Gymnastics hosts ursinus

The Quakers' home season begins after a loss to Cornell on Saturday. The Penn gymnastics team did not succeed in its attempt to get a win in its inaugural meet of the year on Saturday, but the Quakers will not have to wait very long for another opportunity. After dropping their season opener to Cornell by the excruciatingly close score of 186.660-186.125 in Ithaca, N.Y., the Red and Blue will host Ursinus today at 6 p.m. in Hutchinson Gymnasium. "I expect them to be very upbeat at home in Hutch. School's back in session, we've got fans that come in, and I'm looking for a good, solid first start at home with a much improved Ursinus team," Penn coach Tom Kovic said. "We're looking at it as a transition from one meet to the next." Last season, the Quakers did not have much trouble with Ursinus, registering a 185.200-172.475 victory. And although the Quakers did not come away with a win against the Big Red this past weekend, there were several good signs from the Quakers' performance in their season opener. Sophomore Lauren Hittner led the way with a 9.60 performance in the vault to help the Quakers claim the event. Hittner also had the high score (9.75) on the beam, but it was not enough to beat the Big Red. Junior Kelly Haberer was another highlight for Penn, finishing first on the bars with a 9.375. The Quakers will need these top performers to compete well as they try to defend their Ivy Classic title, and the athletes will get their next chance to show their mettle tonight when the Bears visit Hutch. The Quakers, who head to the GW Invitational on Saturday, are hoping to receive significant support in their first home appearance of the season. "We're hoping for people to come out and support us," Hittner said. "We have room for improvement, so we're looking to improve. I hope for people to come out and watch, but I don't know what to expect. It's always fun to compete at home."

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