Results (PDF)
 
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's gymnastics team got back on the winning track on Sunday afternoon when it returned to action inside the Hill Center's Ben Light Gymnasium for the annual Harriet Marranca Memorial Invitational. The Bombers surged back in the final rotation to narrowly out-distance both Brockport and Ursinus with a final score of 186.725 points, earning their first head-to-head wins since the season opening weekend.
 
It was a thrilling finish for the Bombers who trailed Ursinus by over a full point heading into the final rotation. IC put the bookend on the meet with a fantastic finish on floor exercise, marking the program's first 48-plus score in any event this season with a 48.175. The strong routines throughout the lineup helped the hosts surge past Ursinus – which ultimately finished third with a 185.825 – and hold off a furious charge from Brockport, as the Golden Eagles finished in the runner-up position with a 186.550. The excellent finish helped the Bombers capture first-place at the Harriet Marranca Invitational for a third consecutive season, a fitting result in the meet honoring the program's founder and first head coach.
 
On the day, Ithaca posted two season-highs for team score in events. Although the aforementioned floor exercise rotation was the headliner, Ithaca also turned in a fantastic run on the vault, setting a new high mark for the fifth consecutive meet with a 47.900. The strong start and finish helped offset a couple wobbles during the middle two rotations of the meet, as IC recorded a solid 46.375 on bars and a struggling 44.275 on the beam – which seemed to give all three teams problems this afternoon.
 
In total, IC had four gymnasts combine to either tie or exceed new personal bests on the day. Two of those routines came during the first rotation in vault, as first-year Cameryn Nichols set a new career best for a third straight meet with a 9.750. Junior Courtney Christoforo also hit the mark with a new high, registering a 9.550 that exceeded her previous best by half a tenth. The IC junior continued her excellent day with a fantastic performance on uneven bars, as Christoforo equaled her career best with a 9.750 to take first-place in the event at the meet. The final two performances came on floor exercise, as senior Paige Landes continued to deliver flawless routines with a new best 9.725 and senior Cassidy Marquette equaled her career high in the event with a 9.650.
 
Ithaca got the day started on vault and continued the excellent momentum it has generated in the event this season. The Bombers had its most consistent top-to-bottom day of the season in the event, marking three Top-10 finishes and having all six lineup entrants register a score of 9.375-or-higher. Nichols headlined the group with her personal-best 9.750 good for runner-up honors to Brockport's Nicole Jackson (9.825) on the day. Marquette's 9.700 was good for fourth-place, while Christoforo's personal-best 9.550 clocked-in at a tie for eighth-place. Senior Baylie Trammell continued her run of positive results, hitting her vault for the third time over the past four meets to score a 9.475 that tied her season high and ranked 13^th on the day. First-year Nya Pauldon rounded out the scoring group with a 9.425 that was just a hair off her personal high this season, while junior Marin Sheridan was also solid in scoring the 9.375.
 
The bars had a couple encouraging performances in what was a bit of a mixed day for the group overall. Christoforo was obviously the headliner, as her 9.750 paced the field and tied her previous personal best from earlier this season. Sophomore Julia O'Sullivan also delivered a strong routine, turning in a 9.375 to take eighth in her lineup debut this season. Three additional Bombers scored in the 9's, as junior Kylee Black, first-year Zoe Kyriakopoulos and junior Katie Holcomb finished in 11^th, 12^th and 13^th, respectively. Black tallied a 9.125, Kyriakopoulos was right behind at 9.100, while Holcomb scored a 9.025. Nichols had a tough day in the event, scoring an 8.575.
 
The beam was an apparatus that gave all three teams fits on this afternoon. Only one gymnast recorded a 9.500-plus score on the day, while just six total gymnasts scored in the 9's altogether. Marquette was Ithaca's headliner in the event, scoring a 9.275 to come in a three-way tie for third-place. Landes was next for IC with her 8.950 good for seventh. Senior Emily Szembrot also registered a Top-10 finish, coming in ninth with an 8.775. Kyriakopoulos and Nichols rounded out the scoring group with scores of 8.650 and 8.625, respectively. IC's lineup anchor, Katie Holcomb, had an uncharacteristically challenging day, as she had to dismount the beam twice and failed to score in the 8's.
 
The Bombers shrugged off the tough run on beam and regrouped for perhaps their finest rotation of the season to-date on floor exercise. Ithaca had five gymnasts record Top-9 finishes on the day, a clutch performance that ultimately proved to be enough for the victory. Landes continued her emergence in the event with a 9.725 that was good for runner-up honors. Junior Alexis Griffin was right behind in third-place with a 9.700 that was easily a season high for the third-year talent. Marquette and Trammell also recorded season highs in the event with 9.650 and 9.600 scores to finish sixth and seventh, respectively. Nichols rounded out the scoring group in a tie for ninth with a 9.500, which likely could have went for a monster score if not for a stumble on her final tumbling pass. Szembrot also competed for IC, scoring a 9.100 to take 14^th.
 
Ithaca will be back in action next Sunday, March 1, when the team makes the short trip to SUNY Cortland for a 1:00 p.m. meet.