Jan. 11, 2008
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The 13th-ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team finished first in its opening meet at the season, scoring a 194.050 to defeat Kent State (192.175) and host Pittsburgh (190.450) Friday night at Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Nittany Lions recorded scores of 48.500 on vault, 48.700 on bars, 47.825 on beam and 49.025 on floor.
Sophomore Casey Rohrbaugh (Spring Grove, Pa.) captured her first career all-around title with a 38.525 while sophomore Brandi Personett (Katy, Texas) finished second with a 38.475 and sophomore Alexandra Brockway (Macungie, Pa.) placed third with a 38.400.
Penn State opened the meet on floor and Personett claimed top honors, scoring a first-place 9.900. Brockway tied her career high with a third-place 9.800 and shared honors with freshman Melissa Klein (Oceanside, N.Y.). Senior Aslynn Satterfield (Boalsburg, Pa.) scored a 9.775 for fifth place and freshman Kristina Beck tallied a 9.750 for sixth as Rohrbaugh placed 12th with a 9.700. After the first rotation, Penn State held a 49.025 to 47.725 lead over Kent State.
In the second rotation, the Nittany Lions competed on vault, with Satterfield and Personett earning the high score for Penn State with a fourth-place 9.750. Brockway finished sixth with a 9.700 while Beck scored a 9.675 for seventh. Klein and Rohrbaugh rounded out the lineup, finishing 10th and 12th, respectively, with scores of 9.625 and 9.575.
On bars in the third rotation, Brockway earned her first individual title of the season by scoring a first-place 9.875. Personett tied her career high with a third-place 9.800, a mark that was also tied by sophomore Lindsey Montross (Roseville, Calif.). Rohrbaugh, competing for the first time on bars, scored a fifth-place 9.675 and freshman Danielle Hover (Hamburg, N.Y.) tallied a 12th-place 9.550 as Beck placed 16th with a 9.275.
Penn State closed out the meet on beam with Klein and freshman Heather McElwee (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) finishing second with a 9.775. Montross placed fifth with a 9.675 as Rohrbaugh tallied a 9.575 for 10th and Brockway and Personett both notched a 9.025 for 15th.
The Nittany Lions return home to host Big Ten rival Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Rec Hall. The contest will be televised by the Big Ten Network and air on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 6:00 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Penn State women's gymnastics team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.