ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cortland women's gymnastics team earned a trip to the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) national championships for the first time since 2019 with a second-place finish out of seven schools at the NCGA East Region Championships, hosted by Ithaca College. In the process, Cortland tied the school record for team score at 191.65 and set a new school mark on uneven bars with a 48.65.
 
Brockport won the team title with a 192.10, followed by Cortland's 191.65 and Rhode Island College with a 191.575. In a new format this season, the top two team finishers (instead of three) from the East and the West regionals earn an automatic berth into nationals, which will be hosted by Ursinus College March 23.
 
The final two at-large spots for nationals, along with individual qualifiers from non-qualifying teams, will be announced Monday based on the remaining team scores. Following RIC, Ithaca placed fourth (190.95), Ursinus was fifth (190.275), Springfield placed sixth (189.775) and Utica was seventh (186.175).

 

Following the meet, Cortland head coach Sulekha Modi Zaug was named the NCGA East Coach of the Year and assistant coach Nicole Jackson was selected as the NCGA East Assistant Coach of the Year. In addition, freshman Taylor Goldstein (Dix Hills/Half Hollow Hills West) was announced as the NCGA East Rookie of the Year.
 
Five Red Dragons earned All-NCGA East honors with top-six finishes. Autumn Adkins (Aledo, TX) tied for third on floor exercise with a 9.825, Kathryn McSweeney (East Brunswick, NJ) tied for fourth on uneven bars with a 9.80 and Samantha Meadows (Cypress, TX/Texas Connections Academy) tied for fifth on balance beam with a 9.70. Kyleigh Brown (Tunkhannock, PA/Commonwealth Charter) tied for sixth on vault (9.725) and Gabrielle Nadler (Potomac, MD/Richard Montgomery) tied for sixth on floor (9.80).
 
Five of Cortland's six competitors on bars placed in the top 15. In addition to McSweeney, Goldstein landed in eighth place (9.75), Adkins tied for ninth (9.725), Rianna Adams (South Setauket/Ward Melville) tied for 11th (9.70) and Cloe Block (Lockport/North Tonawanda) finished 13th (9.675). Also earning top-15 finishes at the meet were Gianna Mirigliano (Springfield, PA) in a tie for 10th on beam (9.65), Kiana Wong (Elk Grove, CA/Pleasant Grove) in 13th on beam (9.55) and Rory Allan (Dubai, UAE/Gems International School Al Khail) in 13th on vault (9.625).

Coach's Corner - Comments from Cortland Head Coach Sulekha Modi Zaug:

What a thrilling end to a crazy long day! For the first time East Regionals had 7 teams competing for the top 2 spots to qualify to Nationals and every team was bringing out their energy and incredible gymnastics. We had a team pact to not look at scores all day and calculate team totals so at the end of the day I thought we were out. What an incredible surprise! The most exciting part was that we still have not yet had our strongest and best meet and still broke records and qualified. We will be working hard to bring everything we have to Nationals in 2 weeks!


2024 NCGA East Regional Qualifier
March 9 – Ithaca, N.Y.

FINAL TEAM SCORES:
1) Brockport – 192.10
2) Cortland – 191.65
3) Rhode Island College – 191.575
4) Ithaca – 190.95
5) Ursinus – 190.275
6) Springfield – 189.775
7) Utica – 186.175

Individual Event Top 6 finishers (All-NCGA East)

VAULT:
1) Alexis Castellaneta (Utica) – 9.85
2) Maren Eramo (Brockport) – 9.80
3) Emma Tucker (RIC) – 9.775
T4) Emma Grace Sargent (Brockport) – 9.75
T4) Erin Roe (Ursinus) – 9.75
T6) Kyleigh Brown (Cortland) – 9.725
T6) Sidney Schreiber (Ursinus) – 9.725
 
UNEVEN PARALLEL BARS:
1) Rachel Swick (Brockport) – 9.875
T2) Lienna Kay (Brockport) – 9.825
T2) Kylie Ruggiero (Ursinus) – 9.825
T4) Kathryn McSweeney (Cortland) – 9.80
T4) Emma Grace Sargent (Brockport) – 9.80
T4) Sophia LeBlanc (Springfield) – 9.80

BALANCE BEAM:
1) Olivia Keyes (RIC) – 9.80
2) Emma Tucker (RIC) – 9.775
T3) Abby Chesshire (Ithaca) – 9.75
T3) Alexis Castellaneta (Utica) – 9.75
T5) Samantha Meadows (Cortland) – 9.70
T5) Jillian Freyman (Ithaca) – 9.70
T5) Kelly McGuinness (Springfield) – 9.70
 
FLOOR EXERCISE:
1) Kelsey Gates (RIC) – 9.875
2) Kirsten Paultre (Brockport) – 9.85
T3) Autumn Adkins (Cortland) – 9.825
T3) Grace Murray (Ithaca) – 9.825
T3) Grace Marra (Utica) – 9.825
T6) Gabrielle Nadler (Cortland) – 9.80
T6) Kiara Hockman (Brockport) – 9.80
T6) Jillian Freyman (Ithaca) – 9.80
T6) Sidney Schreiber (Ursinus) – 9.80
T6) Alexis Castellaneta (Utica) – 9.80

ALL-AROUND:
1) Olivia Keyes (RIC) – 38.525
2) Sophia LeBlanc (Springfield) – 38.50
3) Alexis Castellaneta (Utica) – 38.15
4) Grace Marra (Utica) – 38.125
5) Lienna Kay (Brockport) – 37.675
6) Kelsey Gates (RIC) – 37.625