Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, April 2
Ann Arbor, Mich.
6 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
NCAA Regionals
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
No. 24 Green and White Set for First Ever NCAA Regionals
3/31/2016 12:28:00 PM | Gymnastics
The Eagles will head down the road to Ann Arbor to square off with five other teams
Meet Notes
Live Results/Video Link
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After claiming their second ever Mid-American Conference title, the No. 24 Eastern Michigan University women's gymnastics team gears up for their first NCAA Regionals event in program history, which will take place down the road at the Crisler Center, April 2, at 6 p.m.
Following the Meet: The meet can be followed both with live results, and a live video stream provided courtesy of Michigan Athletics. To follow along with both, please click here.
Eagles Head to Ann Arbor for NCAA Regionals: The Green and White were informed through the NCAA Selection Show, March 21, that the team will be attending the Ann Arbor NCAA Regional, April 2. The announcement marks the first time in program history that EMU has qualified to the event as a team. Joining the Eagles at Crisler Center will be No. 6 Auburn, No. 7 Michigan, No. 18 Stanford, No. 25 Penn State, and No. 33 New Hampshire.
EMU Claims Second Ever MAC Title: With an incredible overall team performance, the Eagles took home their second ever MAC title at the conference championships, March 19. The Eagles, who notched a 196.425, took home the conference title by a wide margin, as second-place Ball State scored nearly eight tenths lower than the Green and White. In addition, the final score of 196.425 was also the team's second-highest in the EMU history.
MAC Championship Award Winners: After claiming the conference title, the Eagles were honored with a number of awards. For her performance throughout the year on floor and vault, Rachel Slocum was named the MAC Specialist of the Year. Additionally, by placing first or second in an event, Catie Conrad, Natalie Gervais, Slocum, and Kendall Valentin were all named to the 2016 All-Tournament Team. Specifically, Slocum tied for second on vault and third on floor, Valentin tied for the first on bars, Gervais tied for second on beam, and Conrad took second in the all-around.
Eagles Break the Beam Record Yet Again: At the MAC Championships, March 19, the Green and White broke the beam record yet again, posting an event total of 49.325. The team was consistent and strong across the board, with Natalie Gervais leading the way by scoring a 9.9. Just behind her, the trio of Catie Conrad, Lacey Rubin, and Kendall Valentin all notched 9.875's. Rounding out the five counting scores was Kimberly Ebeyer with a 9.8.
Trio of 9.9's Leads to Highest Floor Total of Season: Not only did the team break the beam record, but they also posted their highest floor total of the season by a sizable margin. The Eagles notched a total of 49.35, which was the season best by over a tenth. Leading the charge on the event was a trio of Eagles, all of whom notched 9.9's. Kimberly Ebeyer, Sydney McEachern, and Rachel Slocum all accomplished the feat, marking new career-bests for all three. Also pitching in was Ciara Gresham, who tied her career-best with a 9.85, while Catie Conrad notched a 9.8.
Slocum Named MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week: After helping the team to the Mid-American Conference title, Rachel Slocum was named MAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Wednesday, March 23. The sophomore, who competed on both vault and floor at the MAC Championships, March 19, took home top-three finishes on both events. On vault, Slocum scored a 9.85 to tie for second-place, while she took home a share of the bronze on floor after posting a career-best 9.9. The honor is the first of Slocum's career.
Eagles in the Rankings: Heading into Regionals, the Green and White hold onto a top-25 spot, as the team currently sits at No. 24 nationally. The Eagles sit at No. 26 on vault with an RQS of 48.970, in addition to a No. 23 ranking on bars with an RQS of 49.060. The team's highest-ranked event is beam, where the squad comes in at No. 20 with a 49.130 RQS.
RQS Ranking: This week marks the sixth in which the Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) is utilized in rankings. RQS is based on the team's six best regular season meets, of which three must be from away meets. From there, the high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged together. The Green and White will benefit from this, as their two highest team scores of the season came on the road at Bowling Green, Feb. 13, and at the MAC Championships, March 19. The Eagles' third-highest team score came at home in the regular season finale, March 10, in which the team notched a 196.250. The team's current RQS sits at 196.040, putting them in 24th, one spot behind Southern Utah and one ahead of Penn State.
Closing the Regular Season on a High Note: The Eagles ended their regular season with a huge tri-meet victory over Central Michigan and Southeast Missouri State, March 10. Specifically, the team notched their second team total of 196 or better, finishing with a 196.250, as well as a program best 49.225 on bars. Catie Conrad had a fantastic day for the team, scoring a 39.350 in the all-around, which is the team's highest since 2003 and seventh in EMU laurels. Conrad and Kendall Valentin both scored 9.9's on bars as well.
