ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell gymnastics enters the 2026 season with high expectations and a culture built on accountability, as head coach Melanie Hall welcomes back a veteran core alongside a talented freshman class.
 
The Big Red will open the season when it takes the competition floor this Sunday, Jan. 11, when it hosts Penn and Bridgeport at 1 p.m. inside Newman Arena at Bartels Hall.
 
The Big Red finished fifth at the 2025 GEC Championships, but was picked tied for third in the preseason poll as it returns key contributors across all four events, despite graduating several impact performers from last year's squad.
 
"We lost some pretty heavy hitters, but the freshman class that came in is really good," said Coach Hall. "Generally speaking, everybody's relatively healthy and ready to compete. We're pretty deep on most events."
 
 
VETERAN LEADERSHIP
Cornell will lean on three team captains to guide the program; senior Morgen Shambo, along with juniors Natalia Tehrani and Josie Moylan. All three figure to be starters on their respective events.
 
Other key returners include Addy Rothstein, Dahlia Jhaveri, and Cami Whitaker, who has added a new vault to her repertoire that could rewrite the record books.
 
"If she hits it, she will set a school record on vault," Hall said of Whitaker's new skill. "It's going to be super exciting."
 
The Big Red will not field any all-around competitors this season, instead focusing on event specialists across the four apparatus.
 

EVENT OUTLOOK
Heading into the season, vault and floor exercise project as Cornell's highest-scoring events, with bars and beam following closely behind.
 
"We don't really have a weak event," Hall noted. "There's not one that I'm like, 'Oh, I don't know what we're gonna do."
 
Balance beam features the return of last year's anchor and the back half of the lineup, providing stability on the sport's most nerve-wracking event.
 
FRESHMAN IMPACT
Cornell has added six accomplished gymnasts to its 2025-26 roster, bringing elite talent from six states to strengthen every event lineup as the Big Red aims for a successful season.
 
The newcomers join 18 returning gymnasts and fill key gaps left by graduating seniors, according to Coach Hall.
 
"Sometimes freshmen don't always break into the lineup, but we have some really good freshmen," Hall commented.
 
Meet the Class
 
GEC PRESEASON POLL
The Gymnastics East Conference announced the results of the 2025 preseason poll on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2025 in anticipation of the 2026 season. For the fifth consecutive year, the Penn Quakers sit atop the poll after finishing the 2025 season tied for 45th nationally with a National Qualifying Score of 195.470. Cornell, who was picked to finish tied for third alongside Brown in the poll, finished 2025 with a Team National Qualifying Score of 193.210 with a season-high of 192.763.
 
"We have the talent. We've just got to put it together on the right day," noted Hall.
 
The emphasis this season has been on accountability across the roster, from starters to those still working toward competition readiness.
 
"Everybody in every role has held themselves and their teammates accountable this year, and I think it's really shown in their performances, not just in practice," Hall said. "People are holding themselves accountable inside the gym, outside the gym, in the weight room. They're checking every box this year."
 
That accountability has extended beyond the competition floor, with the team expecting to post one of its highest GPAs in recent years when fall semester grades come in.