Dec. 2, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's gymnastics team debuts in the 2010 GymInfo Preseason Coaches Poll ranked No. 14. The Nittany Lions are one of four Big Ten teams to earn a spot in the top 25, while three others are receiving votes.
"We are excited about earning a spot in the top 15 to start the season," said head coach Jeff Thompson. "We start the season facing a number of top-ranked teams, which will show us how good we really are by the time February rolls around. We feel this is a good starting point for the season and we only hope to build from there."
"I'm excited we are in the top 15 and think we are better than our ranking suggests," said senior Heather McElwee (Ponte Vedra, Fla.). "We are a lot further along than where we have been in the past. I am looking forward to seeing how we continue to grow and develop as a team. I feel we are all anxious to exceed expectations."
Other Big Ten teams in the top 25 include, No. 9 Michigan, No. 17 Illinois and No. 23 Minnesota. Michigan State, Ohio State and Iowa all received votes in the preseason poll.
The Penn State women's gymnastics team, who finished the 2010 season ranked 14th in the country, hosts four home meets in Rec Hall in 2011, including two double-duals with the Nittany Lion men's team. The Nittany Lions open 2011 facing one of the top teams in the nation with a meet at Alabama on Jan. 7. From there the team travels to Michigan on Jan. 14 for a tri-meet with Illinois before returning to Happy Valley for its home opener against New Hampshire in a double-dual with the Nittany Lion men.