WEST CHESTER, Pa. -- The Cornell gymnastics team put together a session-best score of 49.225 on floor during the first session of the USAG Collegiate Nationals Semifinals on Friday afternoon from the Hollinger Field House. Cornell finished third in the session with a combined team score of 193.025 but failed to qualify for tomorrow's team finals.
Cornell's best rotation score was led by Sydney Beers. The junior captain scored a 9.900 to take home the top spot in the session by .025 over Air Force's Maggie Slife and Krystin Johnson. Beers' score is also the first time the New York product has hit that mark or higher since getting a 9.925 earlier this season in a quad meet against Brown, LIU, and Penn. Freshman Josie Moylan excelled in her first appearance at USAG Nationals with her fifth score of 9.800 or higher (9.850) to grab a tie for fourth in the session with teammate Alexandra Quiana. Caitlyn Walsh (9.825) and Cami Whitaker (9.800) were the other two qualifying scores for the Big Red. Addy Rothstein also competed for the Big Red, scoring a 9.600.
The Big Red put together a good showing on the balance beam during its third rotation with a 48.650. Sophomore Mikayla Burton led the lineup as the final gymnast to go with a 9.825 to earn second and extend her streak of 9.800 or better to four consecutive meets. Beers also shined in the event, besting her previous career-high of 9.825 set during last weekend's GEC Championships with a 9.850 to earn a share of the runner-up spot with Burton and three other Gymnastics from Air Force, Texas Woman's University, and Talladega College. Freshman Avery Byun finished third in the lineup (9.775), grabbing a tie for 10th with Kaitlyn Holland. Senior captain Regina Walton closed out her career for the Big Red with a 9.700, while Quiana and Natalia Tehrani had a 9.525.
Sliding over to vault, the Big Red landed its final combined score of 48.000 or better, logging a 48.275. Beers led the lineup, sticking the landing to a 9.800 and a tie for fourth in the session with Fisk's Morgan Price. Rothstein also saw a spot in the lineup in her first USAG Nationals appearance with a 9.675 to earn 14th. Whitaker followed Rothstein (9.625) to earn a three-way tie for 16th alongside Southern Connecticut State's Lexi Bracher and Air Force's Gabriella Hartley. Three other gymnasts also competed in the lineup for Cornell in Byun (9.600), Michaela DeFrancisco (9.575), and Moylan (9.425).
Cornell's lowest event score came on its semifinal-opening rotation on uneven bars (46.875). The combined score was also the Big Red's lowest of the season. Two gymnasts finished inside the top 15 in the session in sophomore Morgen Shambo (9.625 - T12th) and Rothstein (9.600 - 15th). Melanie Stone competed on bars for the final time in a Big Red uniform, placing 16th (9.575). Tehrani (9.250) and Beers (8.825) closed out the qualifying scores as the second and third gymnasts in the lineup. Beers also was the lone gymnast to compete in the all-around, earning sixth in the session with a combined 38.350.
Additionally, Cornell will have four gymnasts compete for individual event titles on Sunday. Beers will make her third consecutive trip to Sunday's finals, representing the Big Red on beam, floor, and vault. Burton will also make her second straight appearance in the finals on beam. The final two spots in the event finals go to Moylan and Quiana, who will compete alongside Beers on floor. Action for the event finals begins at 1 p.m. Sunday from the Hollinger Field House.
