Nov. 3, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's gymnastics team closed out its week of Halloween fun volunteering at a party with the Pennsylvania Special Olympics. It was the second straight year the Nittany Lions participated in the party.
"It's a great opportunity for our ladies to be involved with the Special Olympics program here in Centre County," said associate head coach Rachelle Thompson. "It's one of the community service projects that our team looks forward to each year. The team girls love getting dressed up and being involved in such an amazing organization. They have opened their arms and embraced our team and we are just so fortunate to spend time with them in any capacity we can. We are looking forward to our next event with the SOPA at the Nov 20 Bowl-A-Thon here in State College."
The Halloween party is an annual event for the Special Olympics athletes. Everyone dresses up in costume and it is a day filled with arts and crafts, activities, dancing, singing, cooking decorating and candy. The Penn State women's gymnastics team spent the day mingling with the athletes, participating in the various activities and volunteering their time to make a difference.
"It is a remarkable experience being able to make an impact in the lives of the athletes of the Special Olympics," said senior Natalie Ettl. "It is a great feeling knowing that they look up to us as athletes and that we are able to make an impression in their lives. I thank the Special Olympics organization for allowing us to be a part of their Halloween experience."
Junior Sharaya Musser agreed.
"Our day with the Special Olympics was a lot of fun," said Musser. "It was awesome seeing all the familiar faces from last year and getting to know the new ones. We played games, ate goodies and did some arts and crafts. They are truly some of the sweetest people and such a joy to be around. I look forward to seeing them and participating in more fun activities with all of them in the future."
The Penn State women's gymnastics team hosts four meets in Rec Hall in 2012. The Nittany Lions open the 2012 slate in a tri-meet at West Virginia with Maryland on Jan. 8, before traveling to New Hampshire on Jan. 14. The Lions welcome Michigan State, Cornell and Alabama to Rec Hall on Jan. 21 for their home opener.
Head coach Jeff Thompson and associate head coach Rachelle Thompson welcome back 10 letterwinners from the 2011 season, including first team All-Big Ten honorees Sharaya Musser (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Natalie Ettl (Waukesha, Wis.) and second team All-Big Ten selection Madison Merriam (Gaithersburg, Md.). The Nittany Lions welcome the addition of three newcomers, including freshmen Lexi Carroll (Olney, Md.), Krystal Welsh (Bowie, Md.) and Alex Witt (Odessa, Fla.)