New school record set in Gymnastics victory

The Quakers broke 191 for the first time ever to beat Temple on Friday. After a bit of uncertainty and a slow start, the Penn gymnastics team is more than just returning to the winning ways of past seasons. It is upping the ante -- breaking records and establishing new standards of excellence. At home against Temple this past Friday, the Quakers were victorious once again, defeating the Owls 191.250 to 184.825. A victory was not enough for the Quakers, though. The Red and Blue's team performance led to the breaking of the school mark for highest score, set last March 1998 at the ECAC Championships at 190.575. "We hit routines and did so impeccably," Penn coach Tom Kovic said. In addition, by going over 191, the Quakers have demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with both in the Ivy League and in the ECAC. "Breaking 191 is even better because now we can really compare [ourselves] to other [highly ranked] teams," Penn junior Sarah Bruscia said. In terms of individual effort, Penn sophomore Lauren Hittner continued to prove that she deserved her ECAC Athlete of the Week award last week by surpassing her own all-around school record with a score of 38.725. She established the previous school record just last week against Brown with 38.60 points. "I just wanted to keep it together for the team," Hittner said, "[and try to] keep it up regardless of my scores." Hittner, along with Penn junior Jenn Capasso, tied the school record for individual beam score, as both earned identical 9.825 marks. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the meet, however, was the team's performance from top to bottom. One-third of the teams' scores were 9.700 or above, and each athlete seemed to contribute her fair share to the record-shattering victory. "I don't want to single anyone out," Kovic said. "It was just a brilliant team effort." Despite their win last week against Brown, the Quakers felt that the meet on Friday against Temple provided a clearer indication of how well they can do. "We won last week, but it wasn't solid," Penn junior Kelly Haberer said. "[And] this week it definitely was." Comparing the two meets led her teammates to a similar conclusion. "It was a fantastic meet [against Temple]," senior Kirby Thorpe said. "Things really picked up from last week." Now back above .500 with a 3-2 overall record, the Quakers look to continue their improvement and use their solid victory over Temple as the building block of a successful stretch run. "We're on our way up, [and] it's only going to get better," Penn captain Lizzie Jacobson said. "We knew we had it in us." Boosting the Quakers lineup was the return of Penn sophomore Sarah Tudryn, who earned a team-high 9.750 on the uneven bars. "She's back and she knows it," Kovic said. "She'll make a big impact." The Quakers now look forward to competing Sunday at Towson, where they will take on some of the best gymnasts they will face all year. "We'd like to get a strong score," Thorpe said. "It'll be a good measuring stick because Yale and Temple will also be there." The Towson meet will also give the Red and Blue a chance to solidify their routines before heading into the Ivy Classic, which is just two short weeks away. "I think Towson will be a good meet for us to try new stuff going into Ivies," Bruscia said. The Quakers remain confident in both their skills and potential, and they plan on riding out this wave through the end of the season. "We want to win. We're out there. We're clean. We're hitting [our routines]," Jacobson said. "Everyone is working hard; [it's] a definite team effort." Look for the Quakers to turn in another solid performance on Sunday at Towson as they build confidence and momentum heading into the highly important Ivy Classic. And, at this rate, don't be surprised if a few more records fall along the way.