2015 Eastern Michigan University Gymnastics Meet Notes
1
meet
12
Eastern Michigan at MAC Championships
Saturday, March 21 --2 p.m.
EMU Gymnastics Schedule
Dec. 7 at Michigan (Ex.)
Jan.
9TEMPLE
L, 192.40-196.150
W, 193.925-187.200
Jan. 17 at Central Michigan* ! L, 194.575-195.875
Jan.
17 vs. Seattle Pacific ! W, 194.575-187.250
Jan. 24 BOWLING GREEN*W, 195.250-192.425
Michigan/Illinois Challenge
Jan. 31 at Illinois State @ W, 194.650-189.650
Jan. 31 vs. Illinois-Chicago @ W, 194.650-189.925
Jan. 31 at Central Michigan @ W, 194.650-194.000
Feb.
7 KENT STATE*
W, 194.700-193.800
Feb. 15 ILLINOIS-CHICAGOW, 194.675-192.425
Feb. 20 at Western Michigan*L, 195.575-196.175
Feb. 22 BALL STATE*
W, 195.275-193.875
Feb. 28 at Lindenwood
W, 195.125-194.000
Feb. 28 vs. Illinois-Chicago W, 195.125-191.300
Feb.
28 vs. Illinois State
W, 195.125-194.125
March 6 at Michigan State #W, 195.225-194.350
March 6 vs. Arizona #
L, 195.225-195.450
March 6 vs. Bowling Green #L, 195.225-195.250
March 15 at Northern Illinois*L, 195.525-195.800
March 21 MAC Championship $
2 p.m.
* Mid-American Conference meet
! Central Michigan tri-meet (Mount Pleasant, Mich.)
$ MAC Championship (Kent, Ohio)
@ at Michigan/Illinois Challenge (Normal, Ill.)
# Michigan State tri-meet (East Lansing, Mich.)
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Eastern Michigan
EAGLES
2015 Record: 13-5, 3-3 MAC
Ranking:
N/A
Head Coach: Jay Santos
Mid-American Conference
2015 Regular Season Standings
Central Michigan
Northern Illinois
Eastern Michigan
Western Michigan
Bowling Green
Kent State
Ball State
5-1
4-2
3-3
3-3
2-4
2-4
2-4
#EMUGYM Preview
Gymnastics Flocks to Kent State for 2015 MAC Championships: The Eastern Michigan
Unviersity gymnastics team will travel to Kent, Ohio Saturday, March 21 for the 2015 MidAmerican Conference Championships starting at 2 p.m. inside the Memorial Athletics and
Convocation Center.
Last Year at the MAC Championships: The Eagles placed sixth overall at the 2014 MidAmerican Conference Championships as they hosted the meet at the Convocation Center, March 22. The Green and White score a 193.850, recording its highest score of the
meet with a 48.650 on the bars.
Eagles Score Third-Highest Tally in School History: Despite falling to Northern Illinois
in its final regular season meet of the 2015 campaign, the Green and White earned the
third-highest score in school history with a 195.525, including a title from Kendall Valentin and Natalie Gervais.
Willette Nabs All-MAC Honors for the Third Time: Senior Anna Willette earned AllMAC accolades for the third-straight season after being second team in the 2013 campaign and taking first team honors in 2014. The senior all-around gymnast is the first
Eagle to earn first team honors twice since the regular season All-MAC teams began in
2013. Willete has had a standout career for the Green and White, stepping up in her senior season to compete as an all-around competitor. The senior gymnast captured six
all-around titles in 10 meets and tied for first in the Mid-American Conference with a RQS
of 39.06. Furthermore, the Pylesville, Md. native’s career-high 39.175 in the all-around ties
for third overall in EMU gymnastics history.
Willette placed in the top-three 17 times in the 2015 campaign, including six topthree finishes on the vault, three top-three finishes on the bars, four on the beam and two
on the floor. Willette has earned a total of 13 titles in her senior season as an Eagle, including six all-around titles, four vault titles, two bar titles and one beam title, while ranking in
a tie for sixth in the conference on the vault. In the 2015 campaign, Willette surpassed her
personal bests on the vault and floor earning career-high scores of 9.875 and 9.800, respectively, while tying her personal-best on the beam with a 9.850. Moreover, the senior
gymnast notched her career-best 9.800 on the floor on three separate occasions for the
Green and White. Willette etched her name in the EMU record book two other times when
Gymnastics Contact: Megan Samassa • 734.487.0317 • Cell: 810.223.3700 • [email protected]
2015 Eastern Michigan University Gymnastics Meet Notes
The EMU Record Book
All-Around
1.
Natalie Hashimoto
2.
Leah Hashimoto
39.725
39.475 Loehner and Valentin Earn Second Team All-MAC Accolades: Redshirt-senior Chantelle
Loehner and freshman Kendall Valentin received second team honors, the league announced
39.175 Wednesday, March 18. The All-MAC teams were voted on by the conference’s head coaches.
39.175 Loehner has put together an impressive year for the Green and White on the floor. The senior
39.175 floor specialist competed in 11 meets for the Eagles in her final season and nabbed five titles for
the Green and White, while placing in the top-three on three other occasions. Loehner posted
a career-best 9.900 on the floor on two separate occasions, which not only earned her the title
against both UIC and the Lindenwood Quad Meet, but also ties for sixth in EMU laurels. Further10.000 more, Loehner is second overall in the Mid-American Conference with a season average of 9.832
9.900 on the floor for EMU in 2015.