Freshmen Making an Impact: The Eagles have had a pair of freshmen make an impact so far this season. Megan Hultgren has been a regular in the beam lineup, notching 11 hits with a career-high score of 9.85 coming at Bowling Green, Feb. 13. Additionally, Ciara Gresham recently joined the lineup, competing on floor and vault. Gresham has only competed in four meets, but has career-high scores of 9.75 on vault and 9.85 on floor, both achieved at the MAC Championships, March 19.
Senior Day: The team's tri-meet with Central Michgian and SEMO, March 10, marked the final home competition for senior Kimberly Ebeyer, who has had a long and successful career with the Eagles. Her senior season has been her best yet, as she has set multiple career-bests on the year. Throughout the season, she has posted high scores of 9.825 on vault, 9.80 on beam, and 9.875 on floor. Ebeyer has been a consistent presence in the lead-off position on multiple events, always getting the team off to a great start.
Eagles Thrive on the Road Again: The Green and White have continued their trend of success on the road this season. This time, the team traveled down to Columbus, Ohio for a tough match up, Feb. 27, against the Buckeyes of Ohio State, and once again the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Eagles fought their way back to tie Ohio State, while downing Pitt by over two points. The team's final score of 195.800 was also EMU's third highest ever, beating the 195.750 set at home against Western Michigan, Feb. 19, by .05.
Best Bars Total in EMU History: In their final regular season meet, the Eagles posted the highest bars total in program history with a 49.225, edging out the previous record of 49.200. The catalyst behind the fantastic day was a pair of 9.9's from Catie Conrad and Kendall Valentin. Additionally, Natalie Gervais and Lacey Rubin also pitched in 9.85's as well.
Back-to-Back Meets with a 9.9: Natalie Gervais has found her groove over the last few meets. Specifically, she managed to finish with a score of 9.9 or better in back-to-back meets. Beginning against Bowling Green, Feb. 13, the junior notched a 9.925 on beam, which stands as the second best beam score in program history. She continued her run at home against Western Michigan, Feb. 19, where her bar routine earned a 9.9 to put her in a tie for third in EMU laurels. Kendall Valentin also accomplished the feat, beginning at the Michigan meet, Feb. 8, with a 9.925 on bars. The following weekend at Bowling Green, she posted a 9.9 on vault. The sophomore repeated the feat at the end of the season as well, posting a 9.9 on bars both at home against Central Michigan and SEMO, March 10, and also at the MAC Championships, March 19.
Scouting the Competition: The Eagles will square off against an extremely talented field at the Ann Arbor Regional. The top-seeded team in attendnace will be No. 6 Auburn, who maintains a RQS of 197.150, with their strongest event being floor, where they are tied for No. 6 in the country at a RQS of 49.445. Just behind Auburn, the host school, Michigan, comes in at No. 7 in the country after notching a team RQS of 197.130. Like Auburn, the Wolverines' best event is floor, where they rank No. 5 with a RQS of 49.480. The third-highest seed in the field is No. 18 Stanford, who holds a RQS of 196.355. The Cardinal's top event is vault, where the team is No. 12 in the country at 49.120. The Eagles hold the fourth spot, with No. 25 Penn State sitting just behind them in the fifth-spot. The Nittany Lions maintain a RQS of 195.960, with their top event being bars at No. 17 with a 49.160 RQS. The sixth, and final, team in attendance is No. 33 New Hampshire, who comes in with a RQS of 195.485. UNH's success primarily comes from beam, where they are No. 11 in the country after notching a RQS of 49.220.
Last Time at the NCAA Regionals: Last season, the Eagles had a pair of all-arounders qualify to the NCAA Regionals held in Columbus, Ohio, April 4. The Green and White were represented by Carrina Lo Bello and Anna Willete on the campus of Ohio State. Lo Bello's day was highlighted by a 12th-place finish on bars with a score of 9.8, in addition to finishing ninth in the all-around with a score of 39.025. Willete managed to finish just behind her in 14th with a four-event total of 38.200.
Last Time Out: The Green and White began the postseason by taking home their second Mid-American Conference title in program history, March 19, in dominating fashion. The Eagles finished the meet with a team score of 196.425, which was their second-highest team total in EMU history. The team had spectacular days on beam and floor, with the beam event total of 49.325 setting a new EMU record. Individually, Rachel Slocum led the way on vault by notching a 9.85, while Kendall Valentin paced the team on bars after scoring a 9.9. Continuing the streak, Natalie Gervais posted a 9.9 on beam, while Kimberly Ebeyer, Sydney McEachern, and Slocum all scored 9.9's on floor.
Looking Ahead: Should the Eagles finish within the top-two at the Ann Arbor Regional, the team will then qualify to the NCAA Championships, held April 15-16 in Forth Worth, Texas. The top two teams and the top two all-around competitors (who are not on an advancing team) from each regional will receive an automatic berth to the national championships. In addition, the event winners at each regional will advance to the national championships (in that event only) if they are not part of a qualifying team or an all-around qualifier.
