College Park, Maryland – The Cornell University women’s gymnastics team competed at a quad meet hosted by the University of Maryland this weekend, facing off against Ball State, and Temple. Despite a strong performance with minimal errors, the Large Red finished fourth with a team score of 193.175. Head coach Melanie Hall expressed some surprise at the results, noting the team’s solid execution.
“We counted zero falls, so that’s always a good day when that happens,” Hall said. “I think some of the scores were a little weird. I don’t grasp how else to say it. They’re just somewhere a little lower than what we thought they should have been.” Despite the fourth-place finish, Cornell posted a season-best performance, achieving a score over 193.00 for only the fourth time this season, demonstrating consistent improvement throughout the year.
The competition began with the floor exercise, where Cornell recorded a 48.450. Junior Addy Rothstein and sophomore Sarah Goetter led the way, tying for the team’s highest score of 9.750. Senior Cami Whitaker contributed a 9.700, marking the second consecutive week she has achieved a score of 9.700 or higher on the event. Freshman Ella Fox has similarly proven to be a reliable performer on the floor, scoring below a 9.650 only three times this season.
Hall emphasized the adjustment period for freshmen athletes, noting the increased pressure of collegiate competition. “When you’re in middle and high school, you’re competing for yourself,” Hall explained. “When you get to college it’s much more of a team aspect and … there’s more pressure. I think the freshmen in general have done a phenomenal job kind of adjusting to that change.”
Cornell continued with the vault, matching their floor exercise score of 48.450. Whitaker once again led the team, earning a score of 9.775. Her consistent performance on vault has become a hallmark of her senior season.
Whitaker’s Impact on the Team
Coach Hall highlighted Whitaker’s significant contribution to the team, particularly on vault and floor. “She is going to be very much missed on both vault and floor because she is super consistent and her difficulty has increased over the years and her consistency has increased,” Hall said. Whitaker consistently achieves the highest start value on vault, performing a Yurchenko tuck 1.5, which has a maximum start value of 10.0, compared to the 9.90 or 9.95 start value of most other gymnasts performing a Yurchenko full.
Moving to the uneven bars, Cornell scored a 48.200. This event has yet to feature any freshmen in the lineup, with a consistent starting six comprised of senior captain Morgen Shambo, junior captain Josie Moylan, Rothstein, sophomores Ava Schenck-Davis, Goetter, and Dahlia Jhaveri, with occasional substitutions from junior captain Natalia Tehrani and sophomore Nora Sherman. This lineup has consistently delivered solid performances, routinely scoring over 48.00 with minimal errors.
Schenck-Davis and Jhaveri secured the team-best scores on the uneven bars with a 9.675, followed closely by Goetter and Shambo with scores of 9.650 and 9.625, respectively.
The Big Red concluded the meet on the balance beam, finishing with a score of 48.075. Tehrani and sophomore Anne MacKenzie posted the highest scores for the team, both earning a 9.775. Freshman Lauren Golioto, who was added to the beam lineup last week, continued to compete, having recovered from a fall injury earlier in the season. “In the fall, she had come in with an injury and we were just working through it and making sure she was super strong before we put her in the lineup,” Hall explained.
Looking Ahead
Cornell’s next competition is scheduled for 11 a.m. On Saturday at West Chester University of Pennsylvania in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Cornell University Athletics announced the schedule earlier this week.
The team will look to build on their consistent performances and continue to refine their routines as they progress through the season. The coaching staff will likely focus on maximizing scoring potential and maintaining the team’s momentum as they prepare for upcoming challenges.
What do you think about Cornell’s performance this weekend? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