Valentin competed in 10 meets for the Green and White in her first collegiate season. The fresh9.900
man nabbed 13 top-three finishes, including tying for first on two occasions and nabbing a first9.900 place finish on the uneven bars in the Eagles’ final meet of the 2015 campaign. Against NIU, Val9.875 entin recorded a career-best 9.875 on the bars that not only solidified her title, but was also the
9.875 seventh-highest score in EMU history. The Holmdel, N.J. native capped off her freshman season
ranked third in the Mid-American Conference on the bars and tied for 16th on the vault. Valentin
competed consistently on the vault, bars and beam for the Green and White in 2015 and holds
personal best scores of 9.850, 9.875 and 9.750, respectively, as well as carrying an average score
9.950 of 9.778 on the vault and a 9.798 on the bars.
t-3. Jolene Worley
t-3. Khadijah Hudson
t-3. Anna Willette
Vault
1.
Natalie Hashimoto
t-2. Rachel Johnson
t-2. Leah Hashimoto
t-2. Tawna Bennett
t-5. Nikole Viltz
t-5. Anna Willette
Bars
1.
Natalie Hashimoto
t-2. Lindsay Gamrod
9.900
EMU Defeats Michigan State for the Second Time in Program History: The win over the No.
9.900 23 Spartans marks the first time Eastern has defeated a ranked team this season and only the sec9.900 ond time in program history that the Green and White has downed MSU as Michigan State held
9.875 a 35-1 all-time record over the Eagles prior to the meet. Furthermore, the win over the Spartans
is the first time an Eastern team has defeated a ranked team since at least 2006 when gymnastics
records began being posted online.
t-2. Leah Hashimoto
t-2. Jennifer Charlebois
5.
Chrissy Jones
Beam
1.
Natalie Hashimoto
t-2. Jenika Faes
t-2. Jennie Spindler
t-2. Rebecca Fuss
t-5. Dana Stencel
t-5. Leah Hashimoto
t-5. Sara Wasilenko
t-5. Jolene Worley
Floor
t-1. Natalie Hashimoto
t-1. Sara Wasilenko
t-1. Leah Hashimoto
t-1. Brooke Morari
5.
Emily Koechel
Team Highs
Overall Score
195.575
at Western Michigan
49.350
at Missouri
Vault
Bars
49.200
vs. Kent State
Beam
49.075
MAC Championships
10.000 Breaking the 195-Point Plateau: The 2015 Eastern Michigan gymnastics team has been all
about breaking barriers this season under first year Head Coach Jay Santos, including tallying a
9.900
EMU school record breaking 195.575 against Western Michigan, Feb. 20.
9.900 Not only have the Eagles broken the school record this season, but they have also posted the
9.900 best record of any gymnastics team at Eastern Michigan in the past nine years and have broken
9.875 the 195.000 plateau on five separate occasions. Prior to the Green and White’s 195.250-192.425
win over Bowling Green State University, Jan. 24, the Eagles had not broken the 195-point barrier
9.875
since the 2004 campaign when they tallied a then-school record 195.550 at the Mid-American
9.875 Conference Championship, March 19, 2004.
9.875
Eastern Comes Up Big in Final Two Rotations at MSU: After starting off the meet a little shaky
on the beam, the Eagles to put together two season-best performances in their final two rotations of the night at the Michigan State Quad Meet, March 6.
9.950 In its third rotation, the team had a big showing on the vault with a season-best 48.900 and
9.950 senior Anna Willette tying her career best of 9.875
As has been the story of the season for the Eagles, the Green and White topped its previous
9.950
season-best with a 49.025 on the bars in its final rotation, led by Lacey Rubin and Kendall Val9.950 entin, who earned identical 9.850s on the apparatus to tie for third place.
9.925
Green and White Sees Six Career-Best Performance in East Lansing: Much like the earlier
part of the season, Eastern always comes up big in its final two rotations of the meets and the
Michigan State Quad was no different. The Eagles saw season-best scores on both the vault and
the bars to close out the meet and also had six career-best individual performances.
First on the vault, senior Anna Willette placed third tying her career best with a 9.875, while
02-20-15 freshman Julia Schwartz followed it up with a fifth-place finish and a career-high 9.825. To cap
off the rotation, senior Paulina Miller also tied her previous career best with a 9.750.
03-02-03 In the final rotation, EMU again topped a season-best with a 49.025 on the uneven bars and
had three more career-best performances. Lacey Rubin and Kendall Valentin tied for third over02-25-01 all with identical 9.850s in the final event of the night. The mark was a career best for Rubin and
tied a career high for Valentin. Tying for eighth overall with matching 9.800s were Catie Conrad
and Willette. The score was a career best for Conrad, topping her previous career high of 9.775.
03-24-01 Floor
49.425
2
she grabbed a 9.875 on the vault against Michigan State to tie for fifth all-time in EMU laurels,
while her career-best 9.850 on the beam ties for ninth all-time in school history. For her efforts in
the 2015 campaign, Willette nabbed Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week honors on
one occasion when she helped the Eagles to a victory over Bowling Green, Jan. 27.
MAC Championships
03-19-04
Gymnastics Contact: Megan Samassa • 734.487.0317 • Cell: 810.223.3700 • [email protected]
3
2015 Eastern Michigan University Gymnastics Meet Notes
Front Row (L-R): Rachel Slocum, Sydney McEachern, Kimberly Ebeyer, Taylor Young, Kendall Valentin, Lacey Rubin, Megan Marino, Carrina Lo
Bello, Catie Conrad and Kirsten Gendron. Second Row (L-R): Kelsie Brooks, Julia Schwartz, Natalie Gervais, Bianca Jordaan, Chantelle Loehner, Nikki Paterson, Tiffany Foy, Paulina Miller, Anna Willette and Ashlin Chambliss.
