Posting a personal best of 9.875 on the uneven bars, Erin Cunningham led the Illinois State gymnastics team to a third-place finish at the Corvette Cup, Saturday afternoon.
Cunningham, a junior, placed first at the meet with her season-high bar score. Participating in the event for only the fourth time on the season, Cunningham went on to card another personal best, a 9.600 on the vault.
Missouri, the host of the tournament, took home first-place honors at the four-team meet, carding a 197.125. Northern Illinois followed in second (192.875), while Illinois State took third (191.750). Centenary rounded out the competition, finishing in fourth with a 191.400.
Personal bests were abundant at the Corvette Cup, with five Redbirds finishing with high scores. Tove Fjordholm, a freshman on the squad, scored a personal best in her floor exercise. Fjordholms finish, a 9.775, tied teammate Lisa Klein for 12th place at the meet. Fellow freshman, Whitney Albright posted a personal-best on the vault, a 9.725, to lead the Birds in the event, and place tenth overall. Kerry Tierney turned in a season-high performance on the uneven bars, carding a 9.800. This score was also a personal best for the senior. Lindsay Klinefelter scored a 9.575 on the vault, a season-high and personal best.
Beating conference foe Centenary in the first meeting of the season, the Redbird gymnasts posted their team-high vault score of the season, a 48.100.
The Birds return to competition March 13, traveling to Champaign, Ill., for the State of Illinois Classic. Scheduled to start at 7 p.m., the meet features state schools, Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Illinois-Chicago.
