On Saturday, in front of nearly 600 spectators, gymnastics finished up its season at the Gymnastics East Conference Championships hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.
Cornell earned a fifth-place finish among competitors UPenn, Bridgeport University, Brown University, Yale University, Southern Connecticut State University, West Chester University and the College of William and Mary.
The Red opened the championship on the balance beam with sophomore Natalia Tehrani taking the top score for the Red of 9.750. Unfortunately, point deductions for senior Sydney Beers caused her score to fall to 8.975.
Up next, Cornell performed on the floor in its typical dominating fashion finishing with a total score of 48.975 — the highest team floor event of the match. Sophomore Addy Rothstein and Beers each earned a score of 9.875. A lower score of 9.050 from senior Kate Michelini took the Red’s total down a notch.
Beers led the team on the vault with a personal season-high score of 9.850. No Cornellian scored less than 9.500 in the event, an exceptional result for the Red.
Cornell struggled on the uneven bars, as sophomore Avery Byun’s 8.450-point routine cost the team valuable points. Rothstein also had issues with her routine, ending with a score of 8.725.
In the end, Cornell bested Brown University, West Chester University and South Connecticut State University and took fifth place overall.
The Red also celebrated the selection of four gymnasts for GEC honors which are awards given to gymnasts in the conference based on their performance in the regular season. Beers earned four different selections this year — including three consecutive first-team honors on vault. Beers ended the season ranked fourth overall in the all-around category in the conference.
Byun was also selected to the first team all-around category, as she has been an asset for the Red across all four events. On the floor, she exceeded a 9.800 score in four of her performances.
Rothstein also played a crucial role in Cornell’s command of the floor event, earning second-team honors. She scored 9.700 or higher on eight of 10 starts on floor.
Junior Morgen Shambo achieved a second-team selection with her performance on vault, where she served as an anchor for the team. Five times, she was able to achieve a score of 9.700 or higher.
The Red will graduate seven seniors and celebrate a season where many gymnasts were able to set new season record highs.
