ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell gymnastics team will hit the road for the second time in three weeks when it travels to Maryland for the Chelli Calloway Invitational hosted by Towson on Friday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. George Washington and New Hampshire will join the Big Red and the Tigers in the meet.
MEET REWIND: BIG RED TAKES DOWN BRIDGEPORT IN FIRST HOME MEET OF SEASON
The Big Red will look to build some momentum after taking down conference foe Bridgeport, 190.825-189.850, last Sunday from Newman Arena in its first dual meet of the season. Cornell earned 13 top-five finishes and took the top individual spot in all four events.
Junior captain Sydney Beers impressed in all four rotations, taking the top spot in vault (9.800), uneven bars (9.700), and floor exercise (9.900). Beers' floor routine also tied her career high set last season. Cornell's first-year class also shined bright, as Cami Whitaker (9.700) and Addy Rothstein (9.650) followed Beers on the podium for vault, while sophomore Mikayla Burton stuck the dismount on beam to earn runner-up honors with a 9.800.
Cornell's sweep of the top individual spots came from junior Kate Michelini, who earned a 9.875 on beam to earn gold. Beam was also the Big Red's other podium sweep on the afternoon, as Burton and Regina Walton (9.775) sealed the second and third-place spots for the Big Red.
The team's victory over the Purple Knights was its first dual win since taking down Springfield, 191.075-186.300, inside Newman Arena on Feb. 20, 2022.
INSIDER: TOWSON
The Big Red will travel to the Tigers for the first time since opening its 2020 schedule in Maryland on Jan. 17, 2020. Cornell competed alongside William and Mary and West Chester, grabbing four individual top-five finishes to earn fourth with a score of 186.750.
Towson rolls into the weekend at 0-3 overall after falling 195.900-195.325 to conference foe Temple last Sunday in Philadelphia. The Tigers earned scores of 48.800 or better in each event while earning four podium finishes. Isabella Minervini earned first on uneven bars against the Owls with a season-high 9.900, while Elise Tisler recorded a career-high 9.850 to place second overall on vault.
INSIDER: GEORGE WASHINGTON
The Revolutionaries and the Big Red have battled once this season at the Lindsey Ferris Invitational on Jan. 14 from Washington, D.C. George Washington outscored Cornell, 195.025-192.850, to earn second out of the five teams who competed.
George Washington was in action last weekend at the Next Level Gymnastics Podium Challenge in Michigan, finishing third with a combined 193.475 behind Western Michigan (196.125) and Illinois State (195.900). Three out of four rotations had a combined score of 48.600 or higher, with Kendall Whitman finishing in a four-way tie for the top spot on vault (9.900), Anneliese Silverman earning first on bars (9.775), and a tie at the top of beam for Brooke Izzo and Deana Sheremeta (9.750).
INSIDER: NEW HAMPSHIRE
Cornell and New Hampshire will face off for the first time since the 2013 season in a quad meet hosted by Kent State on March 15, 2013. The Wildcats outscored the Big Red in the final scores, 194.675-192.450.
New Hampshire has had an impressive start to its 2024 season, donning a 4-1 record heading into Friday's meet. The Wildcats traveled to Long Island University last Sunday for an EAGL quad meet, scoring a 195.400 to defeat the Dolphins (192.825), Yale (192.350), and Southern Connecticut State (191.925). Each rotation produced a 48.550 or higher for UNH, with graduate student Kyle Gorgenyi finishing at the top in both vault (9.850) and uneven bars (9.875) and a share of second on floor exercise (9.875) en route to the all-around title on the afternoon.
UP NEXT
Cornell will head off to Philadelphia to battle GEC preseason poll favorite Penn alongside Bridgeport on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. from the Palestra.
