The BGSU gymnastics team opened the 2026 season at home on Sunday afternoon, falling just short to Eastern Michigan in a tightly contested dual meet at the Stroh Center. The Eagles edged the Falcons, 192.925-191.900, in a meet that featured strong individual performances and promising debuts for Bowling Green.
The Falcons began the afternoon on vault, posting a team score of 48.000 to open the competition. Senior Madison Coburn led the team on the event, earning a 9.700 to set the tone early in the meet.
Bowling Green continued on bars with a team score of 48.050, led by junior Nadia Parente, recording a 9.700 in her first-ever bars routine. The performance marked a strong debut and provided momentum heading into the second half of the meet.
On beam, the Falcons totaled a 47.625. sophomore Emily Gianfrancesco led the team with a 9.700, while Sophomore Kayla Shaw matched her career high with a 9.675 in her first routine of the season. Freshman Natasha Lopez also made her collegiate debut on beam, scoring a 9.675 to contribute to the team total.
Bowling Green closed the meet on the floor, where it posted its highest team score of the afternoon with a 48.225. Junior Keira Thornton tied for first overall in the event with a 9.750, the top score for the Falcons in the meet. Shaw followed closely with a 9.725 to place third, while Gianfrancesco added a career-high 9.575 on floor to round out the rotation.
Despite the loss, head coach Brittney Emmons came away encouraged by her team’s performance, noting the meet offered important takeaways for the rest of the season.
“I’m super proud of this team,” Emmons said. “I think we figured out some things today that will help us prepare for the rest of the season. I want people to see that we’re going to be competitive, we’re going to step up when we need to, and we’re going to keep building.”
Next, the Falcons will go on the road for the first time this season as they continue Mid-American Conference (MAC) play with a dual meet against Ball State in Muncie, Indiana.
