The 1998 Penn Women's Gymnastics team picked up where they left off from a successful 1997 campaign by edging out Cornell in their first meet Saturday in Ithaca, New York. In their first full competition of the season, the Red and Blue triumphed over the Big Red, finishing with a final overall score of 178.250. Cornell (0-1) put up a good fight against the Quakers (1-0) as they amassed a total point score of 175.600. The Penn women remained consistently ahead of Cornell in every event. Despite struggling to stick their routines, the win once again placed the Quakers on the right track toward another run at the Ivy Classic, as well as the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship. Sophomore Lizzie Jacobson was the highest overall scorer for the Red and Blue, ending the day with a score of 35.550. "We made a good showing and also found out the areas that we need to work on to perform even better our next time out," Jacobson said. As a whole, the team held consistent scores that ranged between 8.5 and 9.0. The Quakers performed strongest on the floor, the vault and the bars. The area that the Red and Blue are most looking to improve on is the beam. "Our beam routines are going to be one of our biggest focuses in this week's practices," said sophomore Joci Newman. "We started out last season in the same manner, with some trouble on the beam, however if this year is anything like last, Saturday's meet was a good sign that we could be in the running for another title." Freshmen Amanda Tiffany and Jennifer Capasso also made their Ivy League debuts on the beam in Ithaca Saturday. Tiffany performed an exhibition, while Capasso contributed to the overall team scoring with an average score of a 9.450. "All of the freshman were undoubtedly nervous for yesterday's meet, yet I think they each managed to use their anxiety towards positive energy to perform their best," Newman said. With their first meet behind them, the Quakers are now looking toward the George Washington University Invitational Tournament next weekend. Penn will face Temple, James Madison and George Washington in D.C., Saturday. Historically, the Quakers have never beaten James Madison in competition. The Quakers lost to a tough Virginia team in the ECAC finals last year and are looking to settle the score this weekend. "We are happy to have a win under our belts as we head into this weekend's invitational," said Jacobson. "Rather than having a dual meet competition, we will be facing four top level teams in the East coast and we are eager to perform our best." The Red and Blue have survived the hardest part of their training season. The Quakers are more rested and ready to go up against whatever challenges lie ahead for them in Washington D.C., next weekend.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate
