Gymnastics Prepares for MAC's Saturday

Gymnastics at MAC Championships
Date	Saturday, March 23 \| 2 p.m.
Venue	Muncie, Ind. \| Worthen Arena (11,500)
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF)
Live Stats	Live Results
Watch	ESPN+
Twitter	@EMUGym \| @EMUAthletics

MUNCIE, Ind.(EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team will make its way to Muncie, Ind., once more this year, following the regular-season finale against Ball State University, March 17. The Eagles prepare for the Mid-American Conference Championships, set to be hosted by the Cardinals Saturday, March 23, inside Worthen Arena. Along with the Green and White, the championship meet will feature MAC foes, Ball State, Bowling Green State University, Central Michigan University, Kent State University, Northern Illinois University, and Western Michigan University.

FOLLOWING THE MEET: The meet, which will be held inside the Worthen Arena, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., and can be watched on ESPN+. Fans can also follow the meet through live results. Links can be found on the EMU gymnastics schedule page located on EMUEagles.com.

ABOUT "MAC'S": The 2024 MAC Championships will mark the 42nd annual championship meet in MAC history with the first starting in 1981 (*did not have a championship meet in 2020). However, the NCAA did not recognize gymnastics as a "championship sport" until 1982, thus beginning the NCAA National Championships.
    The winner of the inaugural MAC Championship in 1981 was meet host, Kent State, with a final team score of 138.00 (scoring was different). Since then, the Golden Flashes have won the title 11 times with Central Michigan holding the most amount of championship wins at 17. Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan follow with four MAC Championship victories each, while Bowling Green holds three, and Ball State and NIU have earned just one apiece.

EMU AT THE "MAC'S": A four-time MAC Champion (2007, 2016, 2017, & 2021), EMU claimed victory in the championship meet for the first time in the 2007 season under former Head Coach Steve Wilce. In that meet, the host Eagles scored a 194.525 to claim the title for the first time in program history before earning it again in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, respectively.
    Former Head Coach Jay Santos led the Green and White to victory with a team score of 196.425 in Muncie, Ind., before the most recent former Head Coach, Sarah Brown claimed the title with a 196.500 team score in Bowling Green, Ohio.
    After being hired as just the fifth program head coach of the Eagles in 2017, current Head Coach Katie Minasola led the 2021 roster to EMU's fourth MAC Championship victory, as those Eagles scored a 195.900 in Kalamazoo, Mich., to earn the win.

INDIVIDUAL EAGLES: Eastern Michigan has produced 32 individual MAC Champions since the conference meet began in 1981. Molly Parris and Ella Chemotti are the only Eagles on the active roster who have won individual MAC titles. Chemotti earned a career-high 9.900 to tie for first on bars in the 2022 season championships. In 2021, Parris posted a personal best 9.850 to become EMU's first vault champion since Chris Deitrick accomplished the feat in 1988.

2024 REGULAR SEASON OVERVIEW: Eastern Michigan finished its 2024 regular-season campaign with a 7-9 overall record and sits 2-4 in the MAC, holding league wins over Bowling Green, Feb. 11, and Northern Illinois, Feb. 18. The team stands fifth in the MAC standings with a National Qualifying Score (NQS) of 195.595 and an average score of 195.105.
    Overall, the team's 196.450 season-high score at Kent State, March 3, ranks third best in EMU program history and was just the second 196.000 team score or above of the season. For reference, the highest score achieved by EMU in its all-time history was a 196.600 set at Bowling Green State University, Feb. 13, 2016.

IN THE RECORD BOOK: EMU has earned a team top-10 record book score seven times this season. Most recently, the team's 196.450 team score at Kent State, March 3, ranks third best in EMU program history, while the team's 49.250 bars score ties for second best all-time, and the 49.250 beam score ranks fifth all-time. Below is a list of all top-10 scores this season.

                    TOP 10 PROGRAM SCORES THIS SEASON
RANK SCORE        EVENT                   MEET (DATE)
                 t-2.           49.250        Bars                       at Kent State (March 3)
                 3.             196.450 Overall                   at Kent State (March 3)
                 3.             49.125        Vault at Northern Illinois (Jan. 28)
                 5.             49.250        Beam                      at Kent State (March 3)
                 6.             49.175        Beam                      vs. Northern Illinois (Feb. 18)
                 t-7.           196.100 Overall at Bowling Green (Feb. 11)
                 t-10.         49.125        Beam                      at Bowling Green (Feb. 11)

THE TEAM IN THE RANKINGS: The team ranks 47th in the NCAA rankings as of March 21, 2024 (Road To Nationals). The highest EMU has been ranked in program history (started tracking in 1998) was the 2016 team that ranked 17th in the nation.

