Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, February 27
Columbus, Ohio
4 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Ohio State
No. 21 Green and White Prepare for Tri-Meet at Ohio State
2/25/2016 2:56:00 PM | Gymnastics
The Eagles look to notch another solid road score in Columbus, Ohio
| Meet Notes | Live Stats | Live Stream |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The No. 21 Eastern Michigan University women's gymnastics team will make the trek south to Columbus, Ohio for a tri-meet against Ohio State and Pittsburgh. The event marks the second time this season that the Eagles will square off against the Panthers, while it is their first time seeing the Buckeyes.
Following the Meet: This weekend's meet can be viewed on live stream by clicking here. To follow along with live stats, please click here.
Green and White Continue Historic Run: The Eagles continued their incredible team scoring run, finishing with a 195.750 to down the Broncos of Western Michigan, Feb. 19. This meet marked the fourth straight in which Eastern posted a team score higher than 195.575, which was the program record until the team's second home meet of the season. The Green and White managed to defeat Central Michigan with a 195.600, Feb. 5, before the team traveled to Ann Arbor, Feb. 8, and scored a 195.975. From there, the Eagles erupted for a 196.600 at Bowling Green, Feb. 13, which was also the first time that the team notched a score above 196.
Back-to-Back Meets with a 9.9: Natalie Gervais has found her groove over the last two meets. Specifically, she managed to finish with a score of 9.9 or better in back-to-back meets. Beginning against Bowling Green, Feb. 13, the junior notched a 9.925 on beam, which stands as the second best beam score in program history. She continued her run at home against Western Michigan, Feb. 19, where her bar routine earned a 9.9 to put her in a tie for third in EMU laurels. Kendall Valentin also accomplished the feat, beginning at the Michigan meet, Feb. 8, with a 9.925 on bars. The following weekend at Bowling Green, she posted a 9.9 on vault.
Eagles Hold Strong at No. 21: For the fifth week this season, the Eagles are ranked in the top-25. This week, the team maintained their spot at No. 21 overall. The Green and White are also highly ranked on multiple events, including No. 22 on vault, No. 20 on bars, and a fantastic No. 11 on beam. On the conference level, Eastern maintains their top spot among MAC schools, with Central Michigan, ranked No. 26 nationally, trailing by nearly three tenths in the second spot. Finally, the Eagles are also the top-ranked team on both vault and beam.
RQS Ranking Begins: This week marks the first in which the Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) is utilized in rankings. RQS is based on the team's six best regular season meets, of which three must be from away meets. From there, the high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged together. The Green and White will benefit from this, as their two-highest team scores of the season have both come on the road at Michigan, Feb. 8, and at Bowling Green, Feb. 13. The team's current RQS sits at 195.485, putting them one spot behind George Washington and one ahead of Kentucky. Additionally, Eastern's first RQS this season is higher than the team's best last season, which was a program record 195.280.
Eagles Break 196 Plateau: Fresh off a pair of record-breaking meets, the Eagles continued their ascent, exploding for a huge team score of 196.600 in a tri-meet hosted by Bowling Green, Feb. 13. The Green and White had a strong meet throughout, narrowly missing straight 49's across the board. Additionally, the team had a very strong floor rotation, posting an event score above 49 for the first time this year. Not only did the team have a great day on floor, but they also earned their best event totals of the season on vault and beam.
Record-Breaking Day on Beam: Not only did the Green and White set a new team record at Bowling Green, Feb. 13, but they also notched the best beam total in program history. Scoring a 49.275 overall, the group was led by Natalie Gervais, who posted a 9.925, which sits at No. 2 in the EMU record books. Lacey Rubin was also just behind her with a 9.9, putting her at No. 3 in EMU laurels. Rounding out the group, Megan Hultgren and Kendall Valentin notched a pair of 9.85's, with Hultgren's being a career-best.