Live Results/Video Link
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After claiming their second ever Mid-American Conference title, the No. 24 Eastern Michigan University women's gymnastics team gears up for their first NCAA Regionals event in program history, which will take place down the road at the Crisler Center, April 2, at 6 p.m.
Following the Meet: The meet can be followed both with live results, and a live video stream provided courtesy of Michigan Athletics. To follow along with both, please click here.
Eagles Head to Ann Arbor for NCAA Regionals: The Green and White were informed through the NCAA Selection Show, March 21, that the team will be attending the Ann Arbor NCAA Regional, April 2. The announcement marks the first time in program history that EMU has qualified to the event as a team. Joining the Eagles at Crisler Center will be No. 6 Auburn, No. 7 Michigan, No. 18 Stanford, No. 25 Penn State, and No. 33 New Hampshire.
EMU Claims Second Ever MAC Title: With an incredible overall team performance, the Eagles took home their second ever MAC title at the conference championships, March 19. The Eagles, who notched a 196.425, took home the conference title by a wide margin, as second-place Ball State scored nearly eight tenths lower than the Green and White. In addition, the final score of 196.425 was also the team's second-highest in the EMU history.
MAC Championship Award Winners: After claiming the conference title, the Eagles were honored with a number of awards. For her performance throughout the year on floor and vault, Rachel Slocum was named the MAC Specialist of the Year. Additionally, by placing first or second in an event, Catie Conrad, Natalie Gervais, Slocum, and Kendall Valentin were all named to the 2016 All-Tournament Team. Specifically, Slocum tied for second on vault and third on floor, Valentin tied for the first on bars, Gervais tied for second on beam, and Conrad took second in the all-around.
Eagles Break the Beam Record Yet Again: At the MAC Championships, March 19, the Green and White broke the beam record yet again, posting an event total of 49.325. The team was consistent and strong across the board, with Natalie Gervais leading the way by scoring a 9.9. Just behind her, the trio of Catie Conrad, Lacey Rubin, and Kendall Valentin all notched 9.875's. Rounding out the five counting scores was Kimberly Ebeyer with a 9.8.
Trio of 9.9's Leads to Highest Floor Total of Season: Not only did the team break the beam record, but they also posted their highest floor total of the season by a sizable margin. The Eagles notched a total of 49.35, which was the season best by over a tenth. Leading the charge on the event was a trio of Eagles, all of whom notched 9.9's. Kimberly Ebeyer, Sydney McEachern, and Rachel Slocum all accomplished the feat, marking new career-bests for all three. Also pitching in was Ciara Gresham, who tied her career-best with a 9.85, while Catie Conrad notched a 9.8.
Slocum Named MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week: After helping the team to the Mid-American Conference title, Rachel Slocum was named MAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Wednesday, March 23. The sophomore, who competed on both vault and floor at the MAC Championships, March 19, took home top-three finishes on both events. On vault, Slocum scored a 9.85 to tie for second-place, while she took home a share of the bronze on floor after posting a career-best 9.9. The honor is the first of Slocum's career.
Eagles in the Rankings: Heading into Regionals, the Green and White hold onto a top-25 spot, as the team currently sits at No. 24 nationally. The Eagles sit at No. 26 on vault with an RQS of 48.970, in addition to a No. 23 ranking on bars with an RQS of 49.060. The team's highest-ranked event is beam, where the squad comes in at No. 20 with a 49.130 RQS.
RQS Ranking: This week marks the sixth in which the Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) is utilized in rankings. RQS is based on the team's six best regular season meets, of which three must be from away meets. From there, the high score is eliminated and the remaining five scores are averaged together. The Green and White will benefit from this, as their two highest team scores of the season came on the road at Bowling Green, Feb. 13, and at the MAC Championships, March 19. The Eagles' third-highest team score came at home in the regular season finale, March 10, in which the team notched a 196.250. The team's current RQS sits at 196.040, putting them in 24th, one spot behind Southern Utah and one ahead of Penn State.
Closing the Regular Season on a High Note: The Eagles ended their regular season with a huge tri-meet victory over Central Michigan and Southeast Missouri State, March 10. Specifically, the team notched their second team total of 196 or better, finishing with a 196.250, as well as a program best 49.225 on bars. Catie Conrad had a fantastic day for the team, scoring a 39.350 in the all-around, which is the team's highest since 2003 and seventh in EMU laurels. Conrad and Kendall Valentin both scored 9.9's on bars as well.
Freshmen Making an Impact: The Eagles have had a pair of freshmen make an impact so far this season. Megan Hultgren has been a regular in the beam lineup, notching 11 hits with a career-high score of 9.85 coming at Bowling Green, Feb. 13. Additionally, Ciara Gresham recently joined the lineup, competing on floor and vault. Gresham has only competed in four meets, but has career-high scores of 9.75 on vault and 9.85 on floor, both achieved at the MAC Championships, March 19.
