Gunn shoots into Regionals

Penn gymnast Kathleen Gunn made Regionals after a Vermont athlete couldn't compete due to injury. Junior Kathleen Gunn is only the second Penn gymnast ever to qualify for the NCAA Northeast Regionals, held at Ohio State this past Saturday. "For Kathleen, it was a boost in confidence," Penn coach Tom Kovic said. "She deserved to be there, and she showed that she was one of the best of the Northeast." Penn's tri-captain, Gunn almost didn't qualify for the competition. Only the top seven individual all-around scores from the teams that didn't qualify for the Regionals earn the right to compete. Gunn and two other gymnasts were tied for sixth place. Those three were then ranked based on a different scale, and Gunn was then in eighth place and not eligible for the Regionals. Lindsey Bower of Vermont, because of an injury, pulled out of the competition, and Gunn was notified on the Tuesday before the event that she would be competing. "It was tough, because everyone else was done with the season, and I still was practicing my routines because I was on the borderline," Gunn said. "It was a little frustrating, waiting to see whether or not I was competing. It was kind of hard making it through that time. It was definitely worth it." Gunn flew out to Columbus, Ohio, on Friday with Kovic and was surprised when assistant coach Mary Pederson, the only other Quaker to have competed in the Regionals, also joined them. The next morning during warm-ups, she was surprised again when her teammates drove eight hours in two rented cars to show their support for a fellow teammate and captain. "I don't think that I would have enjoyed the meet as much except that my teammates came and made it exciting that I had a team up there, too," Gunn said. In a competition that is more team-orientated, Gunn and the other seven individuals were almost bystanders in the whole event, but Gunn used the low-pressure opportunity to really show her talent. Out of about 150 gymnasts, Gunn placed 17th in the all-around competition. In addition, among the seven other individuals who qualified, Gunn placed third. "There were a lot of great gymnasts there and it was an honor just to compete with them," Gunn said. "It was exciting to see a lot of the best gymnasts in the nation." Because Quakers freshman Lizzie Jacobson and sophomore Molly Sullivan placed ninth and 10th, respectively, Gunn hopes that in the future, more Penn gymnasts will qualify for the Regionals. "It was neat that the whole team came to watch, because it was inspiring in that it's a place that's not out of our reach to qualify to this meet," Gunn said. "So it was neat for all of us to see what level and to see where we need to be next year if we want to qualify." Gunn's performance at Regionals exemplifies this year for her and the entire gymnastics team, "I had a good meet, but they are definitely on a higher level."