Gymnastics Welcomes NIU to the Convo for Senior Night

Gymnastics vs. Northern Illinois
Date	Friday, Feb. 7 \| 6 p.m. ET
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 the reigning Mid-American Conference Champions, Northern Illinois University, to the Convocation Center for senior night Friday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m.
   The Eagles are coming off a season-high performance of 195.325 at Lindenwood University, Feb. 2, which earned them their second win of the season. On the same day, NIU defeated Central Michigan University, 195.075-194.550.

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

LAST TIME AGAINST THE HUSKIES The last time Eastern Michigan competed against Northern Illinois was Jan. 18, 2019, at the NIU Triangular in Dekalb, Ill. The Eagles took on both the Huskies and the Broncos of Western Michigan, placing second with a score of 194.300. Host-Northern Illinois placed first, scoring 194.675.
   Then-sophomore Jada Rondeau had a career-day, scoring season-highs on vault (9.800), floor (9.875), and in the all-around competition (39.000), and placing first in all three of those events, plus a first-place finish on bars with a score of 9.825.
   Other notable performances came from then-junior Emili Dobronics, who tied for third on vault and second on floor with scores of 9.750 and 9.850, respectively.

LAST TIME OUT: EMU started the day slow on bars but was picked up immediately by junior Cortney Bezold, who tied her career-high with a huge 9.900, giving her first on the event.
   On vault, sophomore Kara Roberts tied her career-high as well, hitting 9.800 and tied for second.
   Senior Emili Dobronics and sophomore Caitlin Satler both scored 9.850 to tie for first-place. Roberts and junior Brianna Price both scored personal-bests, earning 9.825 and 9.800, respectively. Freshman Mickayla Stuckey made a splash with her score of 9.725, also a personal-best.
   Three gymnasts tied for second-place on beam. Junior Jada Rondeau, Dobronics, and Satler, earned 9.875, creating a career-high for Rondeau and tying the personal-bests of the other two.
   Rondeau finished the day in first in the all-around competition, while as a team, Eastern hit season-highs in all-around (195.325), vault (48.800), and beam (49.225).

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 (fifth), beam (third), and floor (ninth). The junior is ranked 46th nationally in all-around as well.

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 and bars, sitting 28th and 32nd nationally, respectively. On floor, the Eagles sit 32nd and on vault they rank 45th.

THE SATLER SPECIAL: Sophomore Caitlin Satler had a strong day as a specialist for the Green and White against Lindenwood, Feb. 2. Satler tied for second on beam, scoring 9.875, tying her career-high. Then the Orland Park. Ill. native backed that up with a score of 9.850 on floor to tie for first and giving her season-high in the event.

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 (66th nationally) with an average all-around score of 38.931, and 10th in the MAC on bars, averaging 9.737 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 9.850, good for 34th nationally.

ATTACK THE MAC: The Eagles are making noise within the Mid-American Conference, sitting third in average overall score (194.756), 36th nationally. The Green and White rank high in a few categories throughout the conference including first on bars (48.656), first on beam (48.725), and second on floor (48.800).

DARING DOBRONICS: A three-time regional qualifier, senior Emili Dobronics is working towards making it four-straight. The senior and captain of this year's squad currently ranks fifth on floor in the Mid-American Conference and 89th nationally, averaging 9.831 in the event. The Orland Park, Ill. native has already hit scores of 9.850, twice, (at Bowling Green, Jan. 11 and at Lindenwood, Feb. 2), 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. Only Central Michigan in the MAC has more freshman seeing the competition floor at this point in the season with five.

SENIOR NIGHT: Eastern is set to honor four seniors for not only their contributions to the program, but also the many accomplishments they have achieved both athletically and academically in their college careers. The four to be honored are, Emili Dobronics, Megan Benzie, Xarria Lewis and Ella Dover.

ON THE HORIZON: The Eagles head south to the University of Georgia for a triangular with Ball State University Friday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. The Green and White will turn around and head straight to Ball State for a conference-meet on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 1 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Megan Benzie

Cortney Bezold

Emili Dobronics

Ella Dover

Arileyah Harris

Hannah Hartung

Xarria Lewis

Molly Parris

Brianna Price

Kara Roberts

Jada Rondeau

Caitlin Satler

Mickayla Stuckey

Eastern Michigan Athletics