Senior Day: The team's tri-meet with Central Michgian and SEMO, March 10, marked the final home competition for senior Kimberly Ebeyer, who has had a long and successful career with the Eagles. Her senior season has been her best yet, as she has set multiple career-bests on the year. Throughout the season, she has posted high scores of 9.825 on vault, 9.80 on beam, and 9.875 on floor. Ebeyer has been a consistent presence in the lead-off position on multiple events, always getting the team off to a great start.
Eagles Thrive on the Road Again: The Green and White have continued their trend of success on the road this season. This time, the team traveled down to Columbus, Ohio for a tough match up, Feb. 27, against the Buckeyes of Ohio State, and once again the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Eagles fought their way back to tie Ohio State, while downing Pitt by over two points. The team's final score of 195.800 was also EMU's third highest ever, beating the 195.750 set at home against Western Michigan, Feb. 19, by .05.
Best Bars Total in EMU History: In their final regular season meet, the Eagles posted the highest bars total in program history with a 49.225, edging out the previous record of 49.200. The catalyst behind the fantastic day was a pair of 9.9's from Catie Conrad and Kendall Valentin. Additionally, Natalie Gervais and Lacey Rubin also pitched in 9.85's as well.
Back-to-Back Meets with a 9.9: Natalie Gervais has found her groove over the last few meets. Specifically, she managed to finish with a score of 9.9 or better in back-to-back meets. Beginning against Bowling Green, Feb. 13, the junior notched a 9.925 on beam, which stands as the second best beam score in program history. She continued her run at home against Western Michigan, Feb. 19, where her bar routine earned a 9.9 to put her in a tie for third in EMU laurels. Kendall Valentin also accomplished the feat, beginning at the Michigan meet, Feb. 8, with a 9.925 on bars. The following weekend at Bowling Green, she posted a 9.9 on vault. The sophomore repeated the feat at the end of the season as well, posting a 9.9 on bars both at home against Central Michigan and SEMO, March 10, and also at the MAC Championships, March 19.
Scouting the Competition: The Eagles will square off against an extremely talented field at the Ann Arbor Regional. The top-seeded team in attendnace will be No. 6 Auburn, who maintains a RQS of 197.150, with their strongest event being floor, where they are tied for No. 6 in the country at a RQS of 49.445. Just behind Auburn, the host school, Michigan, comes in at No. 7 in the country after notching a team RQS of 197.130. Like Auburn, the Wolverines' best event is floor, where they rank No. 5 with a RQS of 49.480. The third-highest seed in the field is No. 18 Stanford, who holds a RQS of 196.355. The Cardinal's top event is vault, where the team is No. 12 in the country at 49.120. The Eagles hold the fourth spot, with No. 25 Penn State sitting just behind them in the fifth-spot. The Nittany Lions maintain a RQS of 195.960, with their top event being bars at No. 17 with a 49.160 RQS. The sixth, and final, team in attendance is No. 33 New Hampshire, who comes in with a RQS of 195.485. UNH's success primarily comes from beam, where they are No. 11 in the country after notching a RQS of 49.220.
Last Time at the NCAA Regionals: Last season, the Eagles had a pair of all-arounders qualify to the NCAA Regionals held in Columbus, Ohio, April 4. The Green and White were represented by Carrina Lo Bello and Anna Willete on the campus of Ohio State. Lo Bello's day was highlighted by a 12th-place finish on bars with a score of 9.8, in addition to finishing ninth in the all-around with a score of 39.025. Willete managed to finish just behind her in 14th with a four-event total of 38.200.
Last Time Out: The Green and White began the postseason by taking home their second Mid-American Conference title in program history, March 19, in dominating fashion. The Eagles finished the meet with a team score of 196.425, which was their second-highest team total in EMU history. The team had spectacular days on beam and floor, with the beam event total of 49.325 setting a new EMU record. Individually, Rachel Slocum led the way on vault by notching a 9.85, while Kendall Valentin paced the team on bars after scoring a 9.9. Continuing the streak, Natalie Gervais posted a 9.9 on beam, while Kimberly Ebeyer, Sydney McEachern, and Slocum all scored 9.9's on floor.
Looking Ahead: Should the Eagles finish within the top-two at the Ann Arbor Regional, the team will then qualify to the NCAA Championships, held April 15-16 in Forth Worth, Texas. The top two teams and the top two all-around competitors (who are not on an advancing team) from each regional will receive an automatic berth to the national championships. In addition, the event winners at each regional will advance to the national championships (in that event only) if they are not part of a qualifying team or an all-around qualifier.
Players Mentioned
AA
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V, BB, FX
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AA
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AA
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AA
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AA
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AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
V,BB,FX
/ Gymnastics
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