Jan. 24, 2009
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University Park, Pa. - Behind four event titles and the all-around crown from junior Brandi Personett (Katy, Texas), the 22nd-ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team defeated Michigan State, 195.875-194.175, Saturday night at Rec Hall in front of 1,714 fans.
As a team, Penn State posted scores of 49.225 on vault, 48.950 on bars, 48.800 on beam and 48.900 on floor, while Michigan State recorded scores of 48.800 on vault, 48.250 on bars, 48.575 on beam and 48.550 on floor.
Personett was named the Ann Carr Award winner for her inspirational efforts, which included the all-around title with a career-high 39.575, the seventh-highest individual all-around score in Penn State history. Freshman Whitney Bencsko (Pompton Plains, N.J.) finished second in the all-around with a 38.575 while Michigan State's Nicole Curler and Emily Lopatofsky finished third and fourth, respectively, with scores of 38.250 and 37.950.
Penn State opened the meet on vault, with Personett and Bencsko producing matching scores of 9.925 to tie for first. The mark is a season-high for Personett and a personal-best for Bencsko. Juniors Casey Rohrbaugh (Spring Grove, Pa.) and Rosie Smith (Waterford, Pa.) each posted a 9.800 to tie for fourth while junior Alexandra Brockway (Macungie, Pa.) tallied a 9.775 to place seventh and junior Allie Southard (Nanuet, N.Y.) notched a 9.725 to place ninth.
On the uneven bars, Personett captured the title with a career-high-tying 9.875 as freshman Alex Stine (Philipsburg, Pa.), competing in her first collegiate meet, placed second with a 9.825, tying her with teammates Smith and Brockway. Sophomore Danielle Hover (Hamburg, N.Y.) recorded a 9.600 for ninth in her first competition on bars this season while Bencsko posted a 9.125.
Personett claimed the balance beam crown with a season-high 9.850 as Rohrbaugh tied for second with a season-best 9.800. Sophomore Heather McElwee (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) scored a fifth-place 9.775 in her first competition of the year as Bencsko placed seventh with a 9.700. Brockway and sophomore Melissa Klein (Oceanside, N.Y.) tied for eighth with a 9.675 to round out the Nittany Lion competitors.
Penn State closed out the meet on floor, with Personett nabbing the title with a season-high 9.925. Smith placed second with a career-high 9.900 while Bencsko tied for third by posting a career-high 9.825. Rohrbaugh finished fifth with a season-high 9.800 as freshman Daryl Konsevick (Rutherford, N.J.) tallied a 9.450 in her first collegiate competition and McElwee notched a 9.100.
The Nittany Lions travel to Nebraska on Friday, Jan. 30 before returning home to host the first of two quad meets. Penn State will welcome William & Mary, Cornell and Penn on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Rec Hall.
For more information on the Penn State women's gymnastics team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.