COLLEGEVILLE, PA. – The Cortland women's gymnastics team finished in fifth place at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) East Region Championship, hosted by Ursinus College, and Red Dragon freshman Gianna Mirigliano (Springfield, PA) has been named the NCGA East Rookie of the Year.
 
While the Red Dragons did not earn one of the three team berths from the East into the NCGA Championships, they did have two gymnasts, and possibly a third, qualify as individuals for the March 25 national meet at Winona State University in Minnesota. Glynis Curcione (Buffalo/Wilson) will be heading to nationals on uneven parallel bars and Mirigliano will be competing in the all-around. Abby Bang (Montgomery, MA/Gateway Regional) is awaiting a possible national berth on vault – that determination will be made on Sunday evening.

(UPDATE: The official qualifier list was released on Monday, March 13, and Curcione and Mirigliano are Cortland's national qualifiers.)
 
The top five regional finishers in each individual event automatically qualify for nationals if not already on a qualifying team. Gymnasts can also earn spots at nationals based on Seasonal Average Scores (SAS). Curcione and Mirigliano had already secured their national berths based on SAS, with Curcione placing high enough on bars to qualify that way as well. Mirigliano is an all-around qualifier based on her SAS, and Bang will wait to see if her SAS gets her into nationals on vault.
 
Brockport won the team title with a score of 192.20. Springfield was second at 189.15 and Ithaca was third with a 189.05 to claim the other two team berths into nationals. Rhode Island College placed fourth with a 188.95, Cortland was fifth with a 188.075, and Ursinus finished sixth with a 187.45. Cortland's team score included a season-high 46.475 on uneven bars.
 
Mirigliano and Curcione earned NCGA All-East honors, which go to the top six finishers in each event. Mirigliano tied for fifth on vault with a 9.65 and was fourth in the all-around with a 37.975. Curcione tied for fourth on uneven bars with a 9.60.
 
The Red Dragons posted a number of other top-15 regional finishes. Bang tied for seventh on floor exercise with a 9.725 and was 14th on vault with a 9.55. Bianca Carr (Tappan/Tappan Zee) tied for eighth on bars with a 9.475, while Mirigliano tied for ninth on both balance beam (career-high 9.675) and floor (9.70). Rianna Adams (South Setauket/Ward Melville) tied for 11th on bars (9.40) and Marisa Frascatore (Syracuse/Cicero-North Syracuse) finished 14th on beam (9.575).
 
Coach's Corner - Comments from Cortland Head Coach Sulekha Modi Zaug:

Competition was so fierce between these East teams today with everyone fighting within tenths so grab the top three team spots. Each team wanted it so badly and each team had some mistakes, it was going to come down to the last event and we were very close. The girls competed with their heart and wanted to qualify as a team so badly that nerves got in the way a bit. They wanted that for their captains knowing this was their last opportunity to compete for Cortland. I am thrilled to be taking individuals to Nationals and put Cortland Gymnastics on the map once again!

2023 NCGA East Regional Qualifier
March 11 – Collegeville, Pa.

FINAL TEAM SCORES:
1) Brockport – 192.20
2) Springfield – 189.15
3) Ithaca – 189.05
4) Rhode Island College – 188.95
5) Cortland – 188.075
6) Ursinus – 187.45

Individual Event Top 6 finishers (All-NCGA East)

VAULT:
1) Sydney Schumaker (Brockport) – 9.80
2) Anne Kiley (Springfield) – 9.75
3) Alex Panetta (Ursinus) – 9.725
4) Maren Eramo (Brockport) – 9.70
T5) Gianna Mirigliano (Cortland) – 9.65
T5) Ashley Cromer (Cortland) – 9.65
 
UNEVEN PARALLEL BARS:
1) Emma Grace Sargent (Brockport) – 9.725
2) Taylor Bushey (Brockport) – 9.675
3) Zoe Kyriakopoulos (Ithaca) – 9.625
T4) Glynis Curcione (Cortland) – 9.60
T4) Alyssa DeLorme (Ursinus) – 9.60
T4) Tori Sipes (Springfield) – 9.60

BALANCE BEAM:
1) Cameryn Nichols (Ithaca) – 9.85
2) Sydney Schumaker (Brockport) – 9.825
3) Emma Tucker (RIC) – 9.80
T4) Natalie Galioto (Brockport) – 9.75
T4) Olivia Keyes (RIC) – 9.75
T4) MacKenzie MacLeod (Springfield) – 9.75
 
FLOOR EXERCISE:
1) Kelsey Gates (RIC) – 9.875
T2) Maya Pecoraro (Brockport) – 9.80
T2) Kyra Figurelli (Brockport) – 9.80
4) Emmie White (Brockport) – 9.775
T5) Alyssa DeLorme (Ursinus) – 9.75
T5) Grace Murray (Ithaca) – 9.75

ALL-AROUND:
T1) Cameryn Nichols (Ithaca) – 38.125
T1) Kelsey Gates (RIC) – 38.125
T1) Olivia Keyes (RIC) – 38.125
4) Gianna Mirigliano (Cortland) – 37.975
5) Alyssa DeLorme (Ursinus) – 37.925
6) Skye Cohen (Ithaca) – 37.525