Bridgeport ruins Gymnastics home finale

In senior Shelly Waldman's lastIn senior Shelly Waldman's lasthome meet, Penn fell short byIn senior Shelly Waldman's lasthome meet, Penn fell short bynearly two-and-a-half points It has been a difficult four years for Penn gymnast Shelly Waldman. During her sophomore year, Waldman badly hurt her elbow, forcing her out of gymnastics for a year and a half. When she decided to come back for her senior season, she had to relearn much of the sport. So when Waldman put together the strongest performance of her career at her last home meet this past Saturday, it was a proud moment for the whole team. But the inspiration was not enough to result in a win, as Penn (5-7) fell to Bridgeport (11-5) by a score of 184.150 to 181.600. It was the fifth straight meet that the Quakers topped the 181-point mark, but fell short of 182 points. After a short ceremony in which the team honored Waldman, the only senior on the team, she was given the honor of opening the meet. Waldman responded with one of her best vault performances, earning an 8.875. The rest of the team posted a solid team score of 45.625. Quakers sophomore Kathleen Gunn highlighted the Penn performance with an event-best 9.400. Freshman Molly Sullivan and sophomore Meredith Daly were not far behind, each earning a 9.100. In just about every meet this season, there has been one event that keeps Penn from reaching 182 points. On Saturday, it was the uneven bars. Only two Quakers, Sullivan and Gunn, earned a 9.00 or higher. Gunn was tops with a 9.250, and Sullivan followed with a 9.00. But despite Penn's poor showing on the bars, Bridgeport was only ahead 90.725 to 89.875. If the Quakers could put together a strong beam performance, they would have a good chance to upset the Purple Knights. It was not to be. The Quakers suffered once again from failed routines, as three of the six gymnasts slipped off the beam. But the rotation was not without bright spots. Gunn earned a 9.500, her personal best on the beam this season. Waldman, though, stole the show with a near-flawless performance, resulting in a 9.600. The floor routine, the final event of the meet, provided Penn with one last chance to excel in front of the home crowd. The Quakers responded with a high-scoring team performance. The lowest score on the floor was freshman Shannon Stafford's 9.200. Gunn just topped that, earning a 9.225, while freshman Carin Kaplan and Sullivan tied with a team-best score of 9.425. But the focus of everyone's attention was Waldman. In her very last event at Penn, Waldman showed just how far she has come since her injury, earning a 9.350. However, it was not be enough to beat Bridgeport. The Purple Knights put together a tremendous team performance on the beam, scoring 47.675 team points, that Penn simply could not overcome. But Waldman was not the only one in the spotlight. Gunn, who had been struggling all season, finally put together the well-rounded performance that has been so elusive. Gunn blew away her old personal best in the all-around with a 37.375. Gunn's score was a full half-point higher than her old personal best. "I was very excited," Gunn said. "It was the first meet this year that I felt I performed as well in as in practice." "We were all really happy," Quakers freshman Suzi Marin said. "[Gunn] was really upset with her performances. It was a nice lift for all of us to see her come through." In the end, the loss to Bridgeport and even Gunn's performance were secondary to Waldman's last stand. "To see her finish her home career on a high note was very exciting," Penn coach Tom Kovic said. "It was her best performance in her four years. It made me extremely proud."