Dec. 8, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In the first Big Ten preseason gymnastics poll, league coaches voted the Penn State women's gymnastics team as their favorite to win the Big Ten Championship in 2010. Two members of the Nittany Lion squad were also chosen to a 14-member Gymnasts to Watch list.
Illinois was picked to finish second in the Big Ten behind Penn State. The Illini finished second behind Michigan at the 2009 Big Ten Championship. The Wolverines were voted to finish third in the league this season. Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota and Iowa round out the inaugural poll.
Penn State finished third at the 2009 Big Ten Championships at Illinois with a score of 196.525. From there, PSU made its first team appearance at the NCAA Championship since 2005. The Nittany Lions finished fifth at the NCAA prelims with its highest score (196.100) at the NCAAs under head coach Steve Shephard. It was the best team finish since 2000 when the squad placed seventh.
Senior Brandi Personett (Katy, Texas), who was named Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and went on to earn NACGC/W First Team All-America status floor, was one of two Nittany Lions selected to the Gymnasts to Watch list. Joining Personett is sophomore Whitney Benckso (Pompton Plains, N.J.), who was an NACGC/W First Team All-American on vault and earned second team status in the all-around last season. Joining the pair are junior Allison Buckley and Melissa Fernandez from Illinois, Iowa sophomore Jessa Hansen and junior Rebecca Simbhudas, freshman Natalie Beilstein and junior Kylee Botterman from Michigan, Michigan State senior Nicole Curler and junior Kelsey Morley, junior Kristin Furukawa and senior Alexis Russell of Minnesota and Ohio State junior Rebecca Best and senior Hillary Dow.
The Nittany Lions open the 2010 season at Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 8. Penn State will also face West Virginia and Western Michigan at the meet. PSU's home opener is on Saturday, Jan. 23 against Cornell, Iowa and Yale at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall.
Complete Poll
1. Penn State
2. Illinois
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Michigan State
6. Minnesota
7. Iowa
2010 Preseason Big Ten Women's Gymnasts to Watch
Allison Buckley, Jr., Illinois
Melissa Fernandez, Jr., Illinois
Jessa Hansen, So., Iowa
Rebecca Simbhudas, Jr., Iowa
Natalie Beilstein, Fr., Michigan
Kylee Botterman, Jr., Michigan
Nicole Curler, Sr., Michigan State
Kelsey Morley, Jr., Michigan State
Kristin Furukawa, Jr., Minnesota
Alexis Russell, Sr., Minnesota
Rebecca Best, Jr., Ohio State
Hillary Dow, Sr., Ohio State
Whitney Bencsko, So., Penn State
Brandi Personett, Sr., Penn State