Gymnastics Hits the Road for Quad Meet at Lindenwood

Eagles Hit the Road for Quad Meet at Lindenwood: The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team will travel to St. Charles, Mo. Saturday, Feb. 28, to go up against Lindenwood University, Illinois State University, and the University of Illinois-Chicago. The meet will mark the first time this season the Eagles have tangled with the Lions, but it will be the third time the Flames and EMU have met up and the second time Eastern has taken on Illinois State.
   The Green and White holds a 3-0 record against its familiar opponents this season, most recently defeating UIC, 194.675-192.425, at the Convocation Center, Feb. 15. The Flames and EMU also met on the mats, along with Illinois State, at the Michigan/Illinois Challenge, Jan. 31, when the Eagles earned top honors with a team score of 194.650.

EMU Holds Highest RQS in School History: Following a school record-breaking performance at Western Michigan and capping off a perfect 2015 home slate, the Eagles hold the highest Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) in EMU gymnastics history with a 194.890.
   The RQS is based on a team's and an all-around competitor's six best regular season meet scores, of which three must be away. To obtain the regional qualifying score, the high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged.
   The Green and White's RQS of 194.890 ranks 32nd nationally and ranks second in the Mid-American Conference, behind only Central Michigan University who carries a RQS of 195.220. EMU's score of 194.890 topped the Eagles all-time best by .215, when Eastern earned a 194.675 in the 2001 campaign.

Willette Ranked in the Top-30 in her First Season as an All-Around Competitor: EMU senior Anna Willette is ranked 29th nationally in the all-around standings, averaging a 38.932 in her seven appearances in the all-around lineup this season. The Pylesville, Md. native has captured five titles in seven competitions with her career-best 39.175 tying for third in EMU laurels.
   Furthermore, Willette is the top gymnast in the Mid-American Conference for all-around as the next closest conference competitor is Alyssa Nocella of Bowling Green State University, who ranks 38th overall with an average of 38.725.

EMU Breaks School Record at Western Michigan: Despite tallying a school record-breaking 195.575, the Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team fell in a Mid-American Conference dual to in-state foe Western Michigan University, 196.175-195.575, Friday, Feb. 20.
    EMU's score of 195.575 topped the Green and White's all-time best by .025, when Eastern nabbed a 195.550 at the Mid-American Conference Championships, Mar. 19, 2004.
   Carinna Lo Bello paced the EMU lineup on the uneven bars, earning a 9.800 and a third-place finish in the event, while Nikki Paterson, Lacey Rubin, and Kendall Valentin all scored matching 9.775s to tie for fifth, marking a then-career-high for Rubin. On the vault, Valentin led the Green and White, tying for second with a career-high 9.850, which also tied for sixth all-time in EMU laurels. On the floor, freshman Rachel Slocum led all Green and White gymnasts, tying for second with a career-best 9.875, while Sydney McEachern placed sixth overall with a 9.775. In the Green and White's final rotation, it was again Lo Bello who led the Green and White with a career-high 9.850 on the beam and a second-place finish. As a team, the Eagles earned a 48.800, but again Western Michigan had the edge with a 49.025 in the event.

Eagles Cap Off Perfect Home Slate with Win Over Ball State: For the first time in the past 10 seasons, the Eastern Michigan gymnastics team put together an unblemished home record. The Eagles capped off the 2015 campaign with a 5-0 mark in their first full season competiting inside the friendly confines of the Convocation Center following a 195.275-193.875 victory over Ball State, Feb. 22. Prior to this season, EMU's best home record came in the 2010 season when the Eagles boasted a 4-1 record inside Bowen Field House.

Taking a Peek at Lindenwood: The Lions head into the weekend quad meet coming off a 194.575-194.075 victory over Illinois State, Feb. 22. Lindenwood is 5-4 overall on the season and a perfect 4-0 in the Midwest Independent Conference.
   As a team, Lindenwood has put together a season-best 48.700 on the vault this year, a 48.800 on the bars, while earning a season-high 48.625 on the beam and a 49.000 on the floor. Valeri Ingui and Kierstin Sokolowski both compete in the all-around competition for the Lions, with Sokolowski holding a team-best 39.225 on the season.

Going for Three: The Eagles hope to take their third win over Illinois-Chicago when they face off this weekend in St. Charles, Mo. The Green and White first extinguished the Flames at the Michigan/Illinois Challenge, 194.650-189.925, Jan. 31, before earning its second victory at the Convocation Center, Feb. 15. In the second meeting between the two squads, Eastern nabbed a 194.675-192.425 win over UIC, capturing three out of four rotations.
   Eastern notched a 48.775 on vault, while adding a 47.925 on the bars and season-best 48.900 on the beam before rounding out the dual with a season-high 49.075 on the floor in the lastest competition against Illinois-Chicago. UIC's Gabrielle May edged out Anna Willette in the all-around titles with an overall score of 39.175, while May also picked up the vault title. Willette, Catie Conrad and Nikki Paterson led the Eagles on the uneven bars with identical 9.775s to earn the title, while Natalie Gervais nabbed the beam title for the Green and White. The final record performance of the night for EMU came from senior Chantelle Loehner who scored a career-best 9.900 on the floor to capture her fourth title of the season.

Meeting up with the Redbirds: Saturday's meeting will mark the second time this season that Illinois State and Eastern Michigan have competed, with EMU holding the 1-0 edge on the year. The last time the two teams met, the Green and White earned the 194.650-189.650 victory en route to a top showing a the Michigan/Illinois Challenge, Jan. 31. Eastern outscored Illinois State in every event at the Michigan/Illinois Challenge with the Redbirds highest finish coming from Danci Cha who placed second on the floor with a 9.825.

On the Horizon: Following the quad meet, the Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team will head to East Lansing, Mich. for a tri meet against the University of Arizona and Michigan State University Friday, Mar. 6. Meet time is slated for 6 p.m from Jenison Field House.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Players Mentioned

Catie Conrad

Natalie Gervais

Chantelle Loehner

Sydney McEachern

Nikki Paterson

Lacey Rubin

Rachel Slocum

Kendall Valentin

Anna Willette

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