PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Senior captain Brigitte Kivisto became the 13th gymnast in Yale history to win the all-around competition at the Ivy Classic as Yale finished fourth with a score of 187.500. Cornell successfully defended their 2009 title with a score of 192.550. Brown and Penn finished second and third with scores of 189.675 and 189.550 respectively.

The Bulldogs began the day on the balance beam, which head coach Barbara Tonry described as a difficult situation due to an injury to sophomore Monica Shoji.

“We had an injury, so all five scores had to count,” said Tonry. “It put a lot of pressure on our kids early.”

Freshman Tara Feld was Yale's top finisher on the balance beam, placing seventh with a score of 9.625. Kivisto scored a 9.500 and Junior Sherry Yang posted her best score of the season, a 9.325.

On the floor exercise, Yale posted five scores above 9.4, including Kivisto's meet-winning 9.875, a career record. Feld also placed in the top ten, finishing ninth with a 9.625. Freshman Stephanie Goldstein and Senior Allison Mak scored a 9.500 and a 9.425 respectively, while Yang tied her career record with a 9.475.

On the vault, Feld finished third overall with a 9.700 for Yale's second top-three performance of the day. Kivisto placed sixth with a 9.575 and Mak finished 12th with a 9.475. Goldstein scored a 9.300, while Yang posted a season-best 9.200. Sophomore Talis Trevino, competing with strep throat, produced a career-best 9.150.

On the uneven parallel bars, freshman Lindsay Andsager, who only competed on the bars, placed fourth overall with a 9.625, narrowly missing the top-three. Kivisto finished shortly behind with a 9.600, while Mak scored a 9.225

The Bulldogs travel to Springfield, Massachusetts, for a tri-meet with Springfield and Rhode Island College next Sunday, March 7.

Report filed by Trey Chandler '11, Yale Sports Publicity