Michigan State Comes to Town for Purple Out Epilepsy Awareness Night

Gymnastics vs. Michigan State
Date	Friday, March 1 \| 6 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center (8,754)
Preview Info	Meet Notes
Television	ESPN3
Live Stats	Live Stats
Twitter	@EMUGym \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team returns to action after a seven-day break Friday night, March 1, when it hosts in-state foe Michigan State University. The meet is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
   Fans can watch the meet on ESPN3 where Joel Godett and Megan Boyce will call the action. Additionally, the meet can be followed via the live results link found on the schedule page of EMUEagles.com or by following the team's account, @EMUGym, on Twitter.

LAST TIME OUT: Eastern finished third at the George Washington quad in Washington D.C., Feb. 22. EMU posted a 194.225 to top Towson, while the Eagles turned in a 49.250 on floor, their highest score of the season, and tying for the ninth-best in Eastern laurels. Additionally, EMU's overall score of 194.225 was the Eagles' fourth-highest mark of the year.

CAPTURING 9.9's: Two Eagles earned a score of 9.900 at the George Washington Quad, Feb. 22, in the form of junior Emili Dobronics and sophomore Cortney Bezold. Dobronics scored 9.900 on floor, tying her career-high and tying for first. Bezold hit 9.900 on bars, earning a new career-high to finish first in the event, while also tying the third-best score in program history.
   Dobronics and Bezold are the first this season to hit the 9.9 mark, while this is not the first time for the Orland Park, Ill. native, it is the first time that Bezold has hit the mark in her career. For her efforts, Bezold was selected the MAC Specialist of the Week, Feb. 26.

BEZOLD BLOSSOMS ON BARS: Sophomore Cortney Bezold was sensational on bars at the Geogre Washington Quad, Feb. 22, earning a career-best 9.900 on bars. Not only was her score a personal-best, but it also tied for the third-best in program history. Bezold's score is the highest by an Eagle on the apparatus since Kendall Valentin tied the program record with a 9.950 at the Temple Quad, March 11, 2018.

All-TIME AGAINST MSU: Friday night's meet will mark the fifth meeting between Eastern Michigan and Michigan State since the 2008 season. The Spartans hold a 4-1 edge in recent history, most recently handing the Eagles a 195.525-194.450 setback in East Lansing, Jan. 27, 2018.
   Overall, Eastern posted season-best scores on vault and bars with tallies of 48.900 and 49.025, respectively. Natalie Gervais claimed second on beam with a 9.825, while Anna Willette, Lacy Rubin, and Kendall Valentin added third-place finishes. Willette's third-place mark came via a 9.875 on vault, while Rubin and Valentin tied for third on bars with 9.850's.

LAST WIN OVER SPARTY: EMU'S last win over MSU came back during the 2015 season when the Eagles upset the No. 23 ranked Spartans, 195.225-194.350, as part of the Michigan State Quad Meet, March 6. It was just the second time in program history that EMU had knocked off a ranked team.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE: Michigan State will travel to Ypsilanti for the first time since the 2008 State of Michigan Classic. That 17th annual classic which was hosted in Bowen Field House saw Michigan take home top honors, followed by Michigan State (194.675) and Eastern Michigan (192.625) in second and third, respectively. Central claimed fourth with a score of 191.950, and Western Michigan rounded out the team standings in fifth with a 190.050.

MINASOLA REUNITING WITH MSU: EMU Head Coach Katie Minasola is no stranger to Michigan State gymnastics, as the second-year head coach served as an assistant in East Lansing from 2004-11. During her time with the Spartans, MSU reached the NCAA Regionals in six consecutive seasons (2006-11) and posted a pair of top-three team finishes in 2008 and 2011.

FRESHMAN FORCE: Both freshmen, Caitlin Satler and Shannon Gregory are hitting their strides as of late. The freshmen earned career-highs on floor at the George Washington Quad, Feb. 22. Satler earned 9.875, while Gregory scored 9.825. Both Satler and Gregory have been the most consistent freshman in the lineup, with Satler competing in all meets so far this season, and Gregory competing in all but two, missing the meet at University of Illinois-Chicago and Western Michigan at home.

VALUABLE VAULT: Vault has been the most consistent event for EMU this season, with scores between 48.420, and the season-high 48.850. Senior Allie Smith earned the highest score of the season so far on the apparatus, a 9.875. The Eagles are ranked 44th by the NCAA in vault, its highest ranking of any event, while EMU is slotted 46th in bars, beam, and floor.

LOOKING AHEAD: Eastern Michigan hits the road next weekend, as EMU travels to Kalamazoo for a clash with Western Michigan University Sunday, March 10. The meet is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will mark the third meeting between the two squads this season.
   Eastern toppled Western, 194.300-192.000 at the NIU Triangular, Jan. 18, before besting the Broncos, 194.850-193.725, at home, Feb. 8. EMU will look to top WMU for the fifth straight time.

Michigan State Comes to Town for Purple Out Epilepsy Awareness Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cortney Bezold

Emili Dobronics

Natalie Gervais

Shannon Gregory

Caitlin Satler

Allie Smith

Kendall Valentin

Anna Willette

Eastern Michigan Athletics