“A family. Tenacious. Always striving for more.”
These are the words that Assistant Coach Nikki Jackson passionately uses to describe the SUNY Cortland Gymnastics team, a tight-knit group of athletes who have embarked on a journey to achieve excellence. As the team navigates the early stages of their season, their dedication and hard work are already leading to outstanding results.
In their recent quad meet against Brockport, Rhode Island, and Springfield—the SUNY Cortland Gymnastics team showcased their capability, securing a second-place finish with a 187.05 team score. Only one point behind SUNY Brockport the 2023 National Champions, and 1.75 points behind their highest team total last season at only their second meet of the season. This shows significant improvement compared to this time last year.
The team was humbled after their first meet at Ursinus College after getting an 184.05. Even after a hard defeat and bumpy start to the season, the gymnasts remained positive and hungry for more. They placed third out of four teams, Ursinus, Springfield, and Rhode Island College. Yet not even a week later, they improved by three points and showed that this year they are not backing down.
Highlights of the season so far are the performances of some of the freshman gymnasts. Victoria Cave took the highest beam score of the season with a 9.65, and Taylor Goldstein placed first on bars with a 9.625. These high scores are some that the team would like to see more of throughout the season.
Head Coach Sulekha Zaug, with an optimistic outlook, projects a team score of 190.00 at the upcoming competition scheduled for January 27th at West Chester University. The team’s preparation includes double practices, intensive team lifts, in-practice pressure sets, and long bus rides—a testament to their commitment to success.
The road ahead is challenging, but assistant coach Nikki Jackson expresses a personal goal for the team—to secure a spot at Nationals. She stated, “My personal goal is for us to make it to Nationals, for everyone to become better versions of themselves day in and day out, to continue to support each other and to thrive under pressure.”
To secure a spot at Nationals, SUNY Cortland must finish within the top two at their NCGA East Regional Championship competition at Ithaca College on March 9th. This poses a considerable challenge, but the team remains motivated. Even if they do not come in the top two they can still qualify by getting the third-highest Season Average Score (SAS). The SAS score reflects the team’s performance throughout the season and it becomes the lifeline for those who miss the top two spots at regionals.
Reflecting on personal goals, senior gymnast Christelle Louis shares her aspirations for the season. She said, “Some goals that I have been progressing towards during the season are staying in the moment and enjoying/appreciating every moment of being a college gymnast during my final season. Another goal I have is to perform to the best of my abilities. I’m progressing towards these goals by keeping a positive attitude, having fun no matter what, and practicing exercises to calm my nerves before competing.”
Excitement fills the air as the team looks forward to the challenges and triumphs that the current season promises. With a foundation built on unity and a relentless pursuit of improvement, the SUNY Cortland Gymnastics team stands poised for success, eager to script a memorable chapter in their journey.