March 16, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State senior all-arounder Casey Sandy (Brampton, Ont.) has been honored as Big Ten Gymnast of the Week for a record-tying fifth time this season, the league office announced on Monday. The seven-time All-American was selected for his standout performances in the No. 8 Nittany Lions' narrow loss to No. 3 Cal on Saturday at Rec Hall.
Sandy's fifth conference accolade in one season breaks a personal record he established in 2008 and ties the conference mark owned by Illinois' Justin Spring, which he set in 2004. He also extended his league record for the most Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors in a career with his 11th.
Going head-to-head against two of the nation's top all-arounders in Cal's Glen Ishino and Kyson Bunthuwong, Penn State senior Casey Sandy shined in his final performance at Rec Hall, winning the all-around with a season high score of 90.300 and helping the Nittany Lions post a season best team score of 353.800. The 2008 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year dominated the pommel horse, placing first in the event with a career-high score of 15.650, a mark .6 of a point higher than the second place finisher.
Sandy, the reigning Big Ten and NCAA All-Around champion, also placed second in the vault (15.800), third in the parallel bars (tie, 14.500), fourth in the floor exercise (15.100) and rings (14.750), and seventh in the high bar (tie, 14.500). For his efforts, Sandy was honored with the Gene Wettstone Award, an honor bestowed upon the most outstanding gymnast at each home meet.
A leading candidate for the 2009 Nissen-Emery Award, Sandy has fashioned one of the greatest careers in the storied history of Penn State men's gymnastics. In 41 career meets, he has earned a remarkable 141 top three finishes and claimed 82 title wins.
Sandy and the Nittany Lions will wrap up the 2009 regular season with another opportunity to measure themselves against one of the top teams in the nation when they face defending national champion and No. 2-ranked Oklahoma on Sat., March 21 in Norman, Okla. The dual is scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET start at the Sooners' Howard McCasland Fieldhouse. A year ago, Oklahoma escaped Happy Valley with a narrow 357.850-356.650 win. Casey Sandy led Penn State with wins in the pommel horse, vault, high bar, and all-around. The Lions hold a 2-11 record in all-time meetings with the Sooners.