Sophomore Jordyn Mannino scored 9.675 on the bars, while also putting up a mark of 9.775 on the floor exercise.
Credit: Carson KahoeA weekend in Ithaca, N.Y. was all it took to get Penn gymnastics back on the right foot.
After going 0-2 to start the season but still showing flashes of brilliance, the Quakers arrived at Cornell to take on the Big Red seeking their first win of 2020. They did not disappoint, beating their opponents by a final score of 192.400-187.950. Sophomore Sydney Kraez, off to a hot start after winning the all-around at the team's season opener, was one of the stars of the competition along with freshman McCaleigh Marr, who posted several personal records on Sunday afternoon.
The Red and Blue opened on bars with a slew of great performances. Junior Jordyn Mannino led off with an impressive 9.650, followed by her teammate senior Alex Kothe posting the same score, and then by Marr with a 9.825. Sophomore Sydney Kraez, continuing her dominant streak, continued to impress with a solid 9.600 on the bars, and junior Rose Hoffman would conclude the lineup with an impressive 9.725, one of her personal bests. The Quakers would lead Cornell by a huge margin, much of which came from the uneven bars.
The team would equally shine on the vault, with Kraez’s 9.700 being the highlight of the lineup. The other athletes were just as dominant, with Hoffman showing up with a great 9.625 and junior Darby Nelson scoring a 9.425. Freshman Rebekah Lashley would add to Penn’s total with a 9.450 on the vault, as the team continued to dominate their opponents in Ithaca. Sophomore Edie Noor Graber then capped off the lineup with a solid 9.350.
Next would come the highly competitive floor events, where the Quakers swept their competition. Junior Darcy Matsuda opened with a great 9.600, followed by Nelson and Lashley, who respectively posted a 9.700 and a 9.725. Kraez concluded the lineup with a superb routine, leading her team with a 9.800, tying for the win and leading the Quakers to a narrow 48.250-48.050 victory in the events.
Penn would wrap up the afternoon on the beam, finishing off their opponents for good with a high event score of 48.150. Marr would once again shine, scoring a strong 9.800 to tie for the win. The difference would come from her teammates, with Lashley’s 9.775, Nelson’s 9.725, Kraez’s 9.625, and Matsuda’s 9.225.
In a high-stakes month where Penn gymnastics will later compete in the Ivy Classic, also in Ithaca, the Quakers proved dominant against another Ivy team with strong all-around performances. They hope to continue this success at the Palestra this coming Friday against Temple.
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