Jan. 10, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State sophomore Scott Rosenthal (Clearfield, Pa.) has been honored as Big Ten Gymnast of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday. He was recognized with the award for the first time in his career for his standout performance in the No. 7 Nittany Lions' 343.300-319.100 victory over No. 15 Army last weekend.
Rosenthal highlighted Penn State's 10th consecutive season opening win over Army, capturing first place in the still rings with a career-high score of 15.400. His mark also bested the Nittany Lions' top score of a year ago and, based on last season's national results, would have ranked among the top five in the NCAA. For his effort against the Black Knights, Rosenthal received the Gene Wettstone Award.
As a freshman in 2010, the former walk-on and local central Pennsylvania product competed in seven meets and at the Big Ten Championships, posting six top three finishes in the still rings, including two title wins. He also recorded the team's third highest score of the season on the rings, a 15.100, en route to finishing 2010 as the nation's No. 9-ranked still rings competitor.
Penn State is back in action this weekend at the 2011 West Point Open. Hosted by the United States Military Academy on Fri.-Sat., Jan. 14-15, the Nittany Lions have dominated the annual competition over the last decade-plus, winning 12 consecutive team titles. In 2010, Penn State posted a score of 349.850 to top the West Point Open field while five Nittany Lions captured individual event titles.
The team competition is scheduled for Friday with the individual event finals to be held on Saturday. Both sessions are set for 7 p.m. at the home of the Army Black Knights, Christl Arena.