Outscoring Its Competition: The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team secured three wins with victories over Lindenwood, IllinoisChicago and Illinois State, Feb. 28. In the meet, the Green and White outscored all three of its competitors on both the vault and the floor with
scores of 48.925 and 49.125, respectively, while it tied with Lindenwood on the bars with a score of 48.650 and came in third on the beam with
a 48.425.
The win marked the third time this season EMU has defeated UIC and the second time it has come away the victors against the Redbirds.
Furthermore, the trio of victories improves the Eagles to 12-2 overall on the season.
Loehner and Slocum Lead Eagles on the Floor: Following a rough team performance on the beam at the Lindenwood Quad, redshirt-senior
Chantelle Loehner and true freshman Rachel Slocum helped the Eagles get back on track with stellar floor performances. Loehner put together a career-tying performance with a 9.900 to notch her fifth floor title of the 2015 season, while Slocum tied a career high 9.875 with a
second-place finish.
In a competitive event at the quad meet, Anna Willette placed seventh overall with a 9.800, which tied a career high and both Taylor Young
and Sydney McEachern tied for ninth with matching 9.775s, which tied a career best for Young.
Eastern Finishes Strong at Lindenwood Quad: In its final event of the meet at the Lindenwood Quad, Eastern grabbed four of the top-five
spots on the vault. Senior all-around competitor Anna Willette finished off her day with a team-best and season-best score of 9.850 to place
second fo the Green and White, while Carrina Lo Bello was right behind Willette with a third-place finish after nabbing a 9.800 from the judges,
which tied a career high. Placing fourth overall with a 9.775 was Kendall Valentin and tying for fifth with identical 9.750s were Sydney McEachern, Paulina Miller and Julia Schwartz, tying a career high for Miller.
EMU Holds Highest RQS in School History: Following a school record-breaking performance at Western Michigan and capping off a perfect
2015 home slate, the Eagles hold the highest Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) in EMU gymnastics history with a 194.890.
The RQS is based on a team’s and an all-around competitor’s six best regular season meet scores, of which three must be away. To obtain the
regional qualifying score, the high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged.
The Green and White’s RQS of 194.890 ranks 32nd nationally and ranks second in the Mid-American Conference, behind only Central Michigan University who carries a RQS of 195.220. EMU’s score of 194.890 topped the Eagles all-time best by .215, when Eastern earned a 194.675 in
the 2001 campaign.
Gymnastics Contact: Megan Samassa • 734.487.0317 • Cell: 810.223.3700 • [email protected]
2015 Eastern Michigan University Gymnastics Meet Notes
4
Willette Ranked in the Top-30 in her First Season as an All-Around Competitor: EMU senior
Anna Willette is ranked 29th nationally in the all-around standings, averaging a 38.932 in her
seven appearances in the all-around lineup this season. The Pylesville, Md. native has captured
five titles in seven competitions with her career-best 39.175 tying for third in EMU laurels.
Furthermore, Willette is the top gymnast in the Mid-American Conference for all-around as
the next closest conference competitor is Alyssa Nocella of Bowling Green State University, who
ranks 38th overall with an average of 38.725.
The Jay Santos File
Jay Santos was named the Eagles’ head women’s gymnastics
coach, June 17, 2014 by Eastern Michigan University Vice President and Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. Santos comes to
Ypsilanti after spending three seasons as associate head coach
at the University of Illinois.
Santos, who owns 15 years experience of coaching and competing at the Division I level, completed his third season as the
associate head coach and fourth year overall in Champaign, Ill.
The Bridgewater, Mass. native arrived at Illinois in 2010 following
stints at Iowa State University and Ohio State University. At UI, he
served as the head bars coach while assisting and spotting on
the other events. He also had an integral role in recruiting, along
with overseeing all equipment-related matters.
During the 2014 season at Illinois, the 42-year old Santos
helped the Fighting Illini to their third trip to NCAA Championships in four seasons and their first consecutive trips in school
history. The squad recorded a 195.8 in Birmingham, its highest
score ever in the NCAA semifinal session; and as a result, the
Orange and Blue tied the program’s best finish and final national
ranking of 11th. In addition, Illinois ended the season in the top
25 for the ninth consecutive year.
In 2013, Santos mentored senior Alina Weinstein to three bars
titles while coaching Kato to two bars titles. On Feb. 16 against the
University of Iowa, the Illini scored the fourth highest bars score in
program history with a 49.250. The Orange and Blue ranked No.
20 nationally in the event, as both Weinstein and Kato finished
in the Top-50. In addition, the Illini scored a 49.025 on bars at the
Big Ten Championships along the way to their season-high score
of 196.475 and their fourth place finish.
In 2012, Santos guided Weinstein and senior Kelsey Joannides
to top-25 national rankings in the all-around. Altogether, Santos
coached five different Illini to uneven bar titles for a total of 10
individual bars titles, which ranked as the second most for an
event on the team. The highest bars score of the season by the
team came at the Big Ten Championships when the Orange and
Blue tallied a 49.100.
In his first season at Illinois, the Illini notched their highest
final ranking in school history, as they concluded the season No.
11 in the country following the squad’s second-ever appearance
at the NCAA Championships. After arriving in Champaign in the
midst of preseason training, Santos made an immediate impact
on the Orange and Blue. Santos’ bar team tallied two of the top10 scores in school history while two gymnasts placed in the
top three on the event at the Big Ten Championships under his
guidance. The Illini also broke the school record for team score
in his first year on staff.
At Iowa State, Santos served as the recruiting coordinator
and bars coach for the Cyclones. He helped guide the Cyclones
to four-consecutive NCAA Regional appearances, a co-runner up
finish at the 2007 Central Regional and second-place showing
at the 2008 Big 12 Championships. Santos tutored three Big XII
Conference bar champions and six top-four conference finishers
on the apparatus during his tenure at ISU.
