Jan. 28, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Men's gymnastics' Casey Sandy (Brampton, Ontario) and Women's Track and Field's Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) have been named this week's Penn State Student-Athletes of the week.
Hunter scored an outstanding 4073 points in the pentathlon, breaking her own school record by 14 points and becoming this year's first automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships in the event. To earn Penn State Male Student-Athlete of the Week, Sandy continued his torrid start to the 2008 season by capturing titles in the pommel horse, vault and parallel bars in No. 1 Penn State's victory over No. 9 Temple.
As female student-athlete of the week, Hunter started Saturday's Penn State National Invitational with a bang, clocking in at 7.96 in the 55-meter hurdles, which ties her lifetime best. The junior's pentathlon score is also the 10th best in the world this year, according to the IAAF.
In addition to winning three of the four events he competed in this weekend, Sandy, also a junior, has claimed nine individual event and two all-around titles thus far in 2008. He is also ranked No. 1 in the nation in the floor exercise, parallel bars and the all-around.
Hunter and Sandy will look to continue their success coming week as the track and field team hosts the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup in University Park, Pa. on Friday, Feb. 1 and Saturday, Feb. 2 and men's gymnastics hosts Minnesota on Saturday, Feb 2 at 2 p.m.
2007-08 Penn State Student-Athletes of the Week
January 28- Casey Sandy (men's gymnastics), Gayle Hunter (women's track & field)
January 22- Pat Schirk (men's swimming), Kelly Nelson (women's swimming)
January 15- Phil Davis (wrestling), Casey Rohrbaugh (women's gymnastics)
January 7 - Matt Anderson (men's volleyball), Mashea Williams (women's basketball)
December 17 - Geary Claxton (men's basketball), Megan Hodge (women's volleyball)
December 10 - Phil Davis (wrestling), Arielle Wilson (women's volleyball)
December 3 - Pat Schirk (men's swimming), Brianne O'Rourke (men's basketball)
November 26 - David Erwin (wrestling), Christa Harmotto (women's volleyball)
November 19 - Geary Claxton (men's basketball), Alisha Glass (women's volleyball)
November 12 - Dan Connor (football), Britney Long (field hockey)
November 5 - Sean Lee (football), Alyssa Naeher (women's soccer)
October 29 - Michael James (men's tennis), Carly Bedesem (women's soccer)
October 22 - Maurice Evans (football), Christa Harmotto (women's volleyball)
October 15 - Sean Lee (football), Zoe Bouchelle (women's soccer)
October 8 - Kevin Foley (men's golf), Mallory Weisen (field hockey)
October 1- Vincent Salvatico (men's soccer), Katie Schoepfer (women's soccer)
September 24- T.J. Howe (men's golf), Alyssa Naeher (women's soccer)
September 17- Brendan Lynch (men's tennis), Katie Schoepfer (women's soccer)
September 10 - Dan Connor (football), Megan Hodge (women's volleyball)
September 3 - Anthony Morelli (football), Bridget Franek (cross country)
August 27 - Kiersten Wood (field hockey)
- NITTANY LIONS -