In a tightly contested battle on Friday, February 27, the Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team showcased one of its strongest performances of the season. Hosting a meet that featured Western Michigan University and Illinois State University, the Eagles posted a final team score of 195.200. While this effort was enough to outpace Illinois State's 194.675, it fell just short of Western Michigan’s winning score of 195.275. The meet was characterized by season-high rotations and elite individual performances, moving Eastern Michigan to an 8-7 overall record for the year.
Rotation highlights: Breaking season records
Vault: A Solid Foundation
The Eagles began the evening on the vault, establishing a consistent rhythm with a team score of 48.775. The rotation was led by a trio of gymnasts—Abby Brushwood, Gwendelyn Cantu, and Kendall Landry—who all recorded matching scores of 9.775. Supporting these efforts were Kyrie Lowe and Savanna Dunwoody, each contributing a 9.725, while Genae Daniel rounded out the scoring with a 9.700. This steady start provided the momentum needed for the record-breaking rotations that followed.
Uneven bars: Setting the season high
Moving to the uneven bars, Eastern Michigan reached a new level of excellence, posting a season-best team score of 48.775. Kyrie Lowe was the standout in this rotation, leading the Eagles with a 9.825 to take third place overall in the event. Keeley Kohler delivered under pressure to record a season-high 9.800, tying for fourth place. Other critical contributions came from Analiah Solorio (9.750), Jacquelyn Patterson (9.725), and Genae Daniel (9.675).
Balance beam: Maintaining consistency
In the third rotation, the Eagles moved to the balance beam and recorded a team score of 48.600. The rotation was highlighted by Kendall Landry and Katin Childress, both of whom tied for the team lead with scores of 9.775. They were followed closely by Lowe and Patterson, who both earned 9.700s. Kohler added a 9.650 to help the team maintain its narrow lead heading into the final event.
Floor exercise: A powerful finale
The Eagles saved their best for last, closing the meet on the floor exercise with a season-high team score of 49.050. Kyrie Lowe and Priya Karle electrified the home crowd with matching scores of 9.850, tying for third place overall. For Lowe, the score matched her career best, while Karle set a new season high and tied her own career record. Brushwood and Macy Nihart added strong scores of 9.800, and Landry contributed a 9.750 to finalize the scoring.
Individual excellence and historical impact
The night belonged to Kyrie Lowe, who captured her fifth all-around title of the season with a total score of 39.100, matching her career high. Her leadership across all four events was central to the Eagles’ ability to remain competitive until the final routine.
Despite the individual success, the team results had mixed historical implications. The loss to Western Michigan moved the all-time series to 20-19 in favor of the Broncos and extended Eastern’s current losing streak against them to eight games. Conversely, the victory over Illinois State improved the Eagles' all-time advantage in that series to 9-3, extending a dominant eight-meet winning streak against the Redbirds.
Looking ahead
Following this home stand, the Eagles will take their momentum on the road. They are scheduled to travel to Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, March 8, to compete in the Ohio State Quad. This upcoming meet will see Eastern Michigan face off against Ohio State, NC State, and Penn State.