Valentin and Gervais Post Highest Individual Scores of the Season: In EMU's meet against Michigan, Feb. 8, Kendall Valentin turned in a performance for the books. On bars, the sophomore posted a near-flawless routine, highlighted by a stuck dismount, and scored a huge 9.925. This marks the highest individual score that any Eagle has scored this season, and is also the second-best bars score in EMU history. Not to be outdone, Natalie Gervais turned in a 9.925 of her own in the tri-meet at Bowling Green, Feb. 13. Specifically, the junior's score puts her in second all-time for the Eagles. She also found success at home against Western Michigan, scoring a 9.9 on bars for back-to-back meets with a 9.9 or better.
Rubin Dominating the Last Six Weeks: Throughout the last six weeks, Lacey Rubin has been on fire for the Eagles. Through those six meets, the junior has performed twelve routines, eleven of which have scored a 9.8 or higher. Within that time frame, she notched a career-best of 9.875 on bars, along with a huge 9.9 on beam, putting her in a tie for No. 3 in program history. Her bars score also sits tied at fourth all-time in EMU laurels. Rubin has provided a solid veteran presence so far this season, only missing one routine in the season opener.
Scouting the Competition: The Buckeyes come into this weekend's meet ranked No. 28 overall with a season-high score of 196.350 and an RQS of 195.110. The Buckeyes best event appears to be vault, where they are ranked No. 23. The team also sits in the top-30 on both bars and beam, coming in at No. 27 on both. The Scarlet and Grey have a pair of all-arounders in Taylor Harrison and Alexis Mattern that have both posted scores of 39 or better. Harrison looks to be more consistent with an average of 39.150, while Mattern holds the highest all-around score of the season with a 39.225. Kaitlynn Hofland leads the team on bars with an average of 9.818, while both Harrison and Mattern hold averages above 9.8 on floor as well.
Pittsburgh holds the No. 47 spot overall with a season-high of 195.250 and an RQS of 193.085. Pitt has posted their two highest scores of the season over the last two weeks, both of which were above 194. The team has two events ranked in the top-50, with the highest being floor at No. 39. Additionally, the Panthers sit at No. 43 on bars. The Panthers also have a pair of capable all-arounders in Lindsay Offutt and Tracey Pearson. Offutt, specifically, posted a huge score of 39.575, which is the eighth highest score in the nation this year. Miya Dotson has also been strong on bars with an average of 9.811 and a season-high of 9.925.
Last Time Against the Buckeyes and the Panthers: The last time that the Eagles matched up with the Buckeyes came in 2004, where the Scarlet and Grey narrowly edged out the Green and White, 195.275 - 195.200. Leading the way for Eastern was Leah Hashimoto, who posted a 39.250 in the all-around, highlighted by a 9.9 on vault. Rebbecca Fuss also had a solid day, finishing with a 39.100 and a 9.9 on beam. Not to be outdone, Brooke Morari also scored a 9.9 on floor.
The Green and White competed against Pitt much more recently, as the two teams met in the season opener, Jan. 10. There, the Eagles took home the victory, 194.875 - 191.050. Catie Conrad competed all-around for the first time at the event, posting a 39.050 with three scores of 9.825 or better. Kendall Valentin also had a great meet with three scores of 9.85 or better, including a 9.875 on vault. Finally, Rachel Slocum made her EMU debut on vault with a handspring front pike 1/2 that received a 9.85.
Last Time Out: Last weekend, Feb. 19, the Green and White defeated rival Western Michigan, 195.750 - 193.250, to avenge their earlier season loss to the Broncos. Natalie Gervais posted the team's highest score of the day at a 9.9 on bars, with Kendall Valentin just behind her with a 9.875, and Lacey Rubin rounding out the high-scoring trio with a 9.85. The team also flourished on floor, as Sydney McEachern scored a career-high 9.875. Both Catie Conrad and Rachel Slocum scored a 9.85, and Kimberly Ebeyer finished with a 9.825.
