2019 Schedule
 
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College gymnastics team is set to get its much-anticipated 2019 season underway this coming weekend when the Bombers hit the road for the opening meet of the season at Rhode Island College on Sunday, January 13. Ithaca once again is poised for a season full of exciting highlights as the next 11 weeks figure to fly-by in a blur from Sunday's opener to the NCGA Event Finals, set to be held in Wisconsin-Osh Kosh during the third weekend of March. Led by a loaded class of returning contributors and another talented group of newcomers, the 2019 Bombers will look to build off of last season's impressive accomplishments with another successful run to Nationals this year.
 
"The preseason has gone really well," head coach Rick Suddaby. "We have such a great base to build off of coming from last season. The template is there and we still have many of our main competitors. The goal is take things one step farther this season."
 
The 2018 season was truly one to remember for the IC program. The squad seemingly notched a major accomplishment in nearly every competition. Not only did the team set new program records for team score in each of the four rotations, but also shattered the previous program record for overall team score three separate times during the year. The finest performance came at the NCGA East Regionals, as the Bombers posted a new program-best score of 191.475 en route to winning the NCGA East Regional Championship for the first time since the 2006 campaign. The victory also ensured IC's first appearance at the NCGA National Team Championships for the first time since the 2014 season.
 
"The season that we had last year was just so wonderful," Suddaby continued. "The great thing coming into this year is now that we know what we are capable of doing. Our gymnasts know that we have what it takes to compete at the national level and now the goal is take that next step using the experience that we gained from last season."
 
Suddaby has another deep and talented roster lined up for the 2019 campaign, which will be his 34^th season at the helm of IC's women's gymnastics program. Experience is certainly in abundance for the Bombers this year, as 16 gymnasts who saw action in at least one competition in 2018 are back in the gym this season. Encouraging is that the experience is also evenly divided over the four rotations. Ithaca has six returning gymnasts that saw time in the official lineup at each apparatus of: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. Additionally, the squad will look to integrate another large incoming class with seven motivated first-year gymnasts looking to compete for time in the lineup. The collection of talent certainly is one of the most impressive groups that Suddaby has been able to assemble in recent seasons.
 
"There has been a noticeable difference in the team's attitude this preseason," Suddaby explained. "The energy that we are bringing to the gym every day is exciting. As far as a group goes, I think everyone is focused continuing to grow some of the skills with the goal of hitting at nationals. We really have strength everywhere, each class has really been driven to take that next step as a program. That focus I think is really going to carry us to some big things this year and the team is looking forward to getting out there and getting it done."
 
The following is a rotation-by-rotation breakdown of Ithaca's 2019 squad:
 
Vault
The Bombers vault lineup will see some turnover from last season with the graduation of two major contributors in Melissa Hollrigl '18 and Kaylee Pacunas '18. Despite the significant attrition, the Bombers still return an excellent cast, which includes three of the team's Top-5 performers in terms of overall regional qualifying average score.
 
Headlining IC's returners at the rotation is senior captain Carolyn Nichols who will look to cap her outstanding collegiate career with a big year in 2019. Nichols was once-again one of the top vaulters at the Division III level a season ago, ranking consistently within the Top-5 nationally. Nichols looked poised to capture a second consecutive NCGA All-America honor in the event when she qualified for 2018 NCGA Event Finals, but came up just short on her dismount and was unable to stick the landing. The 2017 NCGA All-American will definitely be in the mix for a title in the event again this year after posting a 9.7400 regional qualifying average in 2018.
 
Behind Nichols, the Bombers can also expect major contributions from returning standouts in senior Victoria Gery and junior Baylie Trammell. Both gymnasts averaged 9.4350-or-better throughout the 2018 campaign, with Gery clocking a 9.4950 over 11 meets and Trammell turning in the aforementioned average score.
 