Before his arrival in Ames, Santos spent two seasons as an
assistant coach at Ohio State. While at OSU, he coached bars and
floor and was a major factor in recruiting. He also coached five
Buckeyes to All-Big Ten honors.
Prior to Ohio State, Santos spent eight years coaching at
Somersault Gymnastics Center in Stoughton, Mass., serving as
the women’s team director and head coach for his last four years.
At Somersault Gymnastics, he was responsible for all facets of the
women’s program and produced several Junior Olympic national
and regional qualifiers, and many state champions. Santos served
as a nationally-rated men’s gymnastics judge from 1997-2001,
working numerous college dual meets as well as Junior Olympic
state and regional championships.
Santos graduated from the University of Massachusetts at
Amherst, Mass. in 1995, earning a business degree in operations
management. He competed for the men’s gymnastics team for
four seasons and during his stay at UMass the Minutemen won
the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) team championship in 1995, and the New England regional championship
from 1992-95. Individually, Santos was a three-time co-captain
for UMass.
EMU Breaks School Record at Western Michigan: Despite tallying a school record-breaking
195.575, the Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team fell in a Mid-American Conference
dual to in-state foe Western Michigan University, 196.175-195.575, Friday, Feb. 20.
EMU’s score of 195.575 topped the Green and White’s all-time best by .025, when Eastern
nabbed a 195.550 at the Mid-American Conference Championships, Mar. 19, 2004.
Carinna Lo Bello paced the EMU lineup on the uneven bars, earning a 9.800 and a thirdplace finish in the event, while Nikki Paterson, Lacey Rubin, and Kendall Valentin all scored
matching 9.775s to tie for fifth, marking a then-career-high for Rubin. On the vault, Valentin led
the Green and White, tying for second with a career-high 9.850, which also tied for sixth all-time
in EMU laurels. On the floor, freshman Rachel Slocum led all Green and White gymnasts, tying
for second with a career-best 9.875, while Sydney McEachern placed sixth overall with a 9.775.
In the Green and White’s final rotation, it was again Lo Bello who led the Green and White with a
career-high 9.850 on the beam and a second-place finish. As a team, the Eagles earned a 48.800,
but again Western Michigan had the edge with a 49.025 in the event.
Eagles Cap Off Perfect Home Slate with Win Over Ball State: For the first time in the past 10
seasons, the Eastern Michigan gymnastics team put together an unblemished home record. The
Eagles capped off the 2015 campaign with a 5-0 mark in their first full season competiting inside
the friendly confines of the Convocation Center following a 195.275-193.875 victory over Ball
State, Feb. 22. Prior to this season, EMU’s best home record came in the 2010 season when the
Eagles boasted a 4-1 record inside Bowen Field House.
Eagles Post Two Performances in EMU Top-10 Laurels: The Green and White gymnastics team
had an impressive day against the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames Sunday, Feb. 15, when
three gymnasts etched their names into the EMU record book. First, on the beam, sophomore
Natalie Gervais found her spot in the record book with a career-high 9.850, which ties for ninth
overall in Green and White gymnastics history. To close out the afternoon, redshirt-senior Chantelle Loehner shone once again on the floor, earning a career-best 9.900 that tied for sixth
overall in the Eagle record book and earned the Cary, Ill. native her fourth floor title of the 2015
season.
Topping Each Performance: The Eagles seem to earn a season-best score each time they step
on the floor this season and Sunday’s dual against UIC was no different. The Green and White
earned two season-best team performances, while seven gymnasts nabbed career-high days.
EMU’s two final rotations of the day went down as season highs as Eastern earned a 48.900 on
the beam and a 49.075 on the floor.
In addition to the team-bests, Carinna Lo Bello earned a career-high 9.800 on the vault. Fans
also saw three career days on the beam when sophomore Natalie Gervais scored a 9.850 for
a first-place finish, Lacey Rubin place second with her career-best 9.852, and Catie Conrad
capped off the event with a career-high 9.750. Finally, Chantelle Loehner notched her fourth
floor title of the season with a 9.900 and Rachel Slocum earned a 9.850 for her routine, followed
by a career-best 9.725 from Taylor Young in her first scored routine as an Eagle.
EMU Uses Final Rotation to Secure Victory over KSU: The Eagles continued to put together
stellar performances on the floor using a 48.950 in their final event of the night to secure the
194.700-193.800 comeback victory over Kent State Saturday, Feb. 7. The Green and White outscored the Golden Flashes by 0.65 in the final event and were once again led by redshirt-senior
Chantelle Loehner, who captured her third floor title of the season with a score of 9.825. Following Loehner, Sydney McEachern and Anna Willette put together career-high performances
with identical 9.800s for EMU, while Rachel Slocum tallied a career-high 9.775 in the event.
Loehner Shines on the Floor for the Green and White: Redshirt-senior Chantelle Loehner
has had an impressive senior season for the Eagles competing on the floor in all but one meet
for the Green and White. Loehner has earned three floor titles this season, while averaging a
9.850 in the event. Most recently, Loehner’s first-place finish against Kent State allowed the
Eagles to leapfrog the visiting Golden Flashes and secure its sixth-straight victory of the season
and second Mid-American Conference win.
Gymnastics Contact: Megan Samassa • 734.487.0317 • Cell: 810.223.3700 • [email protected]
5
2015 Eastern Michigan University Gymnastics Meet Notes
Six Eagles Put Together Career Days in EMU Victory: Six Eastern Michigan gymnasts put together career performances in its comeback victory
over Kent State Saturday, Feb. 7. In the first rotation of the evening, freshman vault specialist Julia Schwartz earned a 9.800 on the apparatus, which
topped her previous career-best 9.725, good for a second-place finish. Moving to the bars, Nikki Paterson led the Green and White on the bars with a
career-best 9.775 in the event and a second-place finish. The senior was just
barely edged out by Kent State’s Chelsea Dooger, who captured the crown
with a score of 9.800.
