March 29, 2008
Complete Results
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Sophomore women's gymnast Brandi Personett (Katy, Texas) captured her second consecutive individual all-around title with a career-high-tying 39.525 at the 2008 Big Ten Championships Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich., as the Nittany Lions finished third as a team with a 195.625. A two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, Personett also defended her Big Ten vault title as she posted a first-place 9.950 and tied for the floor crown with Michigan's Kylee Botterman, as both scored a 9.900.
The Wolverines captured their 16th Big Ten title with a 196.750 and Illinois finished second with a 195.750. Michigan State came in fourth place with a 195.050, Iowa placed fifth with a 194.775, Minnesota finished sixth with a 194.425 and Ohio State claimed seventh with a 194.075.
As a team, Penn State recorded scores of 48.900 on vault, a season-high-tying 49.000 on bars, a season-high 48.900 on beam and a 48.825 on floor. The Lions' 195.625 team score was its third-highest team score of the season.
The Big Ten Network will air the Championships on a tape-delay basis on Thursday, April 3 at 8:00 p.m. Live scoring will be available via a link at www.GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State opened the meet on bars, as sophomore Second Team All-Big Ten selection Alexandra Brockway (Macungie, Pa.) led the way with a team-high and third-place 9.900, her career high and the best score on the event for the Lions this season. Personett scored a 12th-place 9.825 while sophomore Rosie Smith (Waterford, Pa.) notched a 9.800 to tie for 15th. Freshman Danielle Hover (Hamburg, N.Y.) started her first conference competition with a 9.775 and freshman Kristina Beck (Jacksonville, Fla.) and sophomore Lindsey Montross (Roseville, Calif.) rounded out the Lion competitors with scores of 9.700 and 9.650, respectively. Michigan's Sarah Curtis took home the individual title with a 9.950.
Following a bye in the second rotation, Penn State moved to beam, where it had the best showing of the year. Personett tied for fifth with a 9.850 while senior Lindsay Borkan (Long Grove, Ill.) and sophomore Casey Rohrbaugh (Spring Grove, Pa.) both tied for 10th with a 9.800, a season-best mark for Borkan. Brockway came in 15th with a 9.775 and freshman Melissa Klein (Oceanside, N.Y.) recorded a 9.675 and Hover notched a 9.450. Illinois' Julie Crall claimed the overall title with a 9.900.
On floor in the fifth rotation after a bye in the fourth, Personett and Michigan's Botterman each scored a 9.900 for the title. It is Personett's ninth individual floor title this season and her 10th score of 9.900 or better on floor. Rohrbaugh recorded a 9.775 to tie for 15th and Smith and Klein each produced a 9.725 to tie for 22nd. Freshman Heather McElwee (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) and senior Aslynn Satterfield (Boalsburg, Pa.), a Second Team All-Big Ten performer, rounded out the Lion gymnasts with scores of 9.700 and 9.600, respectively.
Penn State concluded the meet on vault in the seventh rotation, with Personett nailing a 9.950 as the Lions' final competitor to clinch the individual all-around title as well as defend her Big Ten vault title from last year. Both Smith and Brockway tallied a 9.750 to tie for 19th while Hover and Satterfield each notched a 9.725 and Rohrbaugh posted a 9.375.
Penn State and Rec Hall will host one of the six NCAA Regional Championships on Saturday, April 12 beginning at 6:00 p.m. Pairings for Regionals will be announced on Monday, March 31. Tickets for the event are available at the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office and will be on sale at the door the day of the event.
For more information on the Penn State women's gymnastics team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.