Looking Ahead: Following their trip to Ohio State, the Eagles will return to the state of Ohio the following weekend for a dual at Kent State, March 4. Action from the M.A.C. Center is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Then, to close out the regular season, the Green and White return home for a tri-meet with Central Michigan and Southeast Missouri, March 10.
Following the Meet: This weekend's meet can be viewed on live stream by clicking here. To follow along with live stats, please click here.
Green and White Continue Historic Run: The Eagles continued their incredible team scoring run, finishing with a 195.750 to down the Broncos of Western Michigan, Feb. 19. This meet marked the fourth straight in which Eastern posted a team score higher than 195.575, which was the program record until the team's second home meet of the season. The Green and White managed to defeat Central Michigan with a 195.600, Feb. 5, before the team traveled to Ann Arbor, Feb. 8, and scored a 195.975. From there, the Eagles erupted for a 196.600 at Bowling Green, Feb. 13, which was also the first time that the team notched a score above 196.
Back-to-Back Meets with a 9.9: Natalie Gervais has found her groove over the last two meets. Specifically, she managed to finish with a score of 9.9 or better in back-to-back meets. Beginning against Bowling Green, Feb. 13, the junior notched a 9.925 on beam, which stands as the second best beam score in program history. She continued her run at home against Western Michigan, Feb. 19, where her bar routine earned a 9.9 to put her in a tie for third in EMU laurels. Kendall Valentin also accomplished the feat, beginning at the Michigan meet, Feb. 8, with a 9.925 on bars. The following weekend at Bowling Green, she posted a 9.9 on vault.
Eagles Hold Strong at No. 21: For the fifth week this season, the Eagles are ranked in the top-25. This week, the team maintained their spot at No. 21 overall. The Green and White are also highly ranked on multiple events, including No. 22 on vault, No. 20 on bars, and a fantastic No. 11 on beam. On the conference level, Eastern maintains their top spot among MAC schools, with Central Michigan, ranked No. 26 nationally, trailing by nearly three tenths in the second spot. Finally, the Eagles are also the top-ranked team on both vault and beam.
RQS Ranking Begins: This week marks the first in which the Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) is utilized in rankings. RQS is based on the team's six best regular season meets, of which three must be from away meets. From there, the high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged together. The Green and White will benefit from this, as their two-highest team scores of the season have both come on the road at Michigan, Feb. 8, and at Bowling Green, Feb. 13. The team's current RQS sits at 195.485, putting them one spot behind George Washington and one ahead of Kentucky. Additionally, Eastern's first RQS this season is higher than the team's best last season, which was a program record 195.280.
Eagles Break 196 Plateau: Fresh off a pair of record-breaking meets, the Eagles continued their ascent, exploding for a huge team score of 196.600 in a tri-meet hosted by Bowling Green, Feb. 13. The Green and White had a strong meet throughout, narrowly missing straight 49's across the board. Additionally, the team had a very strong floor rotation, posting an event score above 49 for the first time this year. Not only did the team have a great day on floor, but they also earned their best event totals of the season on vault and beam.
Record-Breaking Day on Beam: Not only did the Green and White set a new team record at Bowling Green, Feb. 13, but they also notched the best beam total in program history. Scoring a 49.275 overall, the group was led by Natalie Gervais, who posted a 9.925, which sits at No. 2 in the EMU record books. Lacey Rubin was also just behind her with a 9.9, putting her at No. 3 in EMU laurels. Rounding out the group, Megan Hultgren and Kendall Valentin notched a pair of 9.85's, with Hultgren's being a career-best.
Valentin and Gervais Post Highest Individual Scores of the Season: In EMU's meet against Michigan, Feb. 8, Kendall Valentin turned in a performance for the books. On bars, the sophomore posted a near-flawless routine, highlighted by a stuck dismount, and scored a huge 9.925. This marks the highest individual score that any Eagle has scored this season, and is also the second-best bars score in EMU history. Not to be outdone, Natalie Gervais turned in a 9.925 of her own in the tri-meet at Bowling Green, Feb. 13. Specifically, the junior's score puts her in second all-time for the Eagles. She also found success at home against Western Michigan, scoring a 9.9 on bars for back-to-back meets with a 9.9 or better.
