Penn Gymnastics started their season this Sunday, Jan. 11th in a triple meet against Cornell University and University of Bridgeport in Ithaca, N.Y.
Coming off of four consecutive Gymnastics East Conference wins, the Quakers are projected to take the title again this season. This particular meet set the tone for the upcoming season, with a total score of 194.850, breaking the record for highest season opening score in program history.
“While I’m taking this meet as a win, my teammates and I are really focused on consistency throughout the entire season,” junior Jordan Barrow wrote in a statement to the Daily Pennsylvanian. “I’m looking closely at where I can continue to improve so I can replicate and build on this performance moving forward.”
The Quakers defeated both Cornell and Bridgeport in all appearances last season, ranking 45th in the nation at the end of the season.
Bars
The meet started with the Quakers on the bars with senior Carly Oniki’s stuck landing. Following her lead, sophomore Luci Toczydlowski had a routine filled with clean lines, resulting in a 9.825. She tied with Barrow for the highest score of the rotation for the Red and Blue.
Beam
Freshman Ruth Whaley started the beam rotation, making her debut in the Penn lineup. Sophomore Manama Fofana displayed exemplary tumbling skills and brought back her signature moon walk from last season’s routine. Senior Alisha Werlen and Barrow tied for the highest score of the rotation with a 9.750.
Floor
The Quakers saw a lot of new faces on the floor. Sophomore Mimi Fletcher earned a 9.775 with a beautiful front tumbling pass, tying freshman Ava Hooten, who made her college lineup debut. Another Penn floor debut, sophomore Maggie Murphy was all smiles throughout her routine. Both Werlen and senior Marissa Lassiter surprised the crowd with new routines.
Vault
The last rotation of the afternoon, vault, was the second highest scoring for the Quakers. Lassiter led off with a stuck landing, meriting a 9.750. Lineup anchor Barrow won the highest score of the entire meet at 9.850.
“Leading off the season with the highest score of the meet feels amazing, and I’m definitely proud of that performance,” Barrow wrote.
Wrapping it Up
Penn won the meet with a final score of 194.850, surpassing both Cornell and Bridgeport in all rotations. The Quakers beat last year’s opening meet score by 0.125, creating the highest season opening score in program history.
“As a team, we worked incredibly hard this offseason, and it really took consistent encouragement and accountability from one another to push through the toughest days,” Barrow wrote. "We’ve set very high goals for ourselves, and that collective mindset drove our preparation.”
Next up, the Quakers will head off to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 18th to face George Washington University, West Chester University, and Cornell in a quad meet.
