* Purchase Tickets

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell gymnastics team is back in the hunt for a USAG Collegiate national team title when it competes in the 2013 meet beginning on Friday, April 12 at the Gold Dome in Shreveport, La. Cornell will be one of eight teams competing in the three-day event.

Cornell qualified sixth among 13 teams competing for a spot in the championships, securing a 192.240 regional qualifying score (RQS) and will join Bridgeport, Texas Woman's, Air Force, Seattle Pacific, Penn, Brown and host school Centenary in the team championships. The Big Red's top individual competitor is junior Melanie Jorgensen, a two-time USAG All-American whose RQS of 9.795 ranks fifth on bars. She claimed the USAG national championship on the event as a freshman in 2011. Cornell will also feature 2012 USAG All-Americans McKenna Archer, Sarah Hein and Elise Kerner on vault.

In addition to the teams that will compete, individual competitors from Lindenwood, Southern Connecticut, Temple, West Chester and Yale will also be in Shreveport.

Cornell missed qualifying for the USAG Collegiate nationals as a team in 2012 for the first time since 2000, ending a string of 11 consecutive seasons in the top eight. Cornell placed at least sixth every year, including capturing a share of its first USAG national title in 2009.  The Big Red placed in the top four every year from 2006-10.

Friday will feature two sessions of four teams each, scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The top two finishers in each session will advance to Saturday's team finals at 7 p.m. On Sunday at 1 p.m., the highest qualifiers from Friday will compete for individual USAG national titles.