The Quakers won at their first quad meet of the season against Cornell, George Washington, and West Chester.
Gymnasts’ nerves are settling as they gain steady confidence in the routines built during preseason. After the first meet of the season, Penn is ranked No. 37, George Washington is No. 50, and the other two opponents are outside the top 50 nationally.
“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 strong 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 earned the highest score of the rotation, a 9.800.
Sophomore Mimi Fletcher concluded the rotation with a routine featuring elegant lines and rock-solid tumbling. The Quakers ended their time on the beam with a team total of 48.425, which put them behind George Washington’s 48.500, but still ahead of West Chester and Cornell as the teams completed their first rotations.
Floor
Senior Alyssa Rosen opened the rotation with a high-energy routine featuring graceful dance flourishes. Fletcher exemplified a superior twisting technique throughout her tumbling passes. Freshman Ava Hooten soared on her skills, demonstrating height and control.
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 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 in the lineup with a 10.0 start value. Sophomore Sienna Zuccaro continued the trend, adding a 9.800 for the team, the highest score of the night.
For the first time at the meet, all Quaker scores were 9.700 or higher, as the team totaled 48.725 to win the vault rotation.
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.
