WASHINGTON -- The Cornell gymnastics team put together its best season-opening score in eight years, scoring a 192.850 to finish fifth at the Lindsey Ferris Invitational on Sunday from the Charles E. Smith Center. Its 192.850 is the most the team has put forward in its first meet of a season since scoring 194.025 to finish second in the invite to open its 2016 campaign. GEC and Ivy League rival Penn took home the top spot for the second time in three years with a score of 195.375, just inching out of the host Revolutionaries, who had a 195.025. Temple (194.100) and Yale (193.325) rounded out the third and fourth-place spots in the final standings. 

Cornell had six individual top-10 finishes, with a bulk of them via the balance beam. Natalia Tehrani impressed in her first-ever meet for the Big Red, as the freshman put together a 9.850 to finish in a three-way tie for first in the event with George Washington's Anneliese Silverman and Temple's Madison Dorunda. That score by the freshman is also now tied for fifth all-time in program history. Tehrani was not alone near the top of the leaderboard in the event, as teammates Regina Walton and Mikayla Burton each received a 9.825 to earn fourth place. Senior Alexandra Quiana rounded out the fourth Big Red athlete to finish in the top 10 on beam with a 9.800, putting her in a tie for 10th place. Cornell's other top finishers came from vault and floor, as Sydney Beers earned fourth (9.750), while Caitlyn Walsh grabbed a fifth-place finish with a final score of 9.850. 

The Big Red's top event of the day came via beam, as Tehrani and the pair of Walton and Burton led the Big Red with a combined 49.025. Melanie Stone was also a part of the rotation, as the senior put forward a 9.750. Cornell's second-best event on the day came via floor, as each athlete put together a solid effort led by Walsh and Beers. But Cornell's youth shined on vault, as three freshmen earned their first spot in the rotation. Avery Byun led the newcomers on vault with a 9.450, while Victoria McMillan (9.375) and Addy Rothstein (9.275) had solid performances in their first meets in the red and white. Sophomore Michaela DeFrancisco also put together the second-best score on vault with a 9.600. 

The floor squad also put together a strong push with a combined 48.775. Walsh (9.850) and Beers (9.750) led in scoring for the Big Red, followed by Quiana (9.750), Josie Moylan (9.750), and Kate Michelini (9.675).

Cornell's bar squad rounded out the scoring with a 47.600 showing, with each qualifying score above 9.400. Beers led the way for the five with a 9.625, while Rothstein and junior Maddie Sakalosky recorded a 9.500.

UP NEXT

The Big Red will return to Ithaca for its first of three home meets this season when it welcomes conference foe Bridgeport to Newman Arena on Sunday, Jan. 21. Competition will begin at 2 p.m. and be available to stream on ESPN+.