ITHACA, N.Y. - The Ithaca College gymnastics team will begin its 2026 season this Saturday, January 10 against SUNY Brockport at 2 p.m. Ithaca has nine regular season meets on its schedule, along with the NCGA East Regional Championship and the NCGA National Championship.

Head coach Rick Suddaby, now in his 41st season at Ithaca College, prepares this year with a loaded roster consisting of one graduate student, three seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores and nine first-years.

Of the returning 15 members from a season ago, 11 were regularly in meet rotations, and despite not qualifying as a team for the NCGA Championships in 2024, the Bombers sent six individual qualifiers.

Senior Grace Murray highlights those qualifiers as she is a three-time All-American and placed fourth on floor at last year's NCGA Championship with a career-best mark of 9.850. Murray also qualified on vault. In 2024, Murray was a Second Team All-American by the WCGA and claimed third on floor as a sophomore in 2023.

Fellow senior Emily Kobusky, and school record holder, is also back for the Bombers and is a three-time national qualifier. Kobusky was the top beam routine during the 2024 campaign and earned First Team All-America honors from the WCGA.

Natalie Steed, Corey Foster, Lauren Babineaux and Mya John all qualified for nationals last winter. Joining that strong core of performers is graduate student Jillian Freyman, who was a 2022 All-American on beam and a 2024 national qualifier in two events.

Other key contributors from a season ago include Madelynn Farragher, Hana Miller, Jessica Schmitz and Sienna Blake. Taylor Arias, Hali Seligman and Anya Kraenzel will look to break into rotations in their respective events this season as well.

Newcomers to the roster are Desiree Abron, Camden Contakos, Leanne Desjardins, Emili Horike, Lucy Kaupp, Olivia Lane, Kaitlyn Micale, Gianna Scivetti and Sh'Nai Thompson.

After this weekend's opener at Brockport, the Bombers will host Ursinus College on January 18 at 1 p.m. The Bombers will then head to Rhode Island College on January 25 and return to South Hill for three straight meets.

IC hosts Springfield and RIC on February 1, followed by Brockport and Cortland on February 8. The Red Dragons return to IC on February 11 for a 6:30 p.m meet. meet to conclude the home schedule.

Three days later, the Bombers head to Cortland for the Empire State Collegiate Championship and then back to Cortland on the 21st for a dual. The regular season concludes on March 1 at Utica.

The NCGA East Region Championship will be hosted by RIC on March 7 and the NCGA Championship will be held at Cortland on March 20.