Morletski will be first male gymnast at Penn since '78

For Todd Morletski, one of the 1,000-plus college seniors granted early admittance into Penn's class of 2002, the rise from self-proclaimed "neighborhood fat kid" to men's gymnastics star at North Minnitoa, Wash., High School, has been anything but easy. Morletski, however, may face his toughest challenge next year when, as a member of the Ivy Champion Quaker women's gymnastics squad, he attempts to become Penn's first male varsity gymnast since the men's program was cut in 1978. "I can't let a few technicalities obstruct my path in life," Morletski said. "Penn as a school is a perfect fit for me. I've wanted to come here since middle school." For Morletski, the 1997 Washington state champion on high bar and third-place winner on vault, a desire to attend Penn, his father's alma mater, outweighs any fears he may have of competing as a male on Penn's women's gymnastics team. "People look at me like I'm some kind of freak. I think I'm lucky," Morletski, who turned down a scholarship offer to compete on the Southern Connecticut men's team, said. "So, I turned down a scholarship. I've been fortunate enough to come from a family that can afford to sacrifice $120,000 now so that I can reap the benefits of an Ivy diploma later in life." Morletski's desire to matriculate at Penn led him to write a series of letters to Tom Kovic, women's gymnastics coach at Penn. "'Was I surprised?' You could say so. Will Barb [long-time coach Barbara Tonry of rival Yale] be shocked? She sure as heck will be," Kovic said. "But when it came down to it, I realized one thing: Todd Morletski is a top-caliber gymnast. And if a top-caliber gymnast wants to come to Penn, I would be crazy to turn him away!" As an early admittee, Morletski will be attending Penn whether the Quakers squad chooses to accept him into their ranks or not. Kovic broke the news to his troops on the victory bus ride back from the 1998 Ivy League Championship Meet. "A lot of us weren't sure at first how we felt about it. I mean, it's really kind of weird that Todd wants to do this," tri-captain Shilpa Rao said. "But I think we're slowly realizing that if he wants to do this, and he can help the team repeat as champs, then more power to Todd." Unlike the legions of ECAC women's gymnasts who grew up dreaming of gold medals after Mary Lou Retton's sparkling 1984 performance in L.A., Morletski's path to the Penn women's team has been far more roundabout. "Mary Lou who?" Todd said. "When I was a kid, it was all about the Boz [Brian Bosworth]. He was the man! All I wanted to do in 1986 was get an earring and play for the Seahawks." With dreams of someday playing in the NFL in his home state of Washington, Morletski convinced his parents to let him sign up for Pop Warner. But for a short kid shaped "more like a football than a defensive tackle," Todd's NFL dreams faded faster than his all-world idol's pro career. "Todd was really depressed. That's when I set Todd up to talk with Jack [Harnwell]," Eva Bosch Morletski said. Morletski also once had a detrimental fall on the balance beam. He and a fellow gymnast, John La Bombard, have both suffered injury from such falls but managed to remain in the sport. "I am just glad it didn't hit my penis," La Bombard, a College senior, said. The mother of this gender barrier-crossing athlete, Eva herself is no stranger to androgyny in athletics, having watched from the sidelines as an alternate to the 1968 East German women's 200 meter freestyle relay Olympic squad. "Jack really helped Todd out." Harnwell, Todd's North Minnitoa neighbor, was the 1975 winner of the Nissen Award, presented annually to the nation's outstanding senior collegiate gymnast. Convincing a dejected Todd that there were other sports besides football, Harnwell coached the boy on the fine arts of vault and bars in the backyard of his two-story home. The embodiment of the ubiquitous "hard work paid off" success story, Todd dedicated himself to his gymnastics training regimen. Two weeks ago, Todd completed his senior season as captain of the North Minnitoa Spiders men's gymnastics season. "It's hard to believe, but this is really the first break I've had since I started competing in high school four year's ago," Morletski said. "I'm just looking to enjoy the time between now and graduation before I start getting ready for next year's Penn season." Todd has few plans for the next few months other than to enjoy his time with friends. "I've been so busy that I'm really behind in movies," Morletski, who lists The Crying Game as his favorite '90s flick, said. "I hear that Titanic thing is supposed to be pretty good." There is no question, that if accepted by teammates, Todd Morletski can be a valuable contributor to the Red and Blue women's gymnastics squad. In Morletski's quest to blaze new gender trails at Hutchinson Gymnasium next season, only one question remains -- will he wear the leotard?