This weekend, the gymnastics team will travel to compete against Rutgers try to continue its strong performance during the year. Recently, the Red has recorded three straight runner-up finishes and has continued to improve all season. Last week, the Red had its highest score of the year with a 190.600 at the Ivy Classic, but it lost to Penn, one of its ECAC rivals.
One way the Red feels it can improve is through more consistent play. At the Ivy Classic, it started off slow and finished strong. With a more healthy squad, it hopes to remain strong against a very formidable Rutgers opponent. Rutgers finished ahead of the Red in a tri-meet last season and now it is looking to get revenge.
“We need to finish and play well throughout the whole match,” said sophomore Stacey Ohara.
Ohara was injured a couple of weeks ago, but she was still able to compete in beam for the past two weeks, finishing second and third respectively, including a career-high score in beam at the Ivy Classic. Ohara was also able to compete in the floor exercise after her injury kept her out of that competition during the previous week.
One of Red’s previous goals was to break 190 before nationals, but after achieving that and coming in second, it now just want a victory over Rutgers.
Junior Megan Gilbert, who normally competes in three events, is out with an injury, but the team hopes to get her back soon. Gilbert was able to compete in Vault last week, but her injury is keeping her play limited, as she was only able to compete in one of her usual three events.
Senior co-captains Kari Kucera and Ashley Stewart have led the team well so far this season. Kucera has done very well lately including a third place finish in floor. The underclassmen have also fared very well, including Ohara and junior Colleen Davis, who both had third place finishes themselves in beam and vault respectively.
“Our team goals are to win ECAC and nationals,” Ohara said. “I think we have a good chance of doing that.”
The Red has proven that it can achieve this goal and so far Cornell has three second-place finishes, a first-place finish and a win against Cortland State.
Rutgers came into Ithaca last year and beat the Cornell gymnastics team in a tri-meet.