Kent State plays host this afternoon for this Sunday’s MACtion, with Eastern Michigan eager to add to their growing collection of strong road scores. Both teams have found their rhythm and are looking to drop their sub-195 scores from early in the season, en route to their post-season pathways.
The visiting Eagles have been led by AAI Award Nominee Raisa Boris this season, and have shown tremendous depth on each event. Across vault, bars, beam, and floor, keep your eye out for Genae Daniel, Trinity Macy, Ella Chemotti, and Abby Brushwood respectively. Senior Anna Grace “AG” McCullough has joined the floor lineup in the last month, and will also be a significant gymnast for Eastern Michigan this afternoon.
The Golden Flashes are hungry for a strong home showing to finish their double meet weekend, in their last of its kind before Senior Night. Watch for big contributions from upperclassmen Kennedy Weinpert, Sarah Haxton, and Heidi Schultz – multi-event gymnasts who have been extremely consistent in their 2024 campaigns.
Rotation 1: Kent State VT, Eastern Michigan UB
Rankin (KSU): clean Y full to kick off the meet, flexed feet in the air and small hop back. 9.775
Parris (EMU): hecht mount and a short handstand, into toe handstand and Geinger. overshoot right to vertical, and nearly holds the stick in her double layout. 0775
Morgan (KSU): BIG Y full, lands with her legs apart and travels to the right. 9.775
Chemotti (EMU): clean Tkatchev and overshoot, and calmly through all of her handstands. stuck DLO and a crowd of teammate high fives. 9.825
Rudnitskaya (KSU): Y full straight down the centre, small hop back. 9.850
Macy (EMU): hecht mount up to a textbook handstand, blind half to pike Jaeger to bail combo. very efficient routine, and closes it out with a DLO. stuck, but looks like the ground came a little faster than anticipated. 9.875
Weinpert (KSU): another clean Y full for the Golden Flashes, tries to hold the stick and takes a shuffle back. 9.850
Jankowski (EMU): blind half to Jaeger and bail combo, and a sky high blind full to double tuck. almost stuck, little hop forward. 9.775
Behner (KSU): very clean y full in the air, but will take a deduction for bent elbows on the table. 9.875
Lowe (EMU): EMU’s classic hecht mount, blind half to piked Jaeger. gorgeous Pak, then back up to the high bar for a toe on pike barani! 9.875
Gilbert (KSU): Y1.5 and a massive celebration! only a small hop forward today after some inconsistencies earlier in the season. 9.950!
Boris (EMU): hecht to a short handstand, then the team’s go to blind half pike Jaeger bail combo. Closes out the rotation with a stuck FTDT. 9.900
(KSU): exh – clean Y full in the air, stalls the twist and the timing forces a large step back
McCullough (EMU): exh – stream catches only the dismount, double front tuck with a fall.
(KSU): – exh – Y full that held a decently piked shape throughout.
After 1: Kent State 49.300, Eastern Michigan 49.250
Mathematically, we’re almost as neck and neck as we can be without a tie. With context, we know that both teams have to get to vault and bars before we can paint an accurate picture. Both teams are bringing their A game so far, with tons of height and dialed in landings in the first rotation. Gilbert’s MASSIVE Y1.5 gives the Golden Flashes a narrow lead, with vault form that I’ve been saying for two years has very little to deduct on with the right landing.
Rotation 2: Eastern Michigan VT, Kent State UB
(EMU):
(KSU):
Kent State plays host this afternoon for this Sunday’s MACtion, with Eastern Michigan eager to add to their growing collection of strong road scores. Both teams have found their rhythm and are looking to drop their sub-195 scores from early in the season, en route to their post-season pathways.
The visiting Eagles have been led by AAI Award Nominee Raisa Boris this season, and have shown tremendous depth on each event. Across vault, bars, beam, and floor, keep your eye out for Genae Daniel, Trinity Macy, Ella Chemotti, and Abby Brushwood respectively. Senior Anna Grace “AG” McCullough has joined the floor lineup in the last month, and will also be a significant gymnast for Eastern Michigan this afternoon.
