WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Cornell gymnastics team got the 2023 season off to a solid start, taking third overall at George Washington's Lindsey Ferris Invitational on Sunday afternoon at the Charles E. Smith Center. Cornell's 189.900 placed it ahead of Gymnastics East foe William & Mary (188.575). Nebraska (196.150) and the host Colonials (195.300) took the top two spots on the podium.

The Big Red had seven individual top 10 efforts at the season-opening meet, with both Kate Michelini (seventh on beam, 9.675; 10th on bars (9.700) and Sydney Beers (ninth on vault, 9.750; 10th on floor, 9.775) hitting that mark in multiple events. Melanie Stone matched Milchelini's seventh-place effort as the team's top individual finisher with a 9.725 on bars, while Cami Whitaker and Victoria DeMeo matched Beers' with a 9.775 floor score that was 10th-best in the field.

Cornell's top event was vault with a 48.100 led by Beers and Amy Krueger (9.700), with Michaela DeFrancisco scoring an impressive 9.625 in her first collegiate meet. Whitaker, who took 10th on floor, also posted a solid 9.500 on vault in her first collegiate appearance.

Cornell was fourth after the first rotation when it scored a 47.550 on beam, with Regina Walton leading the way with a 9.750, just ahead of Kate Michelini (9.675). It made up most of its ground on William & Mary on beam, as Cornell's 47.400 was nearly two points ahead of the Tribe (45.575) on the same event. 

The Big Red's score of 189.900 was its best in a season-opening meet since posting a 190.750 to kick off the 2019 season at GW.

Next up for the Big Red will be Temple's Green Meet with the Owls, LIU and Bridgeport on Friday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. at McGonigle Hall.