Gymnasts place second to Owls

Competing at Ursinus College yesterday evening was tantamount to a heaping serving of brussel sprouts for the Penn gymnastics team. No, it didn't go down easy, especially since it was the team's third meet in only six days. The Quakers ate their vegetables, however, and now they can look forward to dessert -- Saturday's George Washington Invitational. "We're happy to have all these meets behind us and are really looking forward to GW this weekend," senior co-captain Nicole LeBrasseur said. The Freedom Classic, hosted by the Bears, also featured West Chester and local gymnastics juggernaut Temple. The four-team meet was the largest the Quakers have participated in this year and one in which they achieved a decent amount of success. Penn finished second overall with a more than respectable tally of 176.075, taking its record to 6-2. The Quakers' point total is all the more impressive considering the almost antiquated apparati on which they were forced to compete at Ursinus. "The equipment was a factor in coaching," Penn coach Tom Kovic said. "I could not take chances on the difficulty of routines." More injuries is the last thing the weary Quakers want to deal with at this point in the season. Fortunately, though, they escaped this latest test unscathed. As for the rest of the field, Temple finished first as expected with a composite of 182.775, upping its season mark to 5-2. Ursinus finished third in the meet, garnering 163.05 points, while West Chester brought up the rear with only 161.06 points. Undoubtedly, the Quakers had to be pleased with the way they measured up against Temple, with whom they will lock horns on three more occasions this season. "Temple is a strong team," said Kovic, an Owls alum. "Meeting them is always a tough rivalry. The team absolutely has the thought of beating them in the back of their minds." Certainly, Penn doesn't view the Owls as unbeatable. "I think on the vault and the floor we're as good or better than them," senior Staci Standen said. As for last night's action, co-captain Monique Burton's performance highlighted the evening for Penn once again. The senior won two individual events, grabbing first on the beam with a 9.6 and taking her best event, the floor exercises, with a 9.575. Ever the beacon of modesty, Burton remarked, "I definitely think there are areas I can improve in. Every meet I feel more comfortable, though." LeBrasseur notched a 9.45 on the floor to give the Quakers a 1-2 sweep of the event. The team's performance on the floor mat impressed Kovic. "On the floor there's no doubt we went full steam," he said. Standen turned in her usual workmanlike effort, scoring a third place on a very rickety vault with an average score of 9.375. Freshman Shilpa Rao continued her streak of fine performances on the uneven bars with a score of 9.35, good for second place. With all the action of the past week behind them, the Quakers are happy just to be through the difficult streak. "This is the most meets we've ever had over such a short span," Burton said. But like the consumption of so many unappealing legumes of meals gone by, the grueling experience has left the team much stronger. As they prepare to make their first foray south of the Mason-Dixon line this season, the team should find the atmosphere at the George Washington Invitational this weekend a refreshing change to the meets in which they've competed lately. In fact, it might go down as easily as a bowl of chocolate pudding.