The Golden Flashes are hungry for a strong home showing to finish their double meet weekend, in their last of its kind before Senior Night. Watch for big contributions from upperclassmen Kennedy Weinpert, Sarah Haxton, and Heidi Schultz – multi-event gymnasts who have been extremely consistent in their 2024 campaigns.
Rotation 1: Kent State VT, Eastern Michigan UB
Rankin (KSU): clean Y full to kick off the meet, flexed feet in the air and small hop back. 9.775
Parris (EMU): hecht mount and a short handstand, into toe handstand and Geinger. overshoot right to vertical, and nearly holds the stick in her double layout. 0775
Morgan (KSU): BIG Y full, lands with her legs apart and travels to the right. 9.775
Chemotti (EMU): clean Tkatchev and overshoot, and calmly through all of her handstands. stuck DLO and a crowd of teammate high fives. 9.825
Rudnitskaya (KSU): Y full straight down the centre, small hop back. 9.850
Macy (EMU): hecht mount up to a textbook handstand, blind half to pike Jaeger to bail combo. very efficient routine, and closes it out with a DLO. stuck, but looks like the ground came a little faster than anticipated. 9.875
Weinpert (KSU): another clean Y full for the Golden Flashes, tries to hold the stick and takes a shuffle back. 9.850
Jankowski (EMU): blind half to Jaeger and bail combo, and a sky high blind full to double tuck. almost stuck, little hop forward. 9.775
Behner (KSU): very clean y full in the air, but will take a deduction for bent elbows on the table. 9.875
Lowe (EMU): EMU’s classic hecht mount, blind half to piked Jaeger. gorgeous Pak, then back up to the high bar for a toe on pike barani! 9.875
Gilbert (KSU): Y1.5 and a massive celebration! only a small hop forward today after some inconsistencies earlier in the season. 9.950!
Boris (EMU): hecht to a short handstand, then the team’s go to blind half pike Jaeger bail combo. Closes out the rotation with a stuck FTDT. 9.900
(KSU): exh – clean Y full in the air, stalls the twist and the timing forces a large step back
McCullough (EMU): exh – stream catches only the dismount, double front tuck with a fall.
(KSU): – exh – Y full that held a decently piked shape throughout.
After 1: Kent State 49.300, Eastern Michigan 49.250
Mathematically, we’re almost as neck and neck as we can be without a tie. With context, we know that both teams have to get to vault and bars before we can paint an accurate picture. Both teams are bringing their A game so far, with tons of height and dialed in landings in the first rotation. Gilbert’s MASSIVE Y1.5 gives the Golden Flashes a narrow lead, with vault form that I’ve been saying for two years has very little to deduct on with the right landing.
Rotation 2: Eastern Michigan VT, Kent State UB
Patterson (EMU): Y full, soft knees throughout but an otherwise great start. 9.775
Behner (KSU): floats her toe hanstand, Maloney, bail combo, but has a sizeable leg separation on her bail. open double tuck dismount and holds the stick. 9.850
Lowe (EMU): Y half, hard to accurately gauge from the angle we’re given but the landing looks short. 9.700
Tsipis (KSU): very calm blind half to Tkatchev, and a floaty Pak. closes it out with a stuck blind full to double tuck. the only major break was an arch in her handstand to slow down before the Pak. 9.875
Daniel (EMU): Y1.5 from the freshman! Leg separation in the air, but her twisting speed is phenomenal. 9.700
Schultz (KSU): Big Shaposhnikova and bail, and nearly holds the stick on her DLO. The judge in me is fawning over how her two giants are different speeds before her dismount. 9.775
Brushwood (EMU): fhs front tuck half, first non Yurchenko vault today. Flexed feet throughout and a small hop back, but an otherwise dynamic and consistent vault for her. 9.775
Gilbert (KSU): blind full to Tkatchev and bail, misses a hand and still kips like nothing happened. finishes with a blind full to double tuck and takes a small hop back. 9.625
Boris (EMU): nearly sticks her Y full on pike, and keeps her legs glued in the daunting preflight. 9.825
Rudnitskaya (KSU): starts with the strongest high bar kip handstand, and a big piked Jaeger to Pak combo. she makes quick work of bars, and sticks her double layout cold.
