June 25, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The NCAA has announced the sites of the 2010 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Regionals. Penn State has been chosen to host the Northeast Regional of the 29th Annual National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships on April 10, 2010.
"I am very excited and proud to help Penn State University host the NCAA Northeast Regional Gymnastics Championship," head coach Steve Shephard said. "We look forward to ensuring that this event meets and exceeds the expectations of all the fans and participants."
The Nittany Lions last hosted the NCAA Regional in 2008. The women finished third in team competition with a score of 195.700. Current senior Brandi Personett advanced to the NCAA Championship as an individual all-arounder. Personett went on to place fifth in the nation on the balance beam.
Last season for the first time since 2005, the women's gymnastics team advanced to the NCAA National Championships after finishing second at the NCAA Southeast Regional. The women finished fifth in the prelims with its highest score (196.100) at NCAAs under coach Shephard since he began his Penn State career in 1993. It was also the best team finish since 2000 when the squad placed seventh.
Shephard had three gymnasts advance to the NCAA Championship Individual Event Finals, including Personett, Whitney Bencsko and Alexandra Brockway.
The Nittany Lion women's gymnastics team heads into the 2010 season returning all 14 members from the 2008-09 squad.
--NITTANY LIONS--