Gymnastics Readies for Busy Weekend at Georgia and Ball State

Gymnastics at Georgia Triangular \| Gymnastics at Ball State
Date	Friday, Feb. 14 \| 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16 \| 1 p.m.
Venue	Athens, Ga. - Stegeman Coliseum (10,400) Muncie, Ind. - Worthen Arena (11,500)
Preview Info	M eet Notes
Live Stats	Live Results
Twitter	@EMUGym \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team has a busy weekend ahead as it travels to Athens, Ga. to take on No. 11 University of Georgia and Ball State University in a triangular Friday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. EMU will then board a plane and travel back to the Midwest to compete in a Mid-American Conference meet against Ball State in Muncie, Ind. Sunday, Feb. 16, at 1 p.m.
All three teams enter the weekend on the wrong side of the win-loss column. The Eagles suffered a tough loss to Northern Illinois (195.175-194.375), Feb. 7. On the same day, nationally ranked Bulldogs lost to Southeastern Conference-foe, Arkansas, 196.950-196.750. BSU also got handed a loss from Western Michigan, Feb. 9, 195.750-193.675.

FOLLOWING THE MEET: Fans can follow the meet through live results or by following @EMUGym on Twitter. Links can be found on the EMU gymnastics schedule page located on EMUEagles. com.

LAST TIME OUT: Eastern Michigan fell short against Northern Illinois, 196.125-194.375, Feb. 7. Junior Jada Rondeau tied her career-high on bars, scoring 9.850, tying for first. On beam, sophomore Caitlin Satler earned a personal-best 9.900 to tie for first place. Junior Brianna Price also scored a career-high of 9.875, tying for fourth. Senior Emili Dobronics tied for first on floor with a score of 9.850.

LAST TIME VERSUS BALL STATE: Last season, the Eagles came away with the win over the Cardinals, 194.125-192.875, Jan. 24, 2019. The Green and White were led by then-sophomore Cortney Bezold, who took first-place on bars with a score of 9.850. Then-freshman Caitlin Satler tied for third on beam, scoring 9.775, and earned a career-high on floor, securing second with a 9.775. Then-junior Emili Dobronics took the top spot on floor, earning 9.850. In the all-around competition, Dobronics and then-sophomore Jada Rondeau went one-two, scoring 38.925 and 38.700, respectively.

BEZOLD, WE HAVE A WINNER: Sophomore Cortney Bezold claimed Mid-American Conference Specialist of the Week honors from the league office, Feb. 5. Bezold tied her career-high of 9.900 at Lindenwood, Feb. 2, to earn the award. The Maineville, Ohio native clinched the first MAC award of the season for the Green and White, and the second of her career.

FIRST TIME FOE: Friday, Feb. 14, will be the first meeting between Eastern Michigan and Georgia. The Green and White has competed against several Southeastern Conferencefoes, including Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, and Missouri.

RELIABLE RONDEAU: Junior Jada Rondeau has been reliable for the Green and White so far this season. The Savage, Minn. native ranks in the top-10 in the MAC in all-around (third), on bars (fourth), and beam (second). The junior is ranked 44th nationally in allaround and 58th on beam.

TAKE NOTICE: The Green and White are attempting to put the country on notice, climbing the rankings in several categories. Eastern Michigan ranks higher than any other MAC school on beam, sitting 24th nationally. EMU also ranks 36th in overall average score, as well as 37th in the country on bars and floor.

THE SATLER SPECIAL: Sophomore Caitlin Satler joined junior Cortney Bezold and senior Emili Dobronics as the only current Eagles to have scored a 9.900. Satler earned her career-high 9.900 on beam against NIU, Feb. 7. The Orland Park, Ill. native has seen success on beam, hitting 9.875-or-better three times this season. Satler won Mid-American Conference Specialist of the Week twice last season as a freshman, competing on beam and floor.

CALL IT A COMEBACK: Sophomore Kara Roberts returns to the gym after sitting out 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. Since her first meet, the sophomore continues to raise the bar.
Roberts ranks seventh in the Mid-American Conference with an average all-around score of 38.881, and eighth in the MAC on bars, averaging 9.740 on the apparatus.

BEZOLD ON BARS: Junior Cortney Bezold has started her season where she left off last year, having already hit two scores of 9.850 before tying her career-high of 9.900 at Lindenwood, Feb. 2. The junior ranks first in the MAC on the apparatus with an average score of 9.845, good for 46th nationally.

ATTACK THE MAC: The Eagles are making noise within the Mid-American Conference, sitting second in average overall score (194.680), 36th nationally. The Green and White rank high in a few categories throughout the conference, including first on beam (48.825), third on bars (48.460), and fourth on floor (48.785).

DARING DOBRONICS: A three-time regional qualifier, senior Emili Dobronics is working towards making it four-straight. The senior and co-captain of this year's squad currently ranks fifth on floor in the Mid-American Conference and 93rd nationally, averaging 9.835 in the event. The Orland Park, Ill. native has already hit scores of 9.850, three times, (at Bowling Green, Jan. 11, at Lindenwood, Feb. 2, against Northern Illinois, Feb. 7), and 9.825 (versus Western Michigan, Jan. 24).

FRESHMAN FORCE: The Eagles brought in seven freshman gymnasts this year and put them to work. EMU has four freshman that have competed so far this season in Hannah Hartung, Arileyah Harris, Molly Parris, and Mickayla Stuckey. In the MAC, only Central Michigan has more freshman seeing the competition floor at this point in the season with five.

ON THE HORIZON: After a long weekend of competition, the Eagles take a breath before heading to the Air Force Academy Saturday, Feb. 29. The action is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. MT and can be followed through live results on EMUEagles.com.

Gymnastics Readies for Busy Weekend at Georgia and Ball State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cortney Bezold

Emili Dobronics

Arileyah Harris

Hannah Hartung

Molly Parris

Brianna Price

Kara Roberts

Jada Rondeau

Caitlin Satler

Mickayla Stuckey

Eastern Michigan Athletics