Eagles Top Flames With Two All-Time Performances

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind eight career-days, including an impressive 9.900 from Chantelle Loehner on the floor, the Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team remained unbeaten in the friendly confines of the Convocation Center, downing the University of Illinois-Chicago 194.750-192.350 Sunday, Feb. 15.

The Green and White notched a 48.775 on vault, while adding a 47.925 on the bars, a season-best 48.900 on the beam before rounding out the dual with a season-high 49.075 on the floor.

"It's always great to come from behind and get the win but I feel that we missed an opportunity to score well today," remarked Head Coach Jay Santos. "We were able to avoid counting falls in the beginning of the season but the last couple of weeks we've been making mistakes and our scores have reflected that. So much of our sport is based around the scoring and we had some outstanding individual performances today but the group has to come together and hit all four events if we are going to accomplish our goals."

UIC's Gabrielle May grabbed the all-around title with an overall score of 39.175, while Carrina Lo Bello placed second overall with a 38.400 in the second all-around competition of her career. Rounding out the all-around competitors, senior Anna Willette placed third with a 38.350 and the Flames' Nikki Woodruff took fourth with a 37.675.

Once again, Eastern got off to the quick start over its opponent, notching a 48.775 on the vault compared to UIC's 48.500 on the bars. The Eagles were led by Lo Bello, who earned a career-best 9.800 for a second-place finish behind UIC's Gabrielle May, while Willette grabbed a 9.775 on the apparatus to tie for third overall. Both Syndey McEachern and Julia Schwartz garnered matching 9.750s, while Catie Conrad and Paulina Miller rounded out the EMU scoring with identical 9.700s.

Despite three career-highs on the uneven bars, Eastern Michigan found itself trailing the Flames 97.075-96.775 after the second rotation. The Green and White earned a first-place finish in the event from Willete, Conrad and Nikki Paterson who each earned identical 9.775s on the apparatus. The scores tie career-bests for both Conrad and Paterson. The final three Eagle competitors struggled on the apparatus, allowing Illinois-Chicago to take control of the event with its 48.575 on the vault.

EMU took command for good on the beam, scoring a season-best 48.900 behind three Green and White career highs. Sophomore Natalie Gervais put together a career-best routine that earned a 9.850, which took first overall and ties for ninth in the EMU record book, to lead the Eagles. Sophomore Lacey Rubin garnered a career-high 9.825 on the apparatus to place second. Conrad rounded out the career bests on the beam with a 9.750, while Sydney McEachern earned an identical score with a 9.750 of her own to tie for third overall. With the Eagles' success on the beam, they took a 145.675-145.650 advantage into the final rotation of the afternoon.

The Green and White saw one final record performance when Loehner put together a 9.900 on the floor for her fourth floor title of the season, which not only took first overall but also marked a career-best and ties for sixth in EMU laurels. Following Loehner, freshman Rachel Slocum earned a career-high 9.850 for a third-place finish, while Lo Bello, McEachern, and Willette each scored identical 9.775 to tie for fourth overall. Sophomore Taylor Young rounded out the EMU scoring with a 9.725 in her first scored routine as an Eagle.

EMU will be back in action Friday, Feb. 20 when it hits the road to take on the Broncos of Western Michigan University in a Mid-American Conference dual. The meet is slated to start at 7 p.m.

Results (* signifies a career best)

Vault
2. Lo Bello 9.800*
3. Willette 9.775
5. McEachern 9.750
5. Schwartz 9.750
7. Conrad 9.700
7. Miller 9.700

Bars
1. Willette 9.775
1. Paterson 9.775
1. Conrad 9.775
9. McEachern 9.400
10. Rubin 9.200
11. Lo Bello 9.100

Beam
1. Gervias 9.850*
2. Rubin 9.825*
3. Conrad 9.750*
3. Ebeyer 9.750
6. Lo Bello 9.725
10. Willette 8.950

Floor
1. Loehner 9.900*
3. Slocum 9.850*
4. Lo Bello 9.775
4. McEachern 9.775
4. Willette 9.775
8. Young 9.725*

All-Around
2. Lo Bello 38.400
3. Willette 38.350

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Catie Conrad

Natalie Gervais

Carrina Lo Bello

Chantelle Loehner

Sydney McEachern

Paulina Miller

Nikki Paterson

Lacey Rubin

Jules Schwartz

Rachel Slocum

Anna Willette

Taylor Young

Eastern Michigan Athletics