The Eagles saw their third career day on the beam when freshman Kendall Valentin scored a 9.750 with her impressive routine to earn a secondplace finish in the event, while three final career routines were seen in the
EMU lineup on the floor. Freshman Sydney McEachern and senior Anna
Willette each tied previous career highs with scores of 9.800, while freshman Rachel Slocum nabbed a 9.775 for the third time this season, matching her career high in the event.
Challenge Victory: Eastern Michigan claimed first place in the annual
Michigan/Illinois Challenge hosted by Illinois State Saturday evening, Jan.
31. Eastern won the quad meet with a team score of 194.650. Central Michigan University’s 194.000 followed closely behind, while the University of
Illinois-Chicago and Illinois State University rounded out the scoring with
marks of 189.925 and 189.650, respectively. EMU outscored the Flames and
Redbirds in every event, splitting rotation victories with the Chippewas.
With the victory, the Eagles improve to 6-1 in their first season under Head
Coach Jay Santos.
The deciding event for EMU proved to be on the uneven parallel bars
as the Green and White outscored CMU, 48.925-47.875. Freshman Kendall
Valentin shone on the apparatus, earning the highest individual score of
the night for her team with a 9.850 to finish runner-up. Carrina Lo Bello
performed a routine that gave her a new personal-best mark of 9.825. Catie
Conrad improved on her career high as well for a 9.775, and Anna Willette contributed with a 9.750. Completing the event with all scores over
the 9.700 threshold, Nikki Paterson had a 9.725, and Sydney McEachern
tallied a new best on bars with a score of 9.700.
Welcome to Bar School: Although just a freshman, Kendall Valentin has
emerged as one of the most-relied upon Eagles this season, especially on
the uneven parallel bars. The young Eagle averages 9.794, leading all EMU
gymnasts on the apparatus and sitting fifth in the MAC event standings.
All four of her bar routines have been scored at 9.725 or above, including
two that have broken the 9.825 threshold. In EMU’s victorious Michigan/
Illinois Challenge, Valentin tallied a pair of career highs to help the Eagles
soar above the competition. The Holmdel, N.J. native earned EMU’s highest
individual score of the night with a personal-best 9.850 on bars to finish
runner up. Ending the meet on beam, Valentin put together a solid routine
for a career-high 9.725 on the apparatus to place fourth.
Snapping A Skid: While EMU and Central Michigan University teamed up
to soar past the two Illinois institutions, the University of Illinois-Chicago
and Illinois State, to win the Michigan/Illinois Challenge, the Eagles beat
the Chippewas head-to-head for the first time since the 2008 season. The
victory snapped a skid of 20-straight defeats against their in-state rivals.
The last time the Green and White triumphed over Central Michigan, the
Eagles finished second at the 2008 Mid-American Conference Championship with a score of 193.800; Central’s 193.675 was enough for third place
at the conference meet. That performance marked the third consecutive
time EMU defeated the Chippewas as the Eagles won the MAC dual in 2008
along with capturing the only conference championship in school history
at the end of the 2007 campaign.
The senior gymnast followed with a 39.175 versus Bowling Green,
Jan. 24, to earn MAC Gymnast of the Week honors and become the
fifth Eagle in EMU history to reach the mark. The Pylesville native
continued the winning trend at the Michigan/Illinois Challenge, Jan.
31, by earning an all-around total of 38.950. The mark led the Eagles
to the quad meet victory with a team score of 194.650. Willette also
ranks third in the MAC in vault average (9.794).
The Floor Queen: Senior Chantelle Loehner has proven why she is
a specialist on the floor exercise, leading the Eagles through the first
four weeks of the 2015 campaign. Loehner has two victories and a
pair of runner-up finishes in her four floor routines, earning an average score of 9.856 that places her second in the MAC and 27th in the
nation. Coming off a victory on floor versus the Owls with a 9.850,
Loehner led the Green and White once again by tallying a new career-high 9.875 at the Central Michigan tri-meet, Jan. 17. The Cary, Ill.
native tied for second in the exercise, becoming just the 17th Eagle
in program history to record a floor score of at least 9.875.
Against Bowling Green, Loehner led Eastern on floor for the third
straight week and captured her second win of the year with another
stellar 9.875 match her career high. She followed the MAC victory for
a second-place score of 9.825 to pace Eastern in the exercise as the
Green and White won the Michigan/Illinois Challenge.
Anna Willette Earns MAC Gymnast of the Week Honor: After leading the Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team to its highest
team score in 11 years, senior Anna Willette has been named the
Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week, the league office
announced, Jan. 27. Willette earns the weekly accolade for the first
time in her career after a superb performance against Bowling Green
State University Saturday, Jan. 24. One week after completing her
first all-around performance with a 39.000, Willette improved on the
mark by using four new season bests to record an all-around score
of 39.175, becoming just the fifth Eagle in program history to reach
that mark. She finished runner-up on vault with a 9.825, tied for the
bars title and took third on beam with scores of 9.775, while also
earning a career-best 9.800 on floor to place second in the event.
Breaking the Barrier: EMU recorded its highest team score in 11
years, tallying season highs in every rotation en route to a 195.250192.425 victory over Bowling Green State University in a Mid-American Conference dual, Jan. 24, at the Convocation Center. The Green
and White broke its previous season bests with marks of 48.800 on
the vault and uneven parallel bars, while also adding a 48.650 on the
balance beam and a 49.000 on the floor exercise. It marked the first
time that Eastern scored over 195.000 in 111 previous meets. The
last time EMU broke the 195-point barrier was at the end of the 2004
campaign; the Eagles earned a 195.550 at the MAC Championship,
March 19, 2004.
