Gymnastics Earns Third Seed at USAG Collegiate Nationals

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PHILADELPHIA - For the second straight season, gymnastics has qualified for the USAG Collegiate Nationals. The Quakers qualified for the meet by finishing as the third-ranked team by regional score amongst USAG schools (192.310 RQS). The USAG Championships will run from Thursday, April 12 through Saturday, April 14. In addition to the top-three team ranking, the Quakers have eight gymnasts ranked in the top-12 amongst USAG gymnasts.

When looking at the list of accolades accomplished by the 2012 gymnastics, the list becomes rather extensive

2012 Team Accolades
- Won back-to-back Ivy Classic Championships for the first time since 2000 season
- Won first ECAC title since the 2004 season, third conference title overall
- 22 wins as a team, including a 10-1 record at home
- Most victories in program history (18 was the record set last year)

Team Scores in the Record Books
- Highest ECAC team score in program history (194.400) - previous high was 193.650
- Highest home score in program history (194.400) - previous high was 193.650
- Second-highest team score overall at ECAC's - missed all-time best by two-tenths of a point
- Highest road score of the season (192.650)
- Set top-five marks in program history three times on vault, three times on bars, and once on beam
- Highest vault score in program history (48.775) at ECAC's - broke previous high by one-tenth
- Third-highest vault in program history (48.400) at Ivy Classic
- Fifth-highest vault in program history to start the season (48.250)
- Third-highest bars score in program history (48.725 at Maryland and Towson)
- Fourth-highest bars score in program history at ECAC's (48.700)
- Fourth-highest team beam at February 10 home quad meet (48.675)
- Had season high floor score by four-tenths to win ECAC's

Individual Record Breakers
- Two NCAA Regional All-Around qualifiers
- Highest Individual vault in program history (9.9) - Dana Bonincontri at ECAC's, previous high was 9.85
- Second-highest individual vault, which tied previous program record (9.85) - Laura DiPaolo at ECAC's, also had fourth-highest at February 4 meet (9.8)
- Fifth-highest uneven bars score in program history (9.850) - Kirsten Strausbaugh at ECAC's
- Eleventh-highest floor score in program history (9.875) - Kirsten Strausbaugh at ECAC's
- Third-highest all-around in program history (39.100) - Dana Bonincontri at Feb. 10 quad meet & ECAC's
- Three individual event champions at ECAC Championships
- Twelve gymnasts placed in top-six at ECAC's and will earn first or second-team All-ECAC.
- Twelve gymnasts set or tied career highs at ECAC Championships
- Three individual event champions, plus all-around champ (four total) at Ivy Classic
- Seventeen gymnasts place in top-six of each of the five events, including everybody in vault and all-around at Ivy Classic
- For the season, 18 career-highs were set from sophomore through senior classes
- Five freshmen have competed in 13 different events, making 31 career-highs in all this season

Before Penn competes in the USAG Championships, Kirsten Strausbaugh and Dana Bonincontri will attempt to qualify as individuals for the NCAA Championships. Strausbaugh and Bonincontri qualified as all-around gymnasts for the NCAA Regional meet, which will take place on Saturday, April 7 in Raleigh, N.C at 4 p.m.