CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland women's gymnastics team was tied with Division I Air Force Academy after two rotations before the Falcons pulled away to defeat the Red Dragons, 190.25-187.25, at Corey Gymnasium.

Cortland and Air Force were tied at 94.025 halfway through the meet, with Cortland winning 47.475-46.90 on vault and Air Force winning 47.125-46.55 on uneven bars. The Falcons, however, outscored the Red Dragons by nearly two points on balance beam and by just more than a point on floor exercise.

Freshman Rachel Filipski (Lancaster) won vault with a career-best 9.70 and sophomore McKenna Passalacqua (Whitesboro) was part of a three-way tie for first, with two Air Force competitors, on floor exercise with a career-high 9.725. Junior Amanda Scanlon (Glastonbury, CT) tied for first on balance beam with a season-best score of 9.725.

Sophomore Bailey Gildemeyer (Liverpool/Cicero-North Syracuse) finished second on vault behind Filipski with a career-high 9.55, and Scanlon was fourth in the event with a 9.45. Sophomore Arianna Turso (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) finished fourth on both balance beam, with a career-high 9.675, and on uneven bars with a 9.425.

Also for the Red Dragons, junior Meghan Cobb (Hobe Sound, FL/Clark Advanced Learning Ctr.) finished fifth on uneven bars (9.40) and Passalacqua tied for fifth on vault (9.425). Senior Emily Nagy (Merrimack, NH) finished sixth on beam (9.55) and Filipski tied for sixth on floor (9.475). Scanlon posted an all-around score of 37.825.

Kara Witgen led Air Force with an all-around score of 38.20. She won uneven bars with a 9.60, tied for first with Scanlon on beam with a 9.725, and was part of the tie for first on floor (9.725) along with Passalacqua and Air Force's Casey Bell. Mariana Murphy led the Falcons on vault with a third-place score of 9.525.

Cortland will host Brockport next Saturday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. in the Red Dragons' final home meet of the season.


Air Force 190.25, Cortland 187.25

Complete Results

(Top 4)

Vault:  1) Rachel Filipski (CORT) 9.70, 2) Bailey Gildemeyer (CORT) 9.55, 3) Mariana Murphy (AF) 9.525, 4) Amanda Scanlon (CORT) 9.45

Uneven Bars: 1) Kara Witgen (AF) 9.60, 2) Mariana Murphy (AF) 9.50, 3) Julia Sebben (AF) 9.45, 4) Arianna Turso (CORT) 9.425

Balance Beam: tie 1) Amanda Scanlon (CORT) 9.725, tie 1) Kara Witgen (AF) 9.725, 3) Shannen Kelly (AF) 9.70, 4) Arianna Turso (CORT) 9.675

Floor Exercise: tie 1) McKenna Passalacqua (CORT) 9.275, tie 1) Casey Bell (AF) 9.725, tie 1) Kara Witgen (AF) 9.725, 4) Darby Germain (AF) 9.625

All-Around: 1) Kara Witgen (AF) 38.20, 2) Amanda Scanlon (CORT) 37.825  (only 2 competitors)