Gymnasts host crosstown rivals

The Penn gymnasts have been marking time. Twenty-three days until the Ivy Champs at Brown. That's 13 full practices, five meets and untold numbers of bar, beam and floor routines. The clock stops tonight at 6:30 p.m., though, when Temple meets the Quakers at Hutch Gym for Penn's first home meet in 25 days. The Owls travel across town with an impressive 3-1 record, but the advantage of familiar equipment and the home crowd at Hutch may balance things out. That, and what is becoming an emotional as well as chronological build up to the Ivy Champs, should be advantageous for the Quakers. "There is mental preparation prior to each practice, there is mental preparation prior to each event, there is mental preparation prior to each turn," Penn coach Tom Kovic said. "They're focused and they'll do the best they can?but that's what it comes down to, everything counts." The Quakers (0-2) should be mentally prepared for the crosstown-rival Owls after last week's strong performance at Yale, which Kovic says made the team closer and stronger. The Quakers' 184.75 score in New Haven, Conn., was a team record, and placed them just slightly behind Temple. "We're feeling really good about this meet," Penn senior co-captain Mary Pedersen said. "Temple's a strong team, but they have their good days and their bad days just like anybody else." The teams are actually well-matched, with the Owls' strengths being bars and the floor exercises, while the Quakers turn in higher scores on the vault and beam. Pedersen has been a has been pacing the Quakers as an all-around competitor this season, and she will be competing tonight with the rest of improving Penn squad, including senior co-captain Mona Nedjar who especially enjoys going against Temple. "It's a lot of fun to compete against Temple," she said. "It's very relaxed, and you always see people you know." Kovic agreed, calling the teams "crosstown friends" as well as crosstown rivals. Although Kovic realizes tonight's meet will be extremely challenging, he said the team is really looking ahead to the Ivy Champs at Brown. "We will be fielding our toughest team tonight. They want to come out with a win, but lurking in the back of their minds is a meet up in Providence," Kovic said. "They're going to come out on top. This team has made it their personal mission to win at Ivies."