Eagles Set For Home Opener Against Central Michigan

Gymnastics vs. Central Michigan
Date	Sunday, Jan. 19 \| 1 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center
Preview Info	Meet Notes
Live Stats	Live Results
Watch	ESPN3
Twitter	@EMUGym \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team welcomes in-state foe Central Michigan University to the Convocation Center Sunday, Jan. 19, for its home opener with action beginning at 1 p.m. Both teams enter the meet coming off wins. The Chippewas bested Michigan State (195.225) and Illinois State (192.850), hitting a final score of 195.675 in East Lansing, Mich. Jan. 11. On the same day, the Eagles are coming off a victory at Bowling Green, 194.875-193.325, that saw them close out the day with a score of 49.100 on beam and had five gymnasts see their first collegiate gymnastics action.

FOLLOWING THE MEET: Fans can follow the meet through live stats. Links can be found on the EMU gymnastics schedule page located on EMUEagles.com or catch the broadcast on ESPN3 with Tom Helmer and Ashlee Buhler.

LAST TIME AGAINST CENTRAL MICHIGAN: Eastern Michigan fell to Central Michigan, 195.050-192.750, inside McGuirk Arena Feb. 15, 2019. The Eagles started slow on bars with their top score coming from then-sophomore Cortney Bezold scoring 9.775, and on vault where Megan Hultgren hit 9.775 as well. EMU picked up the pace on floor as then-junior Emili Dobronics scored 9.875. Finishing the night on beam, it was Hultgren and then-sophmore Jada Rondeau leading the Eagles, both hitting 9.775. Despite registering 48.700 on the apparatus, the Green and White came up short.

LAST TIME OUT: The Green and White bested Bowling Green State University, 194.875193.325, Jan. 11 to open the season. The Eagles held the lead after the first rotation and did not look back, posting a beam score of 49.100, a higher score than was reached all of last year in the event. Eastern started the day on bars where junior Jada Rondeau tied her career-high of 9.850, claiming first. Moving to vault, senior Emili Dobronics hit 9.775 to earn third place, while sophomore Kara Roberts followed behind her with 9.725 for fourth place. On floor, it was again Dobronics leading the charge again, earning a 9.850 to tie for second. EMU closed out the meet on beam and poured it on. Sophomore Caitlin Satler tied her career-high of 9.875 to tie for first, followed by cousin Dobronics 9.850 for second place, and sophomore Shannon Gregory tied for fourth, scoring 9.825. In the all-around competition, both Rondeau and Roberts tied for second place, scoring 38.925.

BEAMing: EMU started the season strong on beam, ranking eight in the NCAA after scoring 49.100 at Bowling Green, Jan. 11. The Green and White were led by Caitlin Satler tying her career-high of 9.875, and was followed closely by Emili Dobronics score of 9.850. Fellow sophomore Shannon Gregory scored 9.825, while junior Brianna Price hit a new personal-best of 9.775. Closing out the scoring five, sophomore Kara Roberts scored 9.675 on the apparatus in her first collegiate meet after coming off an achilles tear a year ago.

PICKING UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF: Eastern Michigan is starting the season where it left off in 2019, having a strong performance at Bowling Green State, Jan. 11, and finishing the week ranked 28th in the country overall. The Green and White ranks eighth on beam, hitting a score of 49.100 against the Falcons, a score that tops the season high of 2019 (49.025). EMU also ranks 23rd on bars after junior Jada Rondeau came out and tied her personal-best in the event (9.850) at BGSU.

CALL IT A COMEBACK: Sophomore Kara Roberts returns to the gym after sitting her freshman year due to injury. The highly anticipated debut of the Pinckney, Mich. native did not disappoint as she tied for second in the all-around competition at Bowling Green, Jan. 11, with teammate Jada Rondeau, scoring 38.925. Roberts tied for fourth on vault, scoring 9.725, and third on bars with a score of 9.750. On beam, the sophomore earned 9.675 and on floor she hit a mark of 9.775.

KEY RETURNERS: Eastern lost four seniors at the end of the 2018-19 season, and added seven freshman. Key returners for the Eagles will be senior Emili Dobronics and juniors Jada Rondeau and Cortney Bezold. Dobronics will be a key contributor in her senior season as one of three Eagles to qualify for NCAA Regionals last season, and the only one to qualify for all-around, having finished the year with a regional qualifying score (RQS) of 39.165 in all-around and ranking 13th in the central region. The senior tied her career-high of 9.900 three times and recorded a new career-high all-around score of 39.250 against Western Michigan, Feb. 2, 2019. The Orland Park, Ill. native was selected to the All-MAC Second Team last season, MAC All-Tournament Team and her score of 9.900 on floor at the MAC Championships made her the first EMU gymnast to take home gold on an event since Leah Hashimoto, Natalie Hashimoto, and Sarah Wasilenko split the floor title in 2002. Rondeau was a workhorse for Eastern Michigan in the 2019 season. The junior posted personal-bests in all four events including 9.875 on floor at the Northern Illinois Triangular, Jan. 18, and 9.850 on bars at the George Washington Quad, Feb. 22. The Savage, Minn. native also earned a career-high in all-around, hitting 39.275 against Kent State, March 15. Bezold was another NCAA Regional qualifier last season, qualifying for bars with a RQS of 9.850, and ranking 19th on the apparatus in the central region. The sophomore hit 9.900 for the first time in her career at the George Washington Quad, Feb. 22, for a new career-best. The Maineville, Ohio native was selected to the All-MAC First Team for her efforts on bars in the 2019 season.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: This season the Green and White named captains for the first time in Katie Minasola era. The two gymnasts selected to lead the Eagles in the gym this year are senior Emili Dobronics and junior Cali Harden. Both Dobronics and Harden were essential to the success of the team last season as both competed in every meet for the Green and White.

NEW FACES IN THE GYM: EMU welcomes eight new gymnasts to its roster for the 2020 season, including seven freshman and a senior graduate transfer in Xarria Lewis. Lewis comes to EMU from Missouri where she hit a career-high 9.825 on vault three times, including the 2016 Southeastern Conference Championships. Dani Coyne, Hadyn Crossen, Arileyah Harris, Hannah Hartung, Corey Melcher, Molly Parris, and Mickayla Stuckey are all freshman brought in this year to help solidify an Eagles team in the hunt for a fourth Mid-American Conference Championship.

ON THE HORIZON: The Eagles will go back-to-back at home, this time welcoming their other in-state foe, Western Michigan. The meet will take place at the Convocation Center Friday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. and will serve as Epilepsy Awareness Day in honor of our Team Impact teammate Ella Dover. Fans can catch the action on ESPN3.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cortney Bezold

Dani Coyne

Hadyn Crossen

Emili Dobronics

Ella Dover

Shannon Gregory

Cali Harden

Arileyah Harris

Hannah Hartung

Megan Hultgren

Xarria Lewis

Corey Melcher

Molly Parris

Brianna Price

Kara Roberts

Jada Rondeau

Caitlin Satler

Mickayla Stuckey

Eastern Michigan Athletics