The Quakers start their homestand off strong.
Penn, the No. 40 team in the nation after week four, hosted Youth Night in the Palestra against No. 65 University of Bridgeport on Sunday. The community showed up for the first meet of the season, with parents, friends, and alumni in attendance to welcome the team back to Philadelphia. Elementary school-age kids, many of whom attend Penn Gym clinics and classes, created the welcome tunnel as team members were introduced and gave out high fives. At the conclusion of the meet, a seemingly never-ending line got to meet their idols during an autograph session.
“It means the world to me to be able to be able to coach some of them … and then to see them in the Palestra,” senior and captain Marissa Lassiter said. “Those kids look up to us so much, and when they come and they see us do all these big skills and do really well, it's so nice to see how much they appreciate it, and to know that we're inspiring.”
Here's what the fans got to witness on Sunday.
Vault
Lassiter led off the rotation for the Quakers, with loud cheers echoing throughout the arena. Sophomore Maggie Murphy had a near flawless landing for her vault lineup debut, resulting in a 9.800. With a perfect landing, sophomore Manama Fofana received Penn's highest score of the rotation, a 9.825. In all, Penn had a 48.775 total for the vault rotation, holding a comfortable lead over Bridgeport.
Bars
Senior Carly Oniki started out on the bars, executing a picturesque double layout on her dismount which earned her a 9.600. Sophomore Luci Toczydlowski upheld her reputation of displaying impressive lines throughout her routine, a skill shared by Barrow, who also held gorgeous handstand positions atop the bars. The gap between Penn and Bridgeport narrowed after the second rotation, with scores of 48.475 and 47.875, respectively.
Beam
Freshman Ruth Whaley led off the Red and Blue with a beautifully stuck landing. As always, Oniki wowed with her candle mount, a skill that starts like a back handspring, but instead of putting her hands on the ground, the gymnast catches herself on the beam in a handstand position. Murphy stuck her way to a 9.775, tying with senior Alisha Werlen, who completed a seamless flight series, and the rock-solid Fofana. On par with previous rotations, Penn hit a 48.700 on the beam, once again outscoring Bridgeport’s 47.525 on their third turn significantly.
Floor
One thing is evident on floor: Penn gymnasts, both competing and not, enjoy their time at the rotation. With teammates dancing on the sidelines and those on the floor interacting with the crowd, the Quakers bring the party to the floor.
“That's my favorite thing. We're a family … and we're just having a party. We're having fun. Our main goal is just to have fun,” Murphy said on the team’s lighthearted and positive energy.
In the rotation, sophomore Mimi Fletcher, with her ever-present air of confidence, smiled her way through a routine that seemed like second nature to her. Werlen saves her longest tumbling pass for last in an impressive feat of stamina, while Murphy and Fofana both scored career highs during the rotation. Murphy topped her record set earlier this season with a 9.825, while Fofana beat the record she tied for the third time last week with a 9.875. Floor being the highest scoring rotation of the night, Penn received a 48.950, over a point ahead of Bridgeport’s 47.750 on their fourth turn.
In total, Penn won the meet with a 194.900, its second best mark of the season so far and a continuation of its winning streak.
“We put in too much work to not be proud of ourselves, and we've put in too much work to not see it through and to not feel inspired by ourselves,” Lassiter said on the team’s success so far this season. “ … Our motto this year is 'stay humble, stay hungry'. You know, we were on a four-win streak, but we're still humble, and we're still hungry. We want more.”
The Quakers stay at home next week, with their Senior Night taking place at the Palestra on Friday evening against Cornell, George Washington, and William & Mary.
