The Penn gymnastics team just can't seem to shake Towson.
At the Shelli Calloway Memorial Invitational, the Quakers finished behind the host Tigers for the third time this season.
Towson (193.5) won the meet and Cornell, an Ivy League and ECAC rival, came in second at 189.575. Penn (187.7) finished third, followed by Temple (186.825), Ursinus (186.775) and James Madison (185.175) in a tight pack of competitors.
Towson's victory was paced by freshman Jackie Schweitzer, who finished first in the all-around competition with a career high 38.925 points.
Penn, which was missing some starting regulars due to injuries, failed to reach its goal of 190 points. The team has yet to crack that mark this season. Head coach John Ceralde, however, was satisfied with the team's efforts given the circumstances.
"I am pleased with the team's performance, especially with the injuries that we have been dealing with all season," Ceralde said. "Two gymnasts were injured last week and one fell to an illness. . The team took on a challenge and they made a great adjustment."
The highlight of the day for Penn was junior Stephanie Ortiz's performance. She won second place in the all-around competition with a 37.60 .
Junior Kimberly Chin almost reached her season high of 9.75 on the bars with a 9.725, notching her a third-place finish. She also earned ECAC Coaches Choice of the Week honors by scoring 9.650 on the bars and a 9.0 on the beam in last Saturday's home meet.
Chin contributed to the team's strong showing on bars, where it earned second place in the event with 47.375.
Sophomore Stefanie Navarro continued to perform consistently and placed fifth on bars with a 9.675.
Before the meet, the team felt confident about going on the road despite difficulties away from Hutchinson Gym thus far this season. But despite a big win at home last weekend, the team could not carry over the momentum.
"It's definitely something we're going to focus on and keep in mind as we're training routines," Navarro said before the meet. "We might not be used to the equipment or the environment but we need to make those adjustments and we will."
While the team was unable to make those adjustments this weekend, this meet did mark the team's highest away point total.
The Red and Blue will find itself in more comfortable surroundings next weekend as they host the Ivy Classic at the Palestra.
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