ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell gymnastics team will attempt to claim its second ECAC title in three years in familiar surroundings when the Big Red welcomes teams from Brown, Penn, Temple, William & Mary and Yale on Saturday, March 23 at noon in Newman Arena.

On paper, William & Mary enters the weekend as the prohibitive favorite based on performance this season. The Tribe has posted a 192.970 regional qualifying score, more than a full point ahead of Brown (191.935), Cornell (191.900) and Penn (191.865). The three Ivy schools are separated by less than 0.1. Not far behind is Yale (191.020).

A year ago, Penn (194.400) squeezed past Towson (194.375) for the program's first ECAC title since 2004 when it also hosted the meet. It was the Quakers' third crown overall 1998, (2004, 2012). Temple (192.450) held off Cornell (192.350) for third and Brown (192.250) was just behind in fifth. Both William & Mary (191.925) and Yale (191.450) rounded out the field in sixth and seventh, but finished less than a point out of third.

New event champions will be crowned on vault and in the all-around, while Penn's Kirsten Strausbaugh (bars and floor) and William & Mary's Brandy Stover (beam) will attempt to repeat their 2012 ECAC titles. Cornell has numerous student-athletes near the top of the charts in their respective events: Madeline Martinez (third vault, 9.750) and McKenna Archer (fourth, 9.745) on vault and Melanie Jorgensen (fourth, 9.770) and Lexi Schupp (fifth, 9.765) on bars all rank among the top five among ECAC competitors.

Cornell enters the weekend with a 191.900 regional qualifying score, good for sixth among the 13 teams attempting to qualify for the USAG nationals. Only the top eight qualify for the championship meet beginning April 12 in Shreveport, La. The Big Red is more than a full point ahead of Lindenwood and Centenary for the eighth spot, but less than a quarter-point behind Seattle Pacific for fourth.