      NATIONAL RANKINGS (MAC only):
      23. Kent State
      35. Ball State
      t-39. Western Michigan
      t-39. Central Michigan
47. Eastern Michigan
      52. Northern Illinois
      56. Bowling Green

ALL-MAC FIRST TEAM HONORS (x2): EMU placed two gymnasts on the All-MAC First Team, the league announced Tuesday, March 19. Junior Ella Chemotti collected her third consecutive first team nod, while senior Raisa Boris earned the honor for the first time in her career. The two combined for 741.85 of EMU's total points in the 2024 campaign with Boris' 430.8 individual points leading the team and ranking first in the league for the all-around with a NQS of 39.360. On beam, Chemotti continues to hold the top spot in the event as she has led the MAC in the category for three consecutive years, earning a personal-best NQS of 9.880 this season.

RAISA IN THE RANKINGS: Marking just the seventh Eagle to earn a First Team nod in program history, Raisa Boris took the overall spot among all all-arounders in the MAC with a NQS of 39.360. Additionally, her performances ranked third in the MAC on beam, sixth on bars, and eighth on the floor. Nationally, Boris ranks 37th (according to Road to Nationals) with her personal-best being a 39.525 which she secured this season.
ALL ABOUT ALL-AROUND RAI: A four-time MAC Gymnast of the Week, Raisa Boris leads the Green and White posting seven all-around victories in her senior season while garnering the second-highest all-around score in EMU program history with her 39.525 at Kent State University, March 3. Additionally, she has earned the top spot in individual events 18 times, earning a 9.900-or-better six times.

ALL ABOUT ELLA: With her three straight first team honors, the 2022 MAC Freshman of the Year becomes the first EMU gymnast in program history (regular season All-MAC selections started in 2013) to secure the first team three-peat. The closest EMU gymnast to Ella Chemotti's feat was former Eagle Anna Willette who earned second team in 2013 before receiving the first team recognition in 2014 and again in 2015. The junior was a big addition to Eastern Michigan on beam for the 2024 season, averaging a 9.773 on the apparatus and scoring a 9.900-or-better three times, including a season-best 9.925, just short of her personal-best 9.950 set in her sophomore season.

KEY EAGLE: Awarded after every contest, the EMU gymnastics coaches choose one gymnast to anoint as that meet's Key Eagle. Below is a list of all the 2024 "Key Eagles".

                 KEY EAGLE                                                    MEET (DATE)
                 1. Raisa Boris                                                  at Western Michigan (Jan. 7)
                 2. Jacquelyn Patterson                            at Minnesota (Jan. 13)
                 3. Brooke Maycroft                                     at Central Michigan (Jan. 29)
                 4. Ella Chemotti                                           vs. UW-Stout (Jan. 21)
                 5. Alana Fisher                                              at NIU Triangular (Jan. 28)
                 6. Katie Butler                                               vs. Western Michigan (Feb. 2)
                 7. Genae Daniel                                            at BGSU Quad (Feb. 11)
                 8. Jordan Jankowski                                   vs. Northern Illinois (Feb. 18)
                 9. Trinity Macy                                               at Kent State (March 8)
                 10. Anna-Grace McCullough                at Ameritas Masters Classic (March 9)
                 11. Katin Childress                                      at Ball State (March 17)

ON THE HORIZON: Dependent on the results of the MAC Championships, March 23, the Eagles will have a chance to qualify for the NCAA Regionals. The 2024 NCAA women's gymnastics regional sites are set to begin Wednesday, April 3, and continue through national selections, Monday, April 8, leading up to the national championship from Thursday, April 18 to Saturday, April 20.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Raisa Boris

Katie Butler

Ella Chemotti

Katin Childress

Genae Daniel

Alana Fisher

Jordan Jankowski

Trinity Macy

Brooke Maycroft

Molly Parris

Jacquelyn Patterson

Eastern Michigan Athletics