines at one point during their freshmen seasons. Fellow classmates Sydney McEachern (Winnipeg, Manitoba-Kelvin) could provide a consistent routine, and redshirt-freshman Lacey Rubin (Plainview, N.Y.-Plainview Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy) will also compete for a spot in the lineup after sitting out last season due to injury. Rubin and Valentin have put together strong preseasons with solid handstands and clean execution. Look for Conrad and Schwartz to be in the mix as well.

Balance on the Beam: Expect Lo Bello and Willette to start in the beam rotation as all three found spots in the lineup last season. As an NCAA Regional qualifier on beam, Willette will be the leader of the rotation as she looks to earn another regional berth in her final season as an Eagle. In 2014, four of her 10 beam routines were scored 9.800 or better. Willette earned a career-high 9.850 on beam to finish third at the Eagle Invitational, March 8, a quad meet hosted at EMU. Lo Bello brought her best to help Eastern defeat rival Western Michigan, Feb. 15, receiving a 9.750 from the judges. Sophomore Natalie Gervais (Winnipeg, Manitoba-Sturgeon Heights) also will look to remain in the starting lineup after being there during her freshman season. In her first season as a collegiate gymnast, Gervais competed on beam in every meet, including posting a career-high 9.800 at the Michigan/Illinois Challenge. The remaining three spots in the lineup will most likely be filled by either Conrad, Ebeyer, Rubin, and Valentin. Much like on bars, Rubin and Valentin have emerged as rising newcomers on beam with successful preseason training.

Valiant Vaulters: On vault, another core group of Eagles led by Lo Bello, Miller, and Willette comes back as veterans in the event. Miller and Willette were mainstays in the lineup, while Lo Bello joined her classmates in the rotation at the end of the year. Willette recorded a season-best 9.800, while Lo Bello and Miller added bests of 9.775 and 9.750, respectively. In the starting six last season, Jordaan and Ebeyer will compete for spots as well, with the former recording the highest EMU vault score of the 2014 campaign, a 9.825. Watch for youngsters McEachern, Schwartz and Valentin to bring depth to the event for the Green and White, challenging to crack the lineup with dynamic vaults.

Floor Flyers: While the Eagles no longer have a regional qualifier in Hudson as well as a veteran in Meyers, Loehner and Miller return to pace EMU in the floor exercise. Loehner was one of the most consistent scorers a season ago and is expected to continue her success. She won three floor titles throughout the season, including a personal-best 9.850 in the team's victory at Ball State, March 14. Miller also tallied the same score, performing her routine at the Michigan/Illinois Challenge. Towards the end of the season, McEachern and Paterson competed for the Eagles, and the pair will attempt to earn primary spots in 2015. While floor was the only event that Lo Bello did not appear in last season, the senior could possibly find herself in the rotation to complete her all-around schedule. Gendron, Slocum and Schwartz are three freshmen who could make noise in the exercise as well along with sophomore Taylor Young (Westerville, Ohio-Westerville Central).

Regular Season Around The Corner: The Eagles will kick off the 2015 regular season in front of their home fans, Jan. 9, at the Convocation Center. EMU hosts Temple in a Friday night matchup set to begin at 7 p.m. The season-opening meet will be the first-of-five inside the Convocation Center, the new home of EMU gymnastics. The Convo served as host of the 2014 Mid-American Conference Championship in March, but previous home meets took place at Bowen Field House.

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Players Mentioned

Kelsie Brooks

Kelsie Brooks

Shawna Ciaramella

Catie Conrad

Kirsten Gendron

Natalie Gervais

Natalie Gervais

Khadijah Hudson

Miranda Jarvis

Bianca Jordaan

Bianca Jordaan

Carrina Lo Bello

Carrina Lo Bello

Chantelle Loehner

Chantelle Loehner

Megan Marino

Sydney McEachern

Sydney McEachern

Kaylee Meyers

Paulina Miller

Paulina Miller

Nikki Paterson

Nikki Paterson

Taylor Patterson

Ashley Quinton

Lacey Rubin

Lacey Rubin

Jules Schwartz

Rachel Slocum

Ariyanna Smith

Kendall Valentin

Anna Willette

Anna Willette

Taylor Young

Taylor Young

Eastern Michigan Athletics