The Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team secured a commanding victory at the Golden Girls' Classic on Friday, Jan. 17, defeating Mid-American Conference rivals Ball State University and Northern Illinois University, along with non-conference opponent Winona State University. The Eagles posted a meet-best score of 195.125 inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center, edging out Ball State (195.000), Northern Illinois (193.275), and Winona State (189.450). This marks the first time EMU has started 4-0 in a season since at least 2003.
The Eagles continued their strong start after achieving their best season-opening score in two decades, a 194.925 against Bowling Green, on Jan. 12. Along the way, the team notched seven personal bests across all events.
Junior Raisa Boris (Brooklyn Park, Minnesota/Park Center) delivered a stellar performance, winning the all-around title with a season-best score of 39.125. She outpaced Ball State’s Hannah Ruthberg, who finished second with 38.500. Boris also tied her season-best on the uneven bars, scoring 9.825, and contributed strong performances on vault (9.675), beam (9.725), and floor (9.800).
On the vault, sophomore Abby Brushwood (State College, Pennsylvania/State College Area) led EMU with a season-best 9.775, supported by a solid score of 9.750 from teammate Alana Fisher (Athens, Alabama/Alabama Connections Academy) and 9.700 from Genae Daniel (Indianapolis, Indiana/Pike), contributing to a team total of 48.550. The Eagles also excelled on the uneven bars, tallying 48.825 as a team. Boris tied for her season-best with a 9.825, while Gwendelyn Cantu (Joilet, Illinois/Providence Catholic) recorded a personal-best 9.775. Other standout performances included Keeley Kohler's 9.750 (Davison, Michigan/Powers Catholic), Kyrie Lowe's 9.725 (Lake Worth, Florida/Park Vista), and Ella Chemotti's 9.725 (Canton, Michigan/Canton).
On the balance beam, Chemotti led with a season-best 9.775, followed by Katin Childress (Prosper, Texas/Prosper) with a personal-best 9.750. Boris, Fisher, and Lowe each scored at least a 9.7, helping EMU earn 48.775 in the event. The meet concluded on the floor, where Brushwood and Priya Karle (Canton, Massachusetts/Canton) excelled with scores of 9.850, a career-best for Karle and a season-best for Brushwood. These performances anchored a team total of 48.975 on the floor exercise.
Eastern Michigan’s gymnastics team will remain at home for their next meet against Kent State on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 1 p.m. in the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
