Senior Emily Petkun was able to seal another victory for the Penn gymnastics team with an impressive performance last Saturday at a home quad meet. She took home the all-around title with a score of 37.425 as well as posting a score of 9.600 to win the floor exercise.
Penn dominated the meet, winning every event although it faced the stiff competition of James Madison University, Wilson College and West Chester University. At the meet's conclusion, Penn had a score of 187.525. James Madison took second with 183.700, and West Chester was third with 174.600. Wilson struggled once again, placing last with a score of 160.975.
The Quakers have been recovering from two devastating losses against Yale and Rhode Island last month. But with a 4-3 record coming in, Penn hoped to continue its winning streak, having previously won against Temple and Wilson.
Beginning with the vault, the Quakers put on a powerful performance, setting the tone for the rest of the meet with a winning score of 46.750. Freshman Kerri Lutfey scored 9.600 to place first and freshman Lauren Markowitz took second place with a score of 9.575. James Madison took second in the event scoring 46.750, with the Dukes' Nicole Blades and Melissa Morganstern placing third and fourth respectively.
Sophomore Stephanie Ortiz won first place on the uneven bars, with a career-high score of 9.700. The Quakers scored 47.325, which was more than enough for them to win the event. It gave them the chance to display their skills on the bars with gymnasts, including junior Kara Dewhurst, who placed third with a 9.600. James Madison's Nicole Simmons took second in the event.
Lutfey showed her expertise again on the balance beam, tying her teammate and fellow freshman Jordan Brewer with a score of 9.525 to place first. Penn has struggled on this apparatus since the beginning of the season, but the team has recently cut back on the number of falls. The Quakers have been able to put up solid scores that have helped lead them to victories in their past two meets.
On the floor exercise, Penn won the event with ease. Petkun shined as she closed out the meet as Penn's last competitor with a masterful performance. Ortiz took second with a 9.525, while James Madison's Simmons took third with a 9.500.
Penn coach Tom Kovic believes that although the Quakers made some improvements in some areas, such as the balance beam, they were still lacking in others. He singled out the performance of Lutfey, believing that she performed exceptionally in her three events, and that as a freshman, she has matured greatly since the beginning of the season.
The Quakers are now preparing themselves to face their Ivy League rivals in the Ivy Classic Sunday in Providence, R.I.
Kovic says he is confident in his team and that he believed that the Red and Blue could do great things if it could put in the effort.
"If they expect themselves to take third or fourth at an Ivy championship, that can be arranged, they just need to do mediocre things," said Kovic. "But if they expect to win they, need to step up and do great things."
