Early in the season, it seems like teams in many sports claim to be improving. Gymnastics is a rare sport in which the numbers can prove it.
Case in point: Penn's meet this weekend against Temple and Towson.
The Quakers beat Temple and finished second to Towson with a score of 189.875. The total was a season-best for the Quakers, who only mustered 181.825 in their meet with Towson two weeks earlier.
And if Penn had recorded that 189.875 then, they could have beaten the Tigers a fortnight ago.
"189.8 is a big step for us," sophomore Jordan Brewer said. "It makes us want to push and get over 190."
Coach John Ceralde knew that his team had that number in them. "The number was expected," Ceralde said. "The kids know what they need to take care of. We're working on being more consistent and this number just shows we are moving in the right direction."
The players could see the difference in the team. "The team dynamic was different today. And it was the crowd that made all the difference," Brewer said.
Ceralde also appreciated the advantage the home crowd brings. "Anytime you're at home the fans are great to have," Ceralde said. "But the team is always there supporting each other."
Though the team could not get past Towson, they were still pleased with the meet.
"This was the best we've done all year," junior Stephanie Ortiz said. "Everyone went in and put it all out there and did the best we could."
Coach Ceralde was pleased with the team's performance, but knew they weren't perfect. "It was a good day today," Ceralde said. "But we still small things to take care of.
Brewer fed off the crowd, tying a career-best with a 9.725 on the vault, which also won her thirdplace in the meet.
Ortiz led the Quakers on the beam, where she recorded a 9.525. "I felt really good about my performance on the beam," Ortiz said. "It was the first time I hit all year."
The Quakers also got a strong showing from freshman Marissa Rosen, who won the uneven bars with a score of 9.775.
But even the solid performance from the Quakers was not enough to best ECAC rivals Towson. The women were unfazed by the loss, insisting they were solely focused on their team's performance.
"We don't look at the other team," Ortiz said. "We just do our thing and find out how we stacked up."
But at the end of the day, the Tigers won, and coach Ceralde was left to tip his cap. "Towson is always a good competitor," Ceralde said. "But we'll see them again."