Three other gymnasts return that saw time in the lineup a season ago. This group is led by junior Paige Landes, who became a lineup fixture midway through the year and carried that into the NCGA National Team Championships. She appeared in the lineup six times in 2018, posting a regional qualifying average score of 9.4000. Sophomore Courtney Christoforo made two appearances in the event at the beginning of the year, before turning her focus to the uneven bars in a full-time capacity. She could yet-again make an impact on vault, posting a 9.200 and a 9.225 in the first two meets, respectively, last winter. Sophomore Marin Sheridan may also have an increased role in vault this season. She appeared in three meets total, compiling her season-best score of 9.250 during the NCGA East Regionals last March.
 
First-year talent Mia Potamianos also has been impressive during this preseason and figures to have her first collegiate action coming in the vault.
 
Uneven Bars
One of the biggest components to Ithaca's emergence in 2018 was the team's breakout in the uneven bars rotation. The Bombers had nearly every gymnast who made the lineup set a new personal best, while as a group the team set a new program-record team score three separate times during the year. While attrition also will have some impact on this rotation, it will not be as drastic with just 2018-graduate Danielle Maffuid the only major contributor in the event gone from last season. Overall, Ithaca returns six gymnasts that saw action in the lineup in 2018, a group that includes all three of the team's NCGA Event Finals qualifiers from last March.
 
A junior duo figures to lead the group among upperclassmen, as Baylie Trammell and Elyse Ryden are back for their third season with the program.
 
Trammell paced the group with a 9.5900 regional qualifying average in the event last season, which included a personal-best 9.700 at the Rumble & Tumble Meet against SUNY Cortland. The Colorado native finished best of IC's three national qualifiers during the final day of competition, posting a 9.650 to tie for 11^th-place, just shy of earning her first ever NCGA All-America honor. Trammell will look to make the jump into that top tier of national competitors her third collegiate campaign.
 
Ryden also was a consistent standout for Ithaca during her sophomore campaign last winter. Of her 11 total lineup appearances, she topped 9.450-or-better in over half. She set a personal-best score of four separate times during the year, saving her best for the NCGA East Regionals when she registered a 9.700 that was good for second-place, qualifying her for the NCGA National Event Finals. Although her first nationals experience up in Springfield, Mass., did not go as planned, Ryden once again looks to poised to be one of the major players in the event nationally this season.
 
Joining that junior duo will be a strong cast of rising sophomores who look to ready to take a big step forward in year two with the program after impressive debuts last winter. The group will be headlined by Courtney Christoforo who really made her impact felt with an NCGA Event Finals appearance during her rookie campaign in 2018. Savannah Gigandet and Lauren Hansen also impressed with many strong performances throughout the year and especially down the final stretch of the season.
 
Christoforo joined Trammell as the only IC gymnast to make 12 appearances in the lineup in the bars rotation last year. The rookie showed of trend of growth throughout the season and really peaked during the crucial moments at NCGA East Regionals and the National Championships last spring. Christoforo set a new personal best for the fifth time at the East Regionals at Rhode Island College, posting a 9.575 to come in fourth-place, punching her ticket to the Event Finals two weeks later at Springfield. She shattered her personal best yet-again during the Team Championships, leading the Bombers with a 9.675, while she followed that up with a 9.600 during the Individual Event Finals. Christoforo certainly will look to build on that impressive finish during her second collegiate campaign.
 
Much like her classmate, Gigandet also seemed to peak down the stretch last season. As a rookie, she appeared in the lineup during all 11 team competitions. She scored 9.000-or-better in 9-of-11 outings, which included a personal best of 9.525 at the NCGA Team Championships at Springfield. For the year, she finished with a 9.3750 regional qualifying average.
 
Hansen made her impact in the rotation down the stretch, as she appeared in the lineup during the final five team competitions to end the year. She was remarkably consistent for a first-year gymnast, registering every score between 9.200-and-9.325 during those outings. Her personal best also came at the NCGA Team Championship, as she posted a 9.325 under the bright lights of the national event.
 
Other gymnasts who figure to be in the mix at the rotation are senior Haley Lyons, as well as. Lyons is the lone returner with experience in the event a season ago. She appeared in five competitions during the early part of the year, which included a season-best 9.300 at the Cornell Big Red Invitational in early February.
 