Rubin Dominating the Last Six Weeks: Throughout the last six weeks, Lacey Rubin has been on fire for the Eagles. Through those six meets, the junior has performed twelve routines, eleven of which have scored a 9.8 or higher. Within that time frame, she notched a career-best of 9.875 on bars, along with a huge 9.9 on beam, putting her in a tie for No. 3 in program history. Her bars score also sits tied at fourth all-time in EMU laurels. Rubin has provided a solid veteran presence so far this season, only missing one routine in the season opener.
Scouting the Competition: The Buckeyes come into this weekend's meet ranked No. 28 overall with a season-high score of 196.350 and an RQS of 195.110. The Buckeyes best event appears to be vault, where they are ranked No. 23. The team also sits in the top-30 on both bars and beam, coming in at No. 27 on both. The Scarlet and Grey have a pair of all-arounders in Taylor Harrison and Alexis Mattern that have both posted scores of 39 or better. Harrison looks to be more consistent with an average of 39.150, while Mattern holds the highest all-around score of the season with a 39.225. Kaitlynn Hofland leads the team on bars with an average of 9.818, while both Harrison and Mattern hold averages above 9.8 on floor as well.
Pittsburgh holds the No. 47 spot overall with a season-high of 195.250 and an RQS of 193.085. Pitt has posted their two highest scores of the season over the last two weeks, both of which were above 194. The team has two events ranked in the top-50, with the highest being floor at No. 39. Additionally, the Panthers sit at No. 43 on bars. The Panthers also have a pair of capable all-arounders in Lindsay Offutt and Tracey Pearson. Offutt, specifically, posted a huge score of 39.575, which is the eighth highest score in the nation this year. Miya Dotson has also been strong on bars with an average of 9.811 and a season-high of 9.925.
Last Time Against the Buckeyes and the Panthers: The last time that the Eagles matched up with the Buckeyes came in 2004, where the Scarlet and Grey narrowly edged out the Green and White, 195.275 - 195.200. Leading the way for Eastern was Leah Hashimoto, who posted a 39.250 in the all-around, highlighted by a 9.9 on vault. Rebbecca Fuss also had a solid day, finishing with a 39.100 and a 9.9 on beam. Not to be outdone, Brooke Morari also scored a 9.9 on floor.
The Green and White competed against Pitt much more recently, as the two teams met in the season opener, Jan. 10. There, the Eagles took home the victory, 194.875 - 191.050. Catie Conrad competed all-around for the first time at the event, posting a 39.050 with three scores of 9.825 or better. Kendall Valentin also had a great meet with three scores of 9.85 or better, including a 9.875 on vault. Finally, Rachel Slocum made her EMU debut on vault with a handspring front pike 1/2 that received a 9.85.
Last Time Out: Last weekend, Feb. 19, the Green and White defeated rival Western Michigan, 195.750 - 193.250, to avenge their earlier season loss to the Broncos. Natalie Gervais posted the team's highest score of the day at a 9.9 on bars, with Kendall Valentin just behind her with a 9.875, and Lacey Rubin rounding out the high-scoring trio with a 9.85. The team also flourished on floor, as Sydney McEachern scored a career-high 9.875. Both Catie Conrad and Rachel Slocum scored a 9.85, and Kimberly Ebeyer finished with a 9.825.
Looking Ahead: Following their trip to Ohio State, the Eagles will return to the state of Ohio the following weekend for a dual at Kent State, March 4. Action from the M.A.C. Center is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Then, to close out the regular season, the Green and White return home for a tri-meet with Central Michigan and Southeast Missouri, March 10.
Players Mentioned
AA
/ Gymnastics
V, BB, FX
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
V,BB,FX
/ Gymnastics
AA
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