Eagles Take Part in First Quad of the Season

Gymnastics at Michigan State Quad
Date	Saturday, Jan. 27 \| 7 p.m. ET
Location	East Lansing, Mich. \| Jenison Field House
Meet Notes	PDF Notes
Twitter	@EMU Gym
Results	L ive Stream \| Live Results

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team competes in its first quad meet of the season Saturday, Jan. 27, in East Lansing, Mich. Hosted by Michigan State University, the meet also consists of Rutgers University and the University of Pittsburgh.
   The meet serves as one-of-two quads the Eagles will compete in this season, with the second being hosted by Temple in Philadelphia, Pa., March 11.

Following the Meet: Fans can follow the meet through live stats and a live stream offered by Michigan State. A link for both can be found on the EMU gymnastics schedule page located on EMUEagles.com.

Last Time Out: The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team dropped its dual against Bowling Green State University, 195.025-193.950, Friday, Jan 19, in Bowling Green, Ohio.
   The Eagles notched season-high team scores in vault (48.650), beam (48.450), and floor (48.550), but couldn't overcome BGSU's final score and season-high, 195.025. Overall, EMU had multiple career-best performances and season-highs, including an impressive day from sophomore Emili Dobronics, who marked a new career-high in the all-around with a 38.925, which earned her second-place behind fellow teammate and senior Kendall Valentin, who posted a 38.975. Additionally, redshirt senior Lacey Rubin tied for a share of the bars title with a 9.775.
In Recent History: The quad hosted by Michigan State pits EMU up against competition it has faired well against over the past decade. Since the 2008 season, Eastern has compiled a 6-3 record against MSU, Rutgers, and Pitt, with the most success coming against the latter. The Green and White have only faced off against Pittsburgh three times in the last 10 seasons, and have come out on top in every meeting. The Eagles' most recent victory against the Panthers came last season, when they outperformed them by marking their best score of the regular season, 196.225-194.200.
   Eastern's most common opponent in Saturday's quad comes in the form of Rutgers, whom they have competed against four times in the last five years. Of the four meetings, EMU and RU have split winnings. Although Rutgers currently holds a 2-1 advantage in neutral matchups, the Eagles have had the most recent success between the two, toppling the Scarlet Knights in last year's meet, 194.725-191.125, located in Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
   The Spartans hold a demanding 35-2 all-time record against the Eagles, however, the two have only seen each other twice over the last decade and have split the pair of matchups. Additionally, the last meeting took place during the 2015 season, which saw EMU come out victorious against the then-ranked No. 23 MSU, 195.225-194.350, in East Lansing.

EMU In the MAC: Individually, EMU has a representative in the top-10 for all but one event, with senior Kendall Valentin holding the highest ranking, presently slotted in third for the all-around with an average score of 38.975. Additionally, sophomore Emili Dobronics is tied for sixth on floor with an average of 9.792, while both redshirt senior Lacey Rubin and Valentin are tied for seventh on bars and vault, respectively.

Looking Ahead: Eastern heads back to the friendly confines of the Convocation Center Friday, Feb. 2, when it takes on the Flames of Illinois-Chicago. The meet is just the second home-competition for the Eagles this season, and serves as the annual Beauty and the Beast meet, which hosts both the gymnastics and wrestling meets simultaneously in the same gym.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Emili Dobronics

Lacey Rubin

Kendall Valentin

Eastern Michigan Athletics