Jan. 8, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The 11th-ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team opened the 2010 season finishing second to No. 24 Michigan State in a quad meet with No. 21 West Virginia and Western Michigan. MSU led the way with a team score of 193.925, Penn State finished second at 193.900, West Virginia took third with a score of 191.225 and Western Michigan posted a 189.525.
As a team, the Nittany Lions recorded a 48.900 on vault, a 48.550 on the uneven bars, a 47.950 on beam and a 48.500 on floor. Michigan State scored 48.875 on vault, 47.950 on bars, 47.950 on beam and a 49.050 on floor to win the meet.
Senior Brandi Personett (Katy, Texas) opened her final season claiming the all-around title with a 39.225. Sophomore Whitney Bencsko (Pompton Plains, N.J.) finished seventh in the all-around with a score of 37.675.
Penn State opened the meet on bars. Senior Alexandra Brockway (Macungie, Pa.) and sophomore Natalie Ettl (Waukesha, Wis.) tied for second in the event to lead the Lions. Brockway, Ettl and Michigan State's Rochelle Robinson posted a score of 9.800. Freshman Sharaya Musser (Colorado Springs, Colo.) finished sixth on bars with a 9.700, Bencsko registered a 9.675 to tie for seventh and Personett rounded out the top performers for PSU in 11th with a 9.575. WVU's Naja Johnson won the event with a 9.850.
Personett and freshman Daryl Konsevick (Rutherford, N.J.) were Penn State's leaders on beam. Personett won the event with a 9.850 and Konsevick, competing in the event for the first time in her Nittany Lion career, finished third with a 9.675. Senior Casey Rohrbaugh (Spring Grove, Pa.) and Musser tied for sixth with a 9.600 and senior Allie Southard (Nanuet, N.Y.) posted a 9.225 to place 16th.
The Nittany Lions moved on to floor in the third rotation. Personett won the event with a 9.900 and Konsevick recorded a career-high 9.875 to tie with MSU's Nicole Curler for second. Freshman Madison Merriam (Gaithersburg, Md.) made her career debut in the event and finished tied for fourth with a 9.825. Southard tied for 14th scoring a 9.725 and Bencsko posted a 9.175 tying for 21st.
Penn State closed out the meet on vault with Personett leading the Nittany Lions with a 9.900. Musser and Bencsko tied for second in the event with MSU's Robinson recording a score of 9.825. Rohrbaugh finished tied for ninth with a 9.700 and senior Rosie Smith (Waterford, Pa.) tied for 12th with a 9.650.
The Nittany Lions travel to Denver on Saturday, Jan. 16 for a meet with No. 17 Denver. Action is set for 6 p.m. MT. Penn State hosts its first meet of the season on Saturday, Jan. 23. The Nittany Lions welcome Cornell, Iowa and Yale to Rec Hall with the meet beginning at 7 p.m.