April 15, 2009
Live video stream for Thursday's NCAA Championship Session I
Live Scoring for Thursday's NCAA Championship Session I
Lincoln, Neb. - On Wednesday, April 15, the Penn State women's gymnastics team took to the floor of the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., for a practice and press conference session to open up the 2009 NCAA Gymnastics Championships.
Click here for a Wednesday Practice and Press Conference Photo Gallery
"We'd like to thank the University of Nebraska for all the work they've put into hosting this championship," said head coach Steve Shephard. "We look to peak at this meet."
Junior Brandi Personett joined Shephard at the NCAA Championships press conference and talked about having her team with her at the Championships after qualifying as an individual all-arounder for the past two seasons and competing by herself.
"It is a totally different experience," said Personett with a smile. "When you come by yourself, it doesn't feel like nationals. When you're here with the team, you have everyone with you and it really makes you feel like you are competing for the team, the school and the alumni."
Penn State competes in the first of two preliminary sessions on Thursday, April 16 at 1:00 p.m. CT (2:00 p.m. ET). The Nittany Lions open the meet with a bye before moving to bars and then beam. After another bye, Penn State competes on floor and vault to close out the meet. A live video stream will be available at the above link.
The 12th-seeded Nittany Lions join Georgia, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma and Stanford in Session I of the NCAA Team Preliminaries. Session II features UCLA, Alabama, Arkansas, Oregon State, Illinois and Utah. The top three teams in each session competes for the NCAA National Championship in the Super Six on Friday, April 17 at 6:00 p.m. CT (7:00 p.m. ET). The NCAA Individual Event Finals are slated for Saturday, April 18 at 6:00 p.m. CT (7:00 p.m. ET).