This Saturday, Penn gymnastics will compete in the Gymnastics East Conference Championships, hosted at home in The Palestra. The team is vying for its fourth consecutive conference victory, which is looking like an achievable goal.
“A four-peat would mean the world to this team,” senior gymnast Emma Davies said. “We have such a special group of girls, and winning another conference championship, especially at home, would be the perfect way to cap off our season.”
The eight teams in the GEC — Penn, Yale, Brown, Cornell, Bridgeport, West Chester, William & Mary, and Southern Connecticut State — will compete throughout two sessions on Saturday, determined by rankings. The bottom four teams — Cornell, West Chester, William & Mary, and Southern Connecticut State — will compete at noon, and the top four teams — Penn, Yale, Brown, and Bridgeport — will compete at 6 p.m. Starting events will be determined by random draw, with all teams competing on vault, bars, beam, and floor. Typically, meets run for about two hours, with about an hour for score calculation and awards.
“We have talked a lot this season about how our average routines are right where they need to be, so if we go out and hit our normal, we will be in a great spot,” junior gymnast Alyssa Rosen said.
The Quakers perform well under pressure: their past performances in GEC Championships in 2022 and 2024 are currently the highest in program history (196.950 and 196.275). This season’s best score was 196.200, so it is possible that a new record could be set this weekend. Almost every week this season, there has been a new season, career, or program records set, and the Red and Blue shows no indication of slowing down.
“I think we’re all extra energized because GECs is at home this year," junior gymnast Alisha Werlen said. “We’re hoping for a big crowd and lots of cheering because that makes the meet even more fun. As a team we’re all very prepared and ready to show all the hard work we’ve put in.”
Based on previous meets, the most likely vault lineup will be Werlen, sophomore Jordan Barrow, freshman Manama Fofana, junior Marissa Lassiter, senior Olivia VanHorn, and junior Skyelar Kerico. Barrow is extremely consistent on the event and has been in the lineup every week of the season, earning four first-place scores. Kerico set a new program record of 9.925 with her Yurchenko one-and-a-half, her third win on vault of the season. The vault team is ranked 43rd nationally, just behind the bars team. Signs of a good performance are landing without any steps afterward, with the gymnast’s legs together and toes pointed in the air.
For bars, the crowd can expect freshman Mimi Fletcher, Barrow, Lassiter, Kerico, sophomore Sophia Paris, and senior Zara Gazdak. Fletcher, a newer addition to the lineup and one-time winner of GEC Newcomer of the Week. Kerico has won the bars four times with team members often joining her on the podium. The bars team demonstrated their season-wide consistency in being ranked 42nd in the nation. Signs of a good performance are the gymnast’s legs together when transitioning between the high and low bars and hitting strong vertical handstands on the high bar.
On beam, typical competitors are Werlen, Barrow, Fofana, Lassiter, Fletcher, Kerico, and junior Samantha Wu. While falls happen on every event, the most common ones happen on the beam, as it is only four inches wide. Doing so results in a half-point deduction from the gymnast’s score, a near-catastrophic loss in the face of tight competition. Luckily, only five out of six lineup scores count for the overall score, so one fall won’t ruin the team’s chances. More than one is another question. So far, Fletcher has been the most consistent on the beam with fellow freshman Fofana — a four-time winner of GEC Newcomer of the Week. In addition, Barrow is consistent on the beam, similar to her pattern on vault. Kerico, as always, delivers strong performances and displays exceptional lines and visuals on the beam. The beam team is ranked 48th nationally. Signs of a good performance: staying on the beam, limited wobbles, and an air of confidence.
Floor will likely be a show of familiar names: Werlen, Fofana, Lassiter, Kerico, Gazdak, and senior Emma Davies. Of these, the most consistently high scoring is Gazdak, who set her career high (9.875) and then proceeded to tie it twice this season. In their routines, the Quakers have personality in spades. Werlen’s music features a mix of “Slim Shady” and Britney Spears, while Fofana has a mashup of Michael Jackson hits. But if there’s one routine to watch, it should be Lassiter’s. Featuring “Anaconda” and “Lose Control,” her routine is an encore from last season and a crowd favorite. Not only do her teammates dance along with her, but so do parents and fans in the audience. Last week at home, a group of dads were the most enthusiastic of the participants in the crowd. The floor team is ranked 50th nationally — the lowest of all four events for the Quakers.
Lassiter and Kerico frequently compete all-around (all four events), and will probably do so this coming weekend. Kerico has won the all-around five times and GEC Gymnast of the Week four times while Lassiter has won all-around twice and GEC Gymnast of the Week once.
“We’ve already secured the regular season title for the 4th year in a row and winning conference would once again prove all our effort and consistency throughout the year has paid off,” Werlen said, “Adding another conference title would top off a great season.”
“Over the past four years, this program has risen to new heights, and securing another title would be incredibly meaningful, not just for me as a senior, but for everyone who has been part of this journey,” Davies added.
Here are the stats on the teams that will be competing in the evening session:
- (47) Penn
- Average team score: 194.992
- Best event: Bars
- Gymnasts to watch: Skyelar Kerico, Jordan Barrow, Manama Fofana, Zara Gazdak, Mimi Fletcher
- (55) Yale
- Average team score: 193.805
- Best event: Floor
- Gymnasts to watch: Gigi Sabatini, Hana Strause, Ella Tashjian
- (56) Brown
- Average team score: 193.244
- Best events: Beam and Floor
- Gymnasts to watch: Julia Bedell and Liza Marcus
- (60) University of Bridgeport
- Average team score: 192.618
- Best event: Vault
- Gymnasts to watch: Abigail Kenney and Lola Sepulveda
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