The bleachers in Hutchinson Gym were jam-packed with well over 100 spectators to watch Penn gymnastics' final home meet of the season against Cornell on Saturday.
The Quakers and the Big Red kept the scores close throughout the entire competition, but it was Penn who came out on top with a score of 191.075 to the Big Red's 190.425.
As assistant coach John Ceralde explained, Ivy League rivalries bring competitiveness to a whole new level.
"Every Ivy team steps up every time they compete against one another," he said.
In the two teams' previous matchup at the Ivy Classic, Cornell edged out Penn for a second place finish, which made this weekend's win even more sweet.
Coach Tom Kovic praised Cornell's gymnasts as extremely worthy competitors.
"First of all, Cornell is a very good team," Kovic said. "They are a team that I absolutely respect."
Both Kovic and Ceralde were beaming after the meet and had nothing but praise for their team.
"They're a strong team because they're all fighters," Ceralde said.
Kovic continues to be amazed by his team's performance.
"We came in strong," he said. "They did a really nice job."
The win was truly a team effort, with impressive marks across the board.
Junior standout Emily Petkun showed no signs of slowing down, achieving consistently high scores, including a near-perfect 9.850 on floor.
Freshman Kimberly Chin continued to dazzle in her rookie campaign with the Quakers and had a lot to be proud of with her 9.800 score on beam.
The seniors on the team most certainly left their mark on Hutchinson Gymnasium in the final home meet of their gymnastics careers.
Tri-captain Leah Moon completed a vault that made the crowd gasp in amazement, earning her a score of 9.700.
Christina Anzalone proved that the bars truly are her best apparatus, with a knockout score of 9.825.
Lex Chalat, also a tri-captain, sealed the deal for the Quakers with a 9.775 for her energetic and graceful floor routine.
"It's my favorite event," Chalat said. "I live for it. I love it."
Chalat added that she gave it her all for her teammates, as this was the last time she would perform the routine in Hutchinson Gym for the Red and Blue.
"It's our last home meet for the seniors," she said. "I wanted it to be the best routine I've ever done."
Although the Quakers emerged victorious, there wasn't a dry eye in the room during a reception honoring the team's seniors after the meet.
The junior gymnasts fought back tears as they read speeches and gave bouquets of roses to each of the five graduating seniors -- Anzalone, Laura Bouchelle, Chalat, Moon and Yael Sollins.
Chalat called the event "bittersweet," and expressed her love for her teammates.
"I'm really sad, this team has been my family and my life," she said. "I'm gonna miss these girls so much."
Judging from the emotion level during the reception, the entire team feels exactly the same way.
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