ITHACA, N.Y. – And still the Ivy Classic champions is the University of Pennsylvania gymnastics team!
 
It's the 15th Ivy Classic title in program history and the second under head coach Kirsten Becker.
 
The Quakers scored a season-high score of 195.375 to keep their crown as the Ivy champions. Jordan Barrow and Skyelar Kerico repeated on the vault and all-around with Kerico winning the bars with a score of 9.875.
 
BEAM – Penn 48.925
A season-high score on the balance beam was the ideal start for the Red and Blue in their quest for the repeat. In her first Ivy Classic, Mimi Fletcher scored a 9.850 to lead Penn. Last year's champion, Samantha Wu, scored a 9.800. Barrow finished at 9.775. Kerico and Alisha Werlen both scored a 9.750. Marissa Lassiter rounded out the group with a score of 9.675.
 
FLOOR – Penn 49.125
Penn followed up its beam performance with the best floor exercise score in an Ivy Classic since 2018. Everyone scored a 9.7 or better with the last four gymnasts reaching the 9.8 threshold. Zara Gazdak tied her career-high score of 9.875, making it the third time this season she's hit that mark. Manama Fofana scored a 9.850 in her Ivy Classic debut. Kerico finished at 9.825 and Marissa Lassiter had a 9.800. Alisha Werlen notched a score of 9.775. After not competing last week, Emma Davies scored a 9.750.
 
VAULT – Penn 48.725
Barrow anchored with a score of 9.875 to secure her second straight Ivy Classic title. Kerico rattled off another 9.8 at the meet, scoring a 9.825. Fofana finished at 9.750 and Olivia VanHorn scored a 9.700. Sienna Zuccaro (9.575) and Lassiter (9.500) rounded out the rotation.
 
BARS – Penn 48.600
Penn capped off the Ivy Classic with a strong showing on the bars. Kerico picked up her third event win of the season with a score of 9.875. Gazdak scored a 9.775. Lassiter had another solid event at 9.725. Sophia Paris finished with a score of 9.700. Carly Oniki had a 9.550.

Rotation Notes
*The Quakers repeated as Ivy Classic champions for the first time since 2012 to secure their 15th Ivy Classic title.
*Becker becomes the first female head coach in Penn gymnastics history and the third coach in program history (John Ceralde and Tom Kovic) to win multiple Ivy Classic titles.
*Kerico repeated in the all-around with a score of 39.275. It is the third-highest event score in program history and the second highest in Ivy Classic history, only trailing her performance from the 2024 Ivy Classic.
*In addition to her all-around championship, Kerico also won the individual title on the uneven bars with a score of 9.875. She became the first multi-event Ivy champion at Penn since Dana Bonincontri in 2012.
*Barrow also won back-to-back Ivy titles on the vault, tying a career-high score of 9.875. Her and Kerico become the first Penn gymnasts to repeat as Ivy Classic champions since Coach Becker (Strausbaugh) did it in 2012.
*With Barrow's and Kerico's wins, the streak of Penn having an Ivy Classic champion has been extended. It has had at least one event winner since 2019.
*Penn's team score of 195.375 is the second-highest program score at the Ivy Classic, only outdone by the team's performance (195.800) last year.
*The Quakers' floor score of 49.125 was the best at the Ivy Classic since 2018.
*The Red and Blue also picked up three second-place finishes. Gazdak placed second on the floor exercise, tying her career-high score of 9.875. Kerico trailed only Barrow on the vault (9.825) and Lassiter earned the honors in the all-around (38.700).
*10 Quakers earned 18 All-Ivy Classic honors. Barrow (vault), Fletcher (beam), Fofana (floor), Gazdak (floor), Lassiter (all-around) and Kerico (vault, bars and all-around) earned first-team honors while Barrow (beam), Fofana (vault), Gazdak (bars), Kerico (floor), Lassiter (bars and floor), Paris (bars), VanHorn (vault), Werlen (floor) and Wu (beam) received second-team accolades

Up Next
The Red and Blue will look to end February on a high note as they travel to ranked North Carolina on Friday with a quad meet against the Tar Heels, Temple and Yale. 
 
For the latest on Penn gymnastics, follow @PennGym on X and Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.