ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's gymnastics team is gearing up for their 2021-22 season as their first competition of the year is on January 15 at 1 pm at Brockport. The team has not seen action since March 7, 2020, as their Regional Championships and highly-anticipated NCGA National Championships, which was scheduled to be hosted here at Ithaca in Ben Light Gymnasium, were canceled due to the COVID pandemic.
 
Since their last competition against Springfield College, the team roster has changed quite significantly. The head coach, Rick Suddaby, and assistant head coach, Emily Graber, have handpicked a very talented freshman class to join the team in defending the hill. With 23 members on the roster, the team is comprised of two seniors (Amelia Bailey and Julia O'Sullivan), five juniors (Cameryn Nichols, Ai-Zhen Tung, Bee Iosso, Nya Pauldon, Zoe Kyriakopoulos), four sophomores (Audrey Scott, Cassidy Gallivan, Meghan Bell, Olivia Waguespack) and 12 freshmen (Jordyn Dolan, Jillian Freyman, Grace Montague, Kaylie Goodwin, Skye Cohen, Abby Chesshire, Marlena Bailey, Nicole Lonski, Dallas Rachal, Elizabeth Blessley, Caitlin Pellegrino, Natalie Soloway).
 
Bailey and O'Sullivan are two of the team's top beam performers. Bailey also trains floor while O'Sullivan also trains bars. They are set to lead the team to the NCGA National Championships, which will take place at Ithaca on March 26.
 
The junior class season is highly awaiting a chance to compete, as the COVID pandemic did not allow them to complete their freshmen season. Nichols earned quite a few accolades during her freshman year, including NCGA East All-Around Gymnast of the Week three times, NCGA Rookie of the Year and WCGA Scholastic All-America. Nichols competed All-Around and appeared in every single competition in 2020 in at least three events.

Kyriakolpoulos appeared in numerous competitions during her freshman year on beam and bars and is anticipated to still be in those two lineups this coming season. Tung appeared in a few exhibition routines as well as competition routines on vault and beam during her freshman year but suffered a foot injury early in the season. She is now training vault, beam and floor and is trying for a three-event comeback.

Pauldon was a vault specialist during her first year, appearing in lineup in all nine meets in 2020. She is now training vault, beam and floor as well. Iosso appeared in a couple meets during her freshman year, but then suffered a season-ending injury. She is back on the mend and currently training beam and floor.
 
The sophomores have yet to make their collegiate debuts since the 2020-21 season was canceled. They have worked tremendously hard in the gym to become leaders for the freshmen. Scott is currently training vault and bars, Gallivan is training vault and floor, Bell is training vault, bars, and floor, and Waguespack is training vault and floor.
 
The freshmen class is also quite talented, with a handful of all-arounders and three-eventers. They look forward to making their collegiate debuts.
 
The Bombers have a packed season ahead of them. After their first competition on January 15 at Brockport, they compete at Ursinus on January 22.  Ithaca hosts its first competition in Ben Light on January 30 against Brockport.

In February, the Bombers compete in five competitions: February 6 in Springfield, February 13 at Cornell, February 16 in Cortland, February 20 at home, and February 27 in Cortland.

Their last competition before the big NCGA Regional Championships is hosted here at IC on March 6 against Springfield. NCGA Regional Championships will be hosted in Springfield on March 13 at 3pm and the finale, NCGA National Team Championships will be hosted at Ithaca on March 26.