Despite an injured knee, junior Desirae Gaspero showed poise and power last night.
Originally scheduled to only compete in the floor exercise, Gaspero was thrust onto the beam when teammate Laura Duros was unable to compete because of a sprained ankle.
Gaspero went on to earn the highest score in the event with a 9.650.
But she remained humble, attributing her incredible performance to her teammates.
"Our team is awesome, we have a really great group of girls," Gaspero said.
With a final team score of 189.500, the Quakers defeated Temple by less than one point in Hutchinson Gymnasium.
Penn coach Tom Kovic called the Penn-Temple gymnastics rivalry "very historic."
Kovic, a Temple grad himself, added that he has "great respect for Temple's team."
The win over the Owls was Penn's third of the season, completing a sweep of their intracity foes.
Emily Petkun was a standout as the only gymnast to compete in all four events. Petkun earned the top spot in both uneven bars and floor, with a 9.650 and 9.750, respectively.
The key to last night's victory was "individuals stepping out and getting the job done," Kovic said. It was a "great win for our team."
The night wasn't without mistakes, however, with a few of the women experiencing difficulty on the balance beam.
"We're getting out all the rough spots with each meet," Gaspero said.
Kovic added that "taking on a situation and not dwelling on mistakes" are essential to creating a championship team -- an environment the Quakers are trying to recreate after last year's Ivy League title.
Gaspero wasn't the only Quakers gymnast competing with an injury. Senior Laura Bouchelle, suffering from numerous stress fractures, was solid on vault with a 9.650.
Kovic singled out the performances of Bouchelle and fellow senior Yael Sollins on vault and floor as highlights of the night.
Temple's Alexis Zafferes proved to be a serious threat to a Penn victory, with an amazing 9.725 on vault and 9.500 on bars.
Overall, Kovic said his team did a "magnificent job" and he was "proud of the girls tonight."
Now almost halfway through the season, the Quakers have won three consecutive meets and are gaining momentum as they enter the stretch run.
Next up for the Quakers is a home meet this Saturday at 1 p.m. They will take on three teams: Ursinus, West Chester and Wilson University at Hutchinson Gym.