A Fresh Trio: Along with a first year head coach in Jay Santos, three
freshmen gymnasts have already made a major impact in their first
year at EMU. Kendall Valentin has provided the biggest spark out
of the class, recording career highs of 9.825 on bars and 9.725 on
beam in the Central Michigan tri-meet. The Holmdel, N.J. native also
earned a personal-best 9.750 on vault in the season opener versus
Temple to tie for first in the event. Also in the meet against the Owls,
classmate Catie Conrad placed second on beam with a 9.725. Prior
to her beam routine, Conrad started her EMU career off on vault with
a 9.675. The Brighton, Mich. native also tallied a 9.750 bars routine
in Mount Pleasant last weekend. Rounding out the trio of freshmen
Anna’s All-Around: With an average score of 39.042, Anna Willette re- competing in the season’s first two meets, Rachel Slocum has been
mains the all-around leader in the MAC, while also ranking 37th in the na- consistent on floor with two scores of 9.775.
tion. In the only three all-around competitions of her career, she has won
each one of them, including scoring a 39.000 in her first performance at
Central Michigan, Jan. 17.
Gymnastics Contact: Megan Samassa • 734.487.0317 • Cell: 810.223.3700 • [email protected]
2015 Eastern Michigan University Gymnastics Meet Notes
No Road Nerves: The EMU gymnastics team improved upon its seasonopening mark that gave the Eagles a national ranking, tallying a 194.575
in a tri-meet against Central Michigan University and Seattle Pacific University Saturday night, Jan. 17, at McGuirk Arena. The host Chippewas
protected their home gym with a score of 195.875, and EMU posted a
194.575, while Seattle Pacific finished third with its 187.250 team score.
Nerves that could appear with the first road meet of the season were
kept in check by the Green and White as Eastern Michigan improved
upon its team score in three of the four rotations. The floor exercise continued to be the Eagles’ best rotation due to a 48.850 in the tri-meet.
Scores of 48.675 on the uneven parallel bars and 48.575 on the balance
beam, respectively, were also new season bests for EMU. Individually,
the Eagles earned marks of 9.700 or higher on 16 of their 24 scores.
Gymnastics Cracks Top 25 in National Rankings: With an impressive
score of 193.925 to start the season, the Eastern Michigan University
gymnastics team has been ranked No. 24 in the NCAA National Rankings for the week of Jan. 12, released by GymInfo. This is the first time the
Eagles have been ranked in the top-25 since the opening week of the
2013 season as well as just the second time since the 1997 campaign.
6
Bowling Green and Kent State were knotted in a tie for second in the
standings, while Northern Illinois was picked fourth followed by EMU, Ball
State and Western Michigan, respectively.
Preseason at Michigan: The Eagles prepared for the upcoming 2015 regular season with an exhibition meet against the University of Michigan on
Sunday afternoon, Dec. 7, at Crisler Center. With a relatively young lineup,
the Eagles fell to the Wolverines by a 196.150-192.400 tally.
EMU’s best event of the day came on beam as the Green and White
earned a 48.300. Sophomore Natalie Gervais led the Eagles by putting
together a routine that received a 9.700. Freshman Kendall Valentin and
redshirt-freshman Lacey Rubin each added scores of 9.675, and 2014
NCAA Regional qualifier Anna Willette contributed with a 9.650. The
Eagles recorded a team score of 48.200 on bars. Rubin paced the lineup
with a 9.725 for fifth place, while Valentin’s score of 9.700 followed closely
behind her teammate. Willette once again added her second 9.650 of the
day, taking seventh.
Willette earned the highest individual score of the day for the Green
and White, soaring through the air for a 9.800 on vault. Vault also was the
best event for Valentin, with the Eastern freshman placing fifth for her
9.775. Sophomore Sydney McEachern and senior Paulina Miller tallied
marks of 9.600 and 9.550, respectively. The young Eastern Michigan lineup
continued to the floor exercise, where freshman Kirsten Gendron led the
team with a 9.700. McEachern and Miller followed with scores of 9.675
apiece.
Complete Control: The Eagles kicked off the 2015 campaign with a
dominating 193.925-187.200 victory over the Temple Owls, Jan. 9. In
the first regular season meet under new Head Coach Jay Santos, EMU
controlled the meet by claiming three of the four rotations in both team
and individual scoring, including a combined mark of 48.800 on the
floor exercise. The convincing win was Eastern’s largest margin of vic- Key Veteran Returners: Despite losing five seniors (Shawna Ciaramella,
tory since the Green and White soared past Ursinus, 192.800-185.100, Miranda Jarvis, Kaylee Meyers, Taylor Patterson and Ashley Quinton)
Feb. 29, 2012.
from last year’s squad, the 2015 Eagles return 13 letterwinners, led by First
Team All-Mid-American Conference honoree Anna Willette. Willette had a
First Collegiate Meet, No Problem: Several Eagles made their debuts stellar junior campaign in which she represented the Green and White on
against Temple, Jan. 9, and the majority of them seemed unfazed by the beam at the NCAA Regional in Baton Rouge, La. In 2014, the Pylesville, Md.
pressure that comes with a collegiate gymnastics meet compared to native led the Eagles in three of the four events by completing 24 of her
club gymnastics. Freshman Kendall Valentin was one newcomer who 30 routines at 9.700 or higher. Along with her impressive scores all season
stood out, tying for the top score on vault with a 9.750 before her mark long, four of those scores led to individual titles with two on vault and two
of 9.725 on bars placed her runner-up. Topping Valentin in the second on beam. She finished the year ranked fifth in the conference on beam with
rotation was Lacey Rubin. After sitting out last season due to injury, an average score of 9.767.