The bars are typically the toughest discipline for rookies to make an impact, but one first year that looks poised to potentially see time is Julia O'Sullivan. Some expectations out of preseason have seen that she may be the Bombers up-and-coming all-around competitor. O'Sullivan has been working diligently at all four rotations and has been a true standout during the preseason.
 
Balance Beam
The balance beam is another rotation in which Ithaca will have three 2018 NCGA Individual Event Finalists returning to the lineup in 2019. The lineup figures to once again be one of the top assemblages of talent in the nation for Division III, as six total gymnasts with lineup appearances are back this winter. A season ago, Ithaca consistently ranked inside the Top-2 and for a long-time sat at the top spot in the country for team scoring average in the rotation.
 
It will be a junior duo that figures to lead the group among upperclassmen, as Paige Landes and Emily Szembrot are back for the Bombers after impressive sophomore campaigns in 2018.
 
Landes had an absolutely huge season as a sophomore, posting Top-5 and Top-10 finishes with regularity throughout her 12 total appearances. She twice hit the 9.800 mark, setting a new program record for individual score at both the Temple Quad and matching it at the Cornell Big Red Invitational. She entered the national competition ranked second in the country in the event. Unfortunately, an off weekend in Springfield ended a splendid season on a sour note, but the third-year talent looks poised for another big year in 2019.
 
Szembrot also emerged into one of the premiere gymnasts on the balance beam in the east as the season developed in 2018. She was the only IC gymnasts to record a score of 9.000-or-better in every competition she appeared in during the campaign, finishing with 11 appearances on the year overall. Her highlight was a 9.675 in a first-place effort at the NCGA East Regional Championships, which helped her earn the invite to the NCGA Individual Event Finals. Much like her classmate Landes, Szembrot also did not have the finish she was hoping for in Springfield, but will have plenty of motivation to reach the finals again this spring.
 
The surprise of the season in the rotation a year ago came from rising sophomore Katie Holcomb, who made a major immediate contribution as a rookie. She joined Landes as the only IC gymnast to appear in all 12 competitions in the event last year. She set new personal record five times throughout the year, which included a 9.825 at the road Cortland dual meet at the beginning of March, which is the program's highest ever score by an individual in the event. She paced the team with a 9.600 at the NCGA Team Championships, before concluding her year with a 9.000 in the NCGA Individual Event Finals. She will look to build on that excellent debut during her second collegiate season.
 
Although the team last two major contributors in 2018-graduates Kendra Balcerak and Hannah Donnelly, the team does return a trio of rising seniors that figure to be keys to IC's success in the event this year in Nina Bustamante, Haley Lyons, and Rachel Lee. Bustamante led the group in terms of appearances with eight total in 2018. Her highlight was a personal-best 9.750 at the Rumble & Tumble Meet, while she finished the year with 9.4150 regional qualifying average. Lyons made five appearances on the year, twice eclipsing the 9.400 mark. Her season high was a 9.425 at the road Brockport dual meet. Lee also made the lineup twice in her much-anticipated and celebrated return to the lineup following a three-year hiatus from collegiate competition. Lee was a 2015 NCGA All-American in the event. All three ensure that Ithaca will be as deep and talented as ever in the event in 2019.
 
While it certainly will not be an easy task to break into the lineup with the collection of experienced collegiate talent assembled in this rotation, do not be surprised if first-year Amelia Bailey cracks the lineup in 2019. The Saint Augustine, Fla., product has flashed considerable ability at times this preseason and will look to build her consistency in the routine over the coming weeks.
 
Floor Exercise
The floor exercise rotation is another event that Ithaca figures to be stacked with talent and experience heading into 2019. The team returns six of its seven lineup contributors from last year, losing just the services of 2018-graduate Melissa Hollrigl. The group includes to NCGA Individual Event Finals qualifiers in Nichols and Gery.
 
