After a disappointing start to its season, the Penn gymnastics team is concentrating on one factor to turn its season around -- confidence.
Coming off a close loss to Brown last Saturday, the Quakers (0-3 in dual meets) hope to regain their composure in a home meet against Temple and Ursinus tomorrow night.
"We have the skills," Penn freshman Laura Bouchelle said. "We just need to perform them how we know how to do and not get nervous."
The Quakers had a long meeting after last weekend's loss to discuss what they did well and what needed to be improved upon. The general consensus was that the squad displayed an overall lack of confidence when something went wrong during competition.
"There can be one mistake, people get discouraged, then there's another and another and we end up blowing the whole meet," Bouchelle said. "At this meet we're starting to put things behind us."
Preseason injuries have also plagued the Quakers this season. Senior co-captain Lauren Hittner is still recovering from a torn ACL and freshman Jordan Levy has been sidelined with a sprained ankle.
"Slowly people are coming back into the lineup," Penn sophomore Christy Green said. "A lot of people are really pushing hard in practice so they can compete."
One confidence-builder for the Red and Blue was the naming of Green as co-ECAC Gymnast of the Week.
Green garnered such an honor after she placed first in the Yale all-around competition on Jan. 26, setting a personal record with a score of 38.150.
"I was really excited [to win the award] because there are a lot of gymnasts in the ECAC," the Penn sophomore said.
Green added that the award has given her momentum going into this weekend's matchup against the Owls and the Bears.
"I'm more confident that I can pull things out and hit every event again," she said.
The Red and Blue own a win over Temple earlier this season at the George Washington Invitational, where they won by a mere .15 points.
In an attempt to improve, they have been working on both the physical and mental aspects since then, including intense gym workouts and mental exercises.
"It really helps to be focused," Bouchelle said. "Gymnastics is a very mental sport."
The Penn gymnasts hope that their hard work will pay off tomorrow night.
"I know we can win -- there's no question about that," Bouchelle said. "We just really need to pull together and do what we know we can do."
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