Rubin made her first meet as an Eagle a memorable one, tallying a 9.750 Aside from Willette, Eastern will also be led by four other seniors in Carto win the bars title.
rina Lo Bello, Chantelle Loehner, Paulina Miller and Nikki Paterson. Lo
Another pair of freshman made immediate impacts as well. Rachel Bello appeared in the beam and bars lineups during every meet last season,
Slocum placed third in the floor exercise with a 9.775 to help the Green while also starting on vault towards the end of the year. Loehner was relied
and White achieve its highest score of the meet. Meanwhile, Catie Con- on throughout the year on the floor exercise as she claimed three individual
rad competed on vault and beam, earning scores of 9.675 and 9.725, titles. Miller returns after being a team captain in 2014, when she competed
respectively. Her mark on the beam was tied for a team high with senior in all 10 meets on vault and floor. As a junior during last year’s campaign,
Carrina Lo Bello.
Paterson was in every bars lineup and added a routine to the EMU floor
squad in the final three meets of the season.
EMU Selected Fifth in MAC Preseason Poll: Eastern Michigan was
predicted to finish fifth in the Mid-American Conference, as the con- Fresh Faces: EMU welcomes six new Eagles looking to make immediate
ference office released the 2015 MAC Gymnastics Preseason Coaches’ impacts as freshmen: Catie Conrad, Kirsten Gendron, Megan Marino,
Poll, Saturday, Jan. 3. The seven conference teams will test the predic- Julia Schwartz, Rachel Slocum and Kendall Valentin.
tions, March 21, as Kent State University hosts the 2015 MAC Gymnastics
Championship.
Vault: On vault, another core group of Eagles led by Paulina Miller and
Eastern Michigan was tabbed by the conference coaches to finish Anna Willette, who come back as veterans in the event. Miller and Willette
fifth for the second-straight season. The Eagles placed in that same spot were mainstays in the lineup. Willette recorded a season-best 9.800, while
during the 2014 campaign, and the Green and White will look to im- Miller added a best of 9.750. In the starting six last season, Kimberly Ebeyer
prove upon its conference mark this season under first year Head Coach will compete for a spot as well, recording the highest EMU vault score of
Jay Santos. EMU returns 13 letterwinners along with the addition of six the 2014 campaign, a 9.825. Watch for Sydney McEachern, Julia Schwartz
freshmen to the squad.
and Kendall Valentin to bring depth to the event for the Green and White,
The league’s head coaches picked Central Michigan to claim the challenging to crack the lineup with dynamic vaults.
regular season title after winning its record fifth consecutive MAC team
title last spring. The Chippewas came within a whisker of earning the Bars: The Eagles welcome back a few gymnasts that found significant time
program’s first team berth in the NCAA Championships when they post- in the bars lineup a season ago. Anna Willette recorded the highest score
ed a third-place finish in the regional, .775 behind second-place Geor- of any bars returner with a 9.800 at the Michigan/Illinois Challenge, Feb. 1.
gia.
Nikki Paterson also received a career-best 9.750 at that quad meet, while
Gymnastics Contact: Megan Samassa • 734.487.0317 • Cell: 810.223.3700 • [email protected]
7
2015 Eastern Michigan University Gymnastics Meet Notes
Carrina Lo Bello added scores of 9.725 three times throughout 2014. Both
Eagles tallied 9.750 bar routines at one point during their freshmen seasons.
Fellow teammate Sydney McEachern could provide a consistent routine,
and Lacey Rubin will also compete for a spot in the lineup after sitting out
last season due to injury. Rubin and Kendall Valentin have put together
strong preseasons with solid handstands and clean execution. Look for Catie
Conrad and Julia Schwartz to be in the mix as well.
Beam: Expect Carrina Lo Bello and Anna Willette to start in the beam rotation as the duo found spots in the lineup last season. As an NCAA Regional
qualifier on beam, Willette will be the leader of the rotation as she looks to
earn another regional berth in her final season as an Eagle. In 2014, four of
her 10 beam routines were scored 9.800 or better. Willette earned a careerhigh 9.850 on beam to finish third at the Eagle Invitational, March 8, a quad
meet hosted at EMU. Lo Bello brought her best to help Eastern defeat rival
Western Michigan, Feb. 15, receiving a 9.750 from the judges.
Sophomore Natalie Gervais also will look to build upon her freshman year.
In her first season as a collegiate gymnast, Gervais competed on beam in
every meet, including posting a career-high 9.800 at the Michigan/Illinois
Challenge. The remaining three spots in the lineup will most likely be filled by
either Catie Conrad, Kimberly Ebeyer, Lacey Rubin, and Kendall Valentin.
Much like on bars, Rubin and Valentin have emerged as rising newcomers
on beam with successful preseason training.
Floor: Chantelle Loehner and Paulina Miller return to pace EMU in the floor
exercise. Loehner was one of the most consistent scorers a season ago and
is expected to continue her success. She won three floor titles throughout
the season, including a personal-best 9.850 in the team’s victory at Ball State,
March 14. Miller also tallied the same score, performing her routine at the
Michigan/Illinois Challenge. Towards the end of the season, Sydney McEachern and Nikki Paterson competed for the Eagles, and the pair will attempt
to earn primary spots in 2015. While floor was the only event that Carrina Lo
Bello did not appear in last season, the senior could possibly find herself in
the rotation to complete her all-around schedule. Kirsten Gendron, Rachel
Slocum and Julia Schwartz are three freshmen who could make noise in
the exercise as well along with sophomore Taylor Young.