Fisher (EMU): Y full, very consistent week to week. 9.875
Haxton (KSU): blind half to straddle Jaeger and a shootover, then cranks her giants to a stuck DLO. 9.925
Rios (EMU): exh – Y full tucked, a few steps back after her speedy post flight.
Fuertez (KSU): exh – straddle Jaeger and a big overshoot, then an efficient blind full to double tuck with a low landing.
Lewis (EMU): exh – Y full with a pike on the way down, and a step back.
Migliore (KSU): exh – blind hald, Jaeger to shootover. her DLO almost mirrors Haxton’s, and when the interior of her routine gets the same power it will fit great into the Golden Flashes’ deep lineup.
After 2: Kent State: 98.550, Eastern Michigan: 98.200
Both teams did a great job building off their momentum from the first rotation! The Eagles showed off a variety of vaults, and proved that they can all score as well as Yurchenko fulls. Anchor Alana Fisher’s 9.875 was the top score on vault today with a 9.950 start, and continues to be the highlight of Eastern Michigan’s vault lineup.
Rotation 3: Kent State BB, Eastern Michigan FX
Haxton (KSU): fun cartwheel mount and low choreo. starts with a strong front toss, and a fluid bhs loso series. split to split 3/4 and a nearly stuck punch front full to close out her double meet weekend. 9.850
Chemotti (EMU): having a ton of fun working through her opening choreo, and takes it into her double pike. switch full to split full is super high, but a tad tangled in the air. roundoff 1.5 punch lay without any issues to finish. 9.725
Rankin (KSU): back into the beam lineup today, and starts with a clean bhs loso. switch to straddle 1/4 with her chest up through the whole series. scissor kick to aerial, and sideways split 1/2 went well — she takes it to a cat leap and gainer pike off the end! 9.775
Lowe (EMU): overcooked double pike but keeps it on her feet and in bounds. switch half, Popa, to Shushunova series looks like it’s on a trampoline. Closes with a roundoff 1.5 punch lay. 9.650
Riley (KSU): bhs loso and a BIG smile. switch to split full didn’t quite hit split, and move cleanly into her tuck full. very fluid side aerial as she preps for her dismount: a stuck gainer full. 9.875
Macy (EMU): Rudi loso to start, and fan favorite Stromae music. quickly moves into her combo pass before another music change. Johnson half to straddle half both into the rafters. closes with a standalone Rudi. 9.850
Fuertez (KSU): cat leap to switch side, only a small check. bhs bhs loso again with a small check. switch to split, slow connection but keeps it moving. punch front full dismount with a small step back. 9.775
Brushwood (EMU): punch layout to Rudi with energy to spare. Johnson half to straddle with great extension, and a sky high double tuck to close her day. 9.875
Guns (KSU): beat jump to split 3/4 to get her momentum going, carries it well to her front aerial. bhs loso with a check, but keeps it on the beam. her switch to split, and a gainer full makes five hit routines for the Golden Flashes. 9.850
McCullough (EMU): MASSIVE punch lay to front double full, and enough power to step forwards out. switch ring to switch full, and then a cartwheel loso. closes with a punch layout to rudi, and she puts her hands down. an otherwise lovely routine with fun dancing and high tumbling. 9.050
Schultz (KSU): scissor kick to front toss like it’s on the floor, and another hit bhs loso to add to the lineup. finishes with a nearly stuck bhs 1.5. 9.900
Boris (EMU): clean double pike to open. roundoff 1.5 punch lay equally clean, moving into her dance section. BIG switch half to spilt full, fluid into her double tuck final pass. 9.900
Migliore (KSU): exh – switch leap to switch split jump! holds her bhs loso on the beam. front toss without any issues. split to straddle 1/4 connected slowly, albeit connected. finishes her second exhibition of the day with a stuck front tuck full.
Karle (EMU): exh – Rudi, layout straddle jump to start, and massive jumps shortly after. she’s having probably the most fun with her dance out of EMU’s lineup, and that’s no small feat. closes with a front layout to front full.
Geig (KSU): exh – bhs loso with a super graceful lunge position at the end. front aerial to split jump, is clean. does her switch, then repeats it again to connect to a switch split jump. sticks her roundoff 1.5 dismount!