As mentioned above, the senior duo of Nichols and Gery figure to lead Ithaca's contingent in the event after fantastic 2018 performances. Not much separated the pair during the year, as both posted regional qualifying averages above 9.7000 for the year. Gery actually twice hit the program-record mark of 9.875 during the year in competitions at Cornell and at home against Springfield. Meanwhile Nichols marked a season high 9.850 during the NCGA Individual Event Finals to finish in a tie for third, earning her second career All-America honor, first of which coming in floor exercise. The honor helped Nichols become just the 12^th IC gymnast all-time to earn All-America honors in two-or-more events. The pair once-again look poised to headline the class in the east region and push for national honors in 2019.
 
Continuing with upperclassman, junior Baylie Trammell also figures to factor prominently in the floor rotation in 2019. Seeing time in the lineup for the first time in the event a season ago, Trammell excelled with the opportunity, growing in confidence and results throughout the season. She finished the year with a 9.5950 regional qualifying average, which included a personal-best 9.650 at both the Cornell Big Red Invitational and the NCGA East Regional Championships.
 
Three other gymnasts really flourished on the floor in their first years with the program last year. Headlining the group is rising sophomore Alexis Griffin who made an immediate impact in her first collegiate campaign in 2018. She appeared in all 11 team competitions, finishing the year with a 9.5950 regional qualifying average. She set a new personal high three times during the year, which included a 9.725 in a sixth-place showing at the NCGA East Regionals. The performance left her just shy of being able to compete at the NCGA Individual Event Finals, which figures to be well within reach heading into her second season in 2019.
 
Lauren Hansen and transfer Cassidy Marquette split duty as the final lineup entrant in 2018, Hansen seeing action in five team competitions, while Marquette was selected for six events in total. Hansen once-again showcased her consistency in carding all scores 9.100-or-better, which included a personal-best 9.500 at the road Cortland dual meet to begin the month of March. Marquette notched her season best of 9.650 at the Brockport home opener, while she also posted a strong 9.550 at the NCGA Team Championships. Both gymnasts figure to vie for considerable time in 2019.
 
One rookie to keep an eye on in this event is Mackenzie Kennedy who arrives to South Hill from Aldie, Virginia. She has impressed during preseason and will look to make an immediate impact in the floor lineup in her debut season. Additionally, Molly Greenspan also has the potential to see the lineup. She is currently training in multiple events, but has displayed the ability to certainly have an impact in year one.
 
Although health has not been much of an issue for IC during the preseason, there are a few gymnasts that will be looking to build back from injuries. Sophomore Kylee Black did not see competition a season ago, while first-year gymnasts Kaleigh Ford and Katelyn Sarkovics have both been recovering from injuries in the preseason limiting their exposure early on.
 
Schedule
The Bombers will have all the usual suspects on their schedule again for the 2019 season. The year is set to get underway this coming weekend with a road dual at Rhode Island College on Sunday, January 13. The meet will be one of six regular-season meets on the road for IC this season.
 
Ithaca kicks off its home schedule on Saturday, January 19, when it welcomes Brockport and Springfield for a tri-meet inside Ben Light Gymnasium. Start time for the home opener meet is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. It will be the first of three home meets on the docket for IC this year.
 
A five-meet road stretch ensues following the home opening tri-meet. Included in that five-week swing are trips to Temple (January 27) and Cornell (February 9) for annual quad-style invites. The Bombers will also compete in road duals at Brockport on Saturday, February 2, SUNY Cortland on Wednesday, February 13, and at Springfield on Sunday, February 17. The meeting with the Red Dragons will be the program's annual Rumble & Tumble Meet held in conjunction of both institution's varsity wrestling programs.
 
The final two meets on the home schedule close out the regular season. First, Ithaca will host its annual Harriet Marranca Memorial Invitational on Sunday, February 24, at 3:00 p.m. Brockport and Rhode Island College will make the trip to South Hill for that competition. The home finale will be at 1:00 p.m. the following Sunday, March 3, when SUNY Cortland comes to Ben Light Gymnasium.
 
The NCGA East Regional Championships will be hosted SUNY Cortland on Saturday, March 9. Should the Bombers finish in a Top-3 position as a team, the squad will travel to Osh Kosh, Wisconsin, for the two-day NCGA National Team Championships and Individual Event Finals on Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23.