Complete Results (PDF)
 
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Ithaca College gymnastics team kicked off its 2018 season on a high note when it jumped into competition action for the first time this year at the West Chester Quad Meet in West Chester, Pa. The Bombers racked up 186.150 points to finish in second place out of the four teams at the event, as IC bested fellow NCGA East Region rivals Ursinus and Springfield, while it finished just 3.675 points behind Division II West Chester in the overall standings.
 
Saturday marked one of the most impressive starts for an IC squad in recent memory. The Bombers 186.150 team points was far-and-away the team's highest point total in a season-opening meet dating back to at least 2000. The performance also put the rest of the NCGA East on notice that Ithaca figures to be a major player this season. IC defeated Springfield 186.150-to-185.800, while it also bested last year's NCGA East Runner-Up in Ursinus College as the Bears recorded 184.925 points on the day. It is the first time the Bombers have topped Ursinus in a competition dating back to a 183183.125-to-180.350 dual meet victory on January 22, 2012.
 
The Bombers were steady throughout the afternoon, finishing with the third-best team scores in the vault (46.950) and uneven bars (44.600) and the second-best team marks in the balance beam (47.750) and floor exercise (46.850).
 
Highlighting Ithaca's performance on the day was a pair of strong efforts from senior Melissa Hollrigl and junior Carolyn Nichols. Each gymnast registered two Top-10 event finishes on the day.
 
Hollrigl began her day with a 9.400 on the vault that finished in a tie for 10^th-place at the meet; however, the highlight of her afternoon came on floor exercise where the senior set a new career best with a 9.550 score to finish in a tie for third in the rotation.
 
Nichols also had a strong start to her third collegiate campaign. She kicked off the afternoon with a vault effort that was nearly good enough to take home event honors on the day. She registered a 9.625 score that stood as the top mark for much of the afternoon, before she was narrowly edged by Ale Rushlow of Springfield, who carded a 9.650 in the second-to-last rotation. Nichols settled for second-place in the event. The junior added a seventh-place score of 9.475 in floor exercise.
 
Seven other IC gymnasts joined Hollrigl and Nichols as Top-10 finishers in individual events on the day. Senior Kendra Balcerak notched a pair of Top-10 marks in the uneven bars and balance beam. Senior Kaylee Pacunas registered a Top-10 finish in vault. Sophomore Baylie Trammell added a Top-5 mark on uneven bars. Senior Hannah Donnelly as well as sophomores Paige Landes and Emily Szembrot posted Top-10 scores on balance beam. Freshman Alexis Griffin also squeezed into the Top-10 in floor exercise in her first collegiate competition.
 
Ithaca got its day started on vault and posted solid results to get its day off and running. Behind Nichols' aforementioned runner-up effort was Pacunas, who posted a 9.425 that came in ninth. After Hollrigl's score that was tied for 10^th, was a trio of Bombers. Junior Victoria Gery posted a 9.275 that was good for 16^th place, Trammell scored a 9.225 that was tied for 17^th, while freshman Courtney Christoforo notched a 9.200 that was tied for 20^th.
 
Typical of the first event of the season, the uneven bars was a trouble spot for every team on the day. Only 12-of-24 official entrants were able to score 9.000-or-better in the rotation. Trammell highlighted the day's performance for IC, scoring a 9.450 that was good for fifth-place. Balcerak was the Bombers other Top-10 finisher in the event, marking a 9.050 that was good for a tie for 10^th. Junior Haley Lyons and sophomore Elyse Ryden finished in a tie for 17^th-place with 8.750 scores. Christoforo registered a 19^th-place score of 8.600, while fellow freshman Savannah Gigandet came in 24^th with a 7.850.
 
The balance beam was the rotation of the day for Ithaca, as the squad had four of its six official entries finish in the Top-10. Donnelly paced the group with a 9.700 score that was just one-tenth off her career best in the event. The senior finished in sixth. Landes was right on Donnelly's heels, marking a new career best with a 9.675 to finish in seventh. Balcerak and Szembrot each posted 9.525 scores to finish in a tie for 10^th. Other competitors on beam were Lyons and freshman Katie Holcomb. The rookie finished in a tie for 15^th with a 9.325 score, while Lyons carded an 8.350 to finish in 23^rd.
 
Behind Hollrigl and Nichols on the floor was a strong performance by freshman Alexis Griffin. The rookie posted a 9.375 in her floor debut to finish in a tie for 10^th. Fellow freshman Lauren Hansen also had an encouraging debut performance on the day, finishing with a 9.275 to come in 14^th-place. Trammell added a 9.175 to come in a tie for 17^th, while Gery checked in with an 9.700 to come in 24^th-place.
 
Ithaca returns to action on Sunday, January 21, when it hosts its first meet of the 2018 campaign in Ben Light Gymnasium. The Bombers welcome NCGA East rival, Brockport, for a dual meet beginning at 3:00 p.m.