Gymnastics opens season with intrasquad exhibition

The Penn gymnastics team had its first showing last Saturday in the annual intrasquad meet. Drawing an impressive crowd at Hutchinson Gymnasium for a noncompetitive meet, the Quakers gave a glimpse of what is in store for 1998. Although the season does not officially begin until January, this weekend's meet allowed Penn gymnastics to showcase their talents in a low-pressure atmosphere. "There is no doubt that the team is still rough around the edges, that is basically why we hold this competition," Penn coach Tom Kovic said. "This meet provides the girls with a starting point to build from as they approach the competitive season." While the gymnasts performed, much of the attention was focused on the five freshmen, whose progress in a competitive atmosphere earned the careful eye of Kovic. "This competition allowed me to see things that are not always evident in practice," the Quakers coach said "After this weekend I learned that these girls are undoubtedly tough individual competitors." Out of the 15-woman squad, 14 competed this weekend. Absent from the Penn lineup was freshman Taissa Brandon, who was sidelined with an injury. Junior Molly Sullivan, also injured, was limited to performing on the bars. The competition allowed not only the new girls to the squad, but the veterans as well, to determine the exact difficulty of their routines in an informal atmosphere. "The team showed a lot of depth all around. The girls definitely gave us a good foreshadowing of what is to come for the season," senior captain Carin Kaplan said. "We have the talent to make it all the way. Whether we win the Eastern College Athletic Conference depends on the consistency of our performances." After winning the Ivy League Classic and finishing runner-up in the ECAC, the girls are eager to demonstrate what they can do as a follow-up to last year's success. The most impressive event for the Quakers last weekend was their performance on the balance beam, where junior Sharon Stafford's performance especially stood out. The 1998 Quakers will now get three weeks away from practice before returning to Hutch January 5 to prepare for their season-opener January 17 at Cornell.