The Quakers took the win at their first quad meet of the season against Cornell, George Washington, and West Chester.
Gymnasts' nerves are starting to shake out and sink into a steady confidence around the routines constructed in the preseason. After the first meet of the season, Penn ranks No. 37, George Washington ranks No. 50 in the country, and the other two opponents lie outside the top 50.
“The philosophy is to keep building, focus on the little details, and bring the same energy and consistency each week,” sophomore Maggie Murphy wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “If we stay locked in, trust our preparation, and continue supporting one another, we know the momentum will continue.”
Beam
Freshman Ruth Whaley demonstrated exemplary tumbling skills as she led off the rotation. Whaley was well-grounded throughout her back handspring, back layout series, and front toss. Murphy, who joined the program from the University of Maryland last fall, delivered an incredible routine, hitting every skill while staying grounded. She contributed the highest score of the rotation, a 9.800.
Sophomore Mimi Fletcher concluded the rotation with a routine filled with elegant lines and rock-solid tumbling. The Quakers ended their time on the beam with a team total of 48.425, which put them barely behind George Washington’s 48.500, but still ahead of West Chester and Cornell as the teams completed their first respective rotations.
Floor
Senior Alyssa Rosen opened the rotation with a high-energy routine filled with graceful dancing flourishes. Fletcher exemplified a superior twisting technique throughout her tumbling passes. Freshman Ava Hooten found her wings as she flew high in her various skills.
Senior Marissa Lassiter was “the whole package” as the floor anchor, soaking in the spotlight by demonstrating her combined strength in tumbling, dance, and personality. Lassiter and Murphy tied for the highest score of the rotation with a 9.750.
Vault
Lassiter led off the third rotation with an air of confidence, scoring 9.750 to match the score from her floor performance. Freshman Ananya Patanakul built on that energy to deliver a fabulously landed vault, the only one of the lineup with a 10.0 start value. Sophomore Sienna Zuccaro continued the trend, adding a 9.800 to the scoreboard for the team, the best mark of the night.
For the first time at the meet, no scores below a 9.700 were counted, as the Quakers totaled 48.725 for the vault victory.
Bars
Senior Carly Oniki garnered impressive height in her release as the bars rotation began. Sophomore Skylar Goodstadt improved upon her score with a nearly stuck landing. Sophomore Luci Toczydlowski made the apparatus look approachable with exquisite lines that extended throughout all of her skills.
The Quakers concluded their final rotation with a 48.500, scraping ahead of George Washington’s 46.550 and Cornell’s 47.100 in their last rotations. Penn walked away from the Lindsey Ferris Invitational with a 194.075 victory.
“The team is feeling really confident and motivated after our second win,” Murphy said. “It’s a great validation of the work we’ve been putting in every day at practice.”
The Quakers return to Philadelphia on Friday night to compete at Temple.
