Gymnasts set for challenges

Lynn Aronica was the lone gymnast practicing at Hutch yesterday afternoon, executing vault after vault, coach Tom Kovic spotting each time she tumbled. There was no formal practice after what Kovic called one of the most intensive weeks of training yet, just one gymnast and her coach trying to perfect a routine for a meet they know they cannot win. The Towson Invitational is a meeting of some of the toughest competition the Quakers (1-2) will face this season. Towson State consistently finishes atop the ECAC standings, and placed ninth in the NCAA Tournament in 1990. The six other teams Penn will face in Maryland are also in the upper echelon of women's gymnastics. But the competition is not the Quakers' only obstacle tonight. Senior co-captains Mary Pedersen and Mona Nedjar are both questionable for the meet. They caught the same cold and missed practice most of the week. Pedersen has been the top finisher in all of Penn's meets this year, breaking both individual and team records. There may be another record-holder stepping in for the sick seniors, vaulter Lynn Aronica, who has been practicing. Aronica broke her own school record, receiving a score of 9.675 on the vault last week against Temple. Most of the time, Aronica is exclusively a vaulter, but in situations like this one, she performs a floor routine as well. Nedjar is hoping to compete, but Kovic feels the two should probably save their strength for the Ivy championships in two weeks. "This is not the time to scramble?.It's another meet, another step. They know they've got to be ready in two weekends, but they'll make the call about tonight," Kovic said. Kovic guessed the chances were about 50-50 Nedjar and Pedersen would compete, admitting the competition was important to both as seniors. Top SEAC teams North Carolina, George Washington and William & Mary will be competing, along with Temple, which fell victim in Penn's first victory last weekend. Although the Quakers may come out ahead of Temple for the second weekend in a row, it's unlikely they will fare as well against the rest of the schools, especially without Pedersen and Nedjar. The Quakers finished seventh at last year's invitational. Some gymnasts, like Aronica, are welcoming the tough meet and the opportunities it brings them. "It's really low pressure, because we're not expected to place first," Aronica said. "It gives us a chance to show people what we can do."