ITHACA, N.Y. -- A promising 2010 gymnastics season gets underway for the Big Red on Friday when the team travels south to compete against Maryland at 7 p.m. Cornell will also compete in the Lindsey Ferris Invitational at George Washington University on Sunday at 1 p.m.

After winning both the Ivy Classic and the USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championship in 2009, the 2010 team will be led by captains Erin Brosy '10, Molly Parker '10, and Maddie Pearsall '11.

Vaulting this year will be led by five returning gymnasts, three of whom have earned USAG All-America honors on this event.  Kerri Lavallee '11(Ivy and ECAC Champion and Cornell record holder at 9.9), Maddie Pearsall '11, Tiffany Chen '12,  Irene Leung '11, and Emily Santoro '11 all participated in last year's USAG Collegiate National Championship. Other likely vaulters for the Big Red this year include Gabriella Sanguineti '11, Kim O'Donnell '11, Jen Arougheti '11, Brittany Howse, '10, and from the class of 2013, Sarah Hein, Ashley Maher, and McKenna Archer.

Six of last season's starters on the uneven bars return for the 2010 season. This event will be led by All-Americans Parker and Pearsall. Joining them from last year's lineup will be Jill Dean '10, juniors Irene Leung, Gabriella Sanguineti, and Danielle Scott and sophomore Bethany Neczypor. Also vying for spots in the bars lineup will be Arougheti, O'Donnell, Tiffany Chen, and newcomers Hein and Maher.

Beam will feature the return of five of the team's six starters from last season, headlined by Melanie Standridge (All-American and school record holder at 9.875). Also returning from last year's lineup will be O'Donnell, Sanguineti, Scott, Pearsall, and Sarah Zelek '10. This could be the deepest event for the Big Red this season, as Dean, Leung, Howse, Neczypor, Hein, Maher, and Archer all have a shot at a starting position.

Floor exercise will be one of the Big Red's strongest events this season. Leading the group will be three All-Americans: Howse, Pearsall and Emily Lenk '10. They will be joined by Neczypor, Leung, Santoro, and Lavallee, all of whom have been starters for the Big Red. Helping to make this a very deep event will be returnees Arougheti and Sanguineti, with Hein, Maher and Archer all looking to see competition this season.