After 3: Kent State: 147.800, Eastern Michigan 147.200
Kent State tied their program record on beam, reaching 49.250 and well on their way to jumping up in the NQS rankings. Eastern Michigan put up a flat 49.000 on floor, highlighted by Boris’ second 9.900 of the afternoon. As we head to the final rotation, this meet is still anyone’s to win: both teams close the meet on the event they’re strongest on, with Eastern Michigan on beam and Kent State on floor.
Rotation 4: Eastern Michigan BB, Kent State FX
Bergin (EMU): bhs loso with a small check, and a rare split jump sheep jump combo shortly after. clean front toss, and then a nearly stuck gainer front layout full off the end. 9.800
Rankin (KSU): starts with a front tuck through to double tuck, and gets the Stick It fans engaged with her music. switch side to Popa and wolf full timed perfectly with Jump Around making its way into her medley. Closes with a big double pike and takes a step on it. 9.775
Jankowski (EMU): off on her front toss, then repeats it but still doesn’t receive credit for connecting it to her bhs. front toss to scale has more power, and hops to stay on. finishes with a front tucked full dismount, and a shuffle on an otherwise textbook dismount. 8.850.
Schultz (KSU): fhs Rudi loso to start off, and a masterclass of facial expressions right after. switch side to a floaty wolf full. closes with a double pike, and a wolf full Shushunova! 9.850
Patterson (EMU): small check on her bhs loso. split to split 3/4, then a much faster cat leap to side aerial. Stuck gainer pike off the end for her only routine of the afternoon. 9.875
Rudnitskaya (KSU): starts with a high double pike, and a very comfortable switch side to Popa. roundoff 1.5 to layout and does her best to keep it in with one step – then very quickly into a double tuck. 9.900
Lowe (EMU): bhs loso with a check, then quickly into a massive switch side. aerial to sissone, and a nearly stuck roundoff 1.5. 9.800
Fuertez (KSU): another sky high double pike to start, and a switch side to Popa combo stuck cold. Possible Elmer’s glue NIL deal? Right into a front lay front double full. Closes with a double tuck, and absorbs all of her power with one step. 9.900
Boris (EMU): bhs bhs loso to start, then split to split 3/4. closes her day with a nearly stuck roundoff 1.5. 9.900, her third of the day!
Guns (KSU): keeps her opening rudi pass in bounds, and dances right into her switch ring and switch half before her team joins her in the dance party. very high switch full en route to her second pass: a nearly stuck cold double pike. 9.850
Chemotti (EMU): front aerial to bhs loso series, smooth as ever. switch split jump with a small check, then repeats it to connect to a split jump. finishes with a 1.5 dismount and a small hop forward. 9.875
Franz (KSU): massive rudi loso to open, then into her switch half wolf full combo. closes with a double pike and her signature finger guns. 9.900
Childress (EMU): exh – cleanly through her split to split 3/4, and holds her punch front after a low landing. stuck roundoff 1.5 dismount! she’s made a serious case for her lineup spot
Masse (KSU): exh – front tuck through to double tuck, and an L turn for good measure. switch full to split full into the corner, and then a double pike to close.
Fisher (EMU): exh – slips off on her front toss. repeats it to connect to her bhs without any hesitation. a tad shy of split on her split full, and then drills her gainer full off the side.
Knurek (KSU): exh – opens with a rudi loso with excellent stall, and a floaty switch half to Popa. short on her double tuck from a wonky blocking handspring, and has to put her hands down.
FINAL: Kent State 197.200, Eastern Michigan 196.450
A great meet for both teams this afternoon! They’ll look to continue this momentum heading into senior night season, and iron out any final details before the MAC Championship in just under three weeks’ time.
VT: Kyndall Gilbert, 9.950
UB: Sarah Haxton, 9.925
BB: Heidi Schultz, Raisa Boris, 9.900
FX: Nastia Rudnitskaya, Karlie Franz, Heidi Schultz, Raisa Boris, 9.900
AA: Raisa Boris, 39.525
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Live blog by Peri Goodman