2015 Schedule: Following the season opener versus Temple, MAC play begins with a trek to Mount Pleasant, Mich. to face Central Michigan, Jan. 17.
One week later, Jan. 24, the Green and White returns home to host Bowling Green for a 4 p.m. start time. Ending the month, Coach Santos and his
squad will head to Normal, Ill. for the annual Michigan/Illinois Challenge,
Jan. 31. The unique quad meet features rivals Eastern and Central Michigan
partnering up to square off against Prairie State institutions Illinois-Chicago and Illinois State.
The Eagles will start the month of February with a pair of home duals.
First, conference foe Kent State arrives in Ypsilanti, Feb. 7, before Eastern
faces Illinois-Chicago for the second time of the season, Feb. 15. The matchup with the Flames will be the first of three in a seven-day span. On Friday,
Feb. 20, EMU will take on rival Western Michigan away from the friendly
confines of the Convocation Center. However, the Green and White come
back to Ypsilanti two days later, Feb. 22, for the final home meet of the 2015
season. In a battle of the birds, the Eagles face the Cardinals of Ball State for
a Sunday matinee set to begin at 1 p.m.
Prior to the ending the season in Kent, Ohio for the 2015 MAC Championships, March 21, Eastern Michigan will have three road meets to prepare for the conference championships. The Eagles will make their furthest
road trip of the year, Feb. 28, to St. Charles, Mo. to compete against Lindenwood. Following the lengthy road test, EMU returns to the home state for
a tri-meet in East Lansing as Michigan State hosts the Eagles and Arizona,
March 6. In the final action before the MAC Championships, the Eagles soar
into DeKalb for a conference dual against Northern Illinois, March 15. Six
days later, EMU and NIU will join up with Ball State, Bowling Green, Central
Michigan and Western Michigan in heading to the biggest meet of the year
to decide the conference champion, hosted by Kent State, March. 21.
Gymnastics Contact: Megan Samassa • 734.487.0317 • Cell: 810.223.3700 • [email protected]
2015 Eastern Michigan University Gymnastics Meet Notes
8
2015 Eastern Michigan University Gymnastics Team
Name
Kelsie Brooks
Catie Conrad
Kimberly Ebeyer
Tiffany Foy
Kirsten Gendron
Natalie Gervais
Bianca Jordaan
Carrina Lo Bello
Chantelle Loehner
Megan Marino
Sydney McEachern
Paulina Miller
Nikki Paterson
Lacey Rubin
Julia Schwartz
Rachel Slocum
Kendall Valentin
Anna Willette
Taylor Young
Events
AA
AA
V, BB, FX
UB,BB,FX
AA
AA
AA
AA
UB,FX
AA
AA
V,BB,FX
UB,BB,FX
AA
AA
V,BB,FX
AA
AA
V,BB,FX
Ht.
5-4
5-1
5-3
5-5
5-1
5-4
5-6
5-0
5-5
5-3
5-1
5-4
5-6
5-5
5-5
5-3
5-4
5-4
5-2
Cl.-El.
So.-So.
Fr.-Fr.
Jr.-Jr.
Jr.-Jr.
Fr.-Fr.
So.-So.
So.-So.
Sr.-Sr.
Sr.-Sr.
Fr.-Fr.
So.-So.
Sr.-Sr.
Sr.-Sr.
So.-So.
Fr.-Fr.
Fr.-Fr.
Fr.-Fr.
Sr.-Sr.
So.-So.
Hometown-High School
Winston, Ga.-Alexander
Brighton, Mich.-Brighton
Greenwood, Ind.-Whiteland Community
Hickory, NC.-St. Stephens
Birch Run, Mich.-Frankenmuth
Winnipeg, Manitoba-Sturgeon Heights
Oakville, Ontario-Abbey Park
Oshawa, Ontario-McLaughlin Collegiate
Cary, Ill.-Cary-Grove
Girard, Ohio-Howland
Winnipeg, Manitoba-Kelvin
Halifax, Nova Scotia-Citadel HS
Oakville, Ontario-Iroquois Ridge
Plainview, N.Y.-Plainview Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy
Gilbert, Ariz.-Mesquite
Holly Springs, N.C.-Holly Springs
Holmdel, N.J.-Holmdel
Pylesville, Md.-North Harford
Westerville, Ohio-Westerville Central
Head Coach: Jay Santos (Massachusetts, 1995) -- 1st season
Assistant Coach: Jessica Santos (West Virginia, 2005) -- 1st season
Volunteer Assistant: Shea Anderson (Iowa State, 2012) -- 1st season
Kelsie Brooks
5-4 • Sophomore
Bianca Jordaan
5-6 • Sophomore
Catie Conrad
5-1 • Freshman
Carrina Lo Bello
5-0 • Senior
Lacey Rubin
5-4 • Sophomore
Kimberly Ebeyer
5-4 • Junior
Chantelle Loehner
5-5 • Senior
Julia Schwartz
5-5 • Freshman
Megan Marino
5-3 • Freshman
Rachel Slocum
5-3 • Freshman
Tiffany Foy
5-5 • Junior
Kirsten Gendron
5-1 • Freshman
Sydney McEachern
5-1 • Sophomore
Kendall Valentin
5-4 • Freshman
Natalie Gervais
5-4 • Sophomore
Paulina Miller
5-4 • Senior
Anna Willette
5-4 • Senior
Nikki Paterson
5-6 • Senior
Taylor Young
5-2 • Sophomore
Gymnastics Contact: Megan Samassa • 734.487.0317 • Cell: 810.223.3700 • [email protected]