WEST CHESTER, Pa. -- Sophomore Mikayla Burton and senior Sydney Beers took home individual titles on beam and vault for the Cornell gymnastics team, as it closed its 2024 regular season with a 193.950-192.325 loss to Gymnastics East Conference foe West Chester on Friday from Sturzebecker Health Science Center. In total, Cornell had nine individual top-five placings over the four events.
The Big Red started the four-event rotation on bars, scoring a 46.875. Freshmen Addy Rothstein and Josie Moylan led the way for the Big Red, earning a 9.725 each to finish tied for third. Rothstein's performance on uneven bars was also a new career-high for the New York, N.Y. native, besting her 9.700 from the 2024 Ivy Classic, while Moylan posted her fourth score of 9.700 or better in her first season competing for Cornell. Morgen Shambo was the third-highest finisher for Cornell, earning her fifth straight score of 9.500 or better to grab tenth. Senior Melanie Stone (9.000) and freshman Natalia Tehrani (8.925) recovered from falls to finish their routines and earn the two final qualifying scores.
Sitting behind the host Golden Rams by 0.600 points, Cornell headed to vault. The Big Red had a strong showing, extending its streak of 48.000 or better to eight consecutive meets (48.300). Beers led the charge for Cornell, scoring a 9.800 to take home the individual championship as the final gymnast in the lineup. Rothstein also excelled, setting her second career-high on the day set last weekend against Centenary College with a 9.750 to earn bronze. Sophomore Cami Whitaker also extended her streak of 9.600 or better to eight consecutive matches. Michaela DeFrancisco (9.575) and Moylan (9.550) closed out the rotation scores for the Big Red.
Cornell's third rotation ended up being its best event score on the day, netting a 48.825 on floor, with all five qualifying scores higher than 9.700. Senior Caitlyn Walsh (9.800) earned the top score on floor for the Big Red with her fourth score of 9.800 or better this season to earn a tie for fifth with West Chester's Sarah Eskew. Rothstein and Moylan followed behind Walsh with identical 9.775s to grab a tie for seventh. Alexandra Quiana (9.750), Beers (9.750), and Whitaker (9.725) finished off the rotation for the red and white.
The team rounded out its trip to West Chester with a 48.175 on beam. Sophomore Mikayla Burton put together a strong rotation, following up her career-best 9.900 last weekend against Centenary with a 9.850 to take home the top spot in the dual meet. Burton was the only Big Red athlete to scoop up a podium, as Tehrani and Beers each scored 9.750 to earn a three-way tie for bronze with West Chester's Natalie Marshall. Senior captain Regina Walton earned a 9.650 to earn a tie for seventh, while Avery Byun appeared in the beam lineup for the fourth time this year (9.175).
With its 2024 regular season now closed, Cornell will turn its attention to next weekend's Gymnastics East Conference championships hosted by Yale next weekend. The Big Red will head to the John J. Lee Amphitheater for a practice day on Friday, March 22, before looking to best its sixth-place finish from last season on Saturday, March 23.
