March 18, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; March 18, 2014 - After helping the No. 14 Penn State women's gymnastics program to the first 20-win regular season in school history, senior Kassidy Stauder (Palmerton, Pa.) was named to the All-Big Ten First Team, while juniors Sidney Sanabria-Robles (Caguas, Puerto Rico) and Krystal Welsh (Bowie, Md.) each earned All-Big Ten Second Team accolades from the conference office on Tuesday.
"Earning All-Big Ten honors is a thrilling tribute and much deserved honor for how hard Kassidy, Krystal and Sidney have worked all season," said head coach Jeff Thompson. "Having all three gymnasts compete in nearly every event at all 11 meets this season has been huge for our program. It is a deserving recognition for each of them and rewards the amount of hard work they have put in during the season."
Stauder has enjoyed her finest season in the blue and white. She set new personal best scores on all four apparatus and in the all-around, winning three all-around titles and 13 individual event titles during the regular season.
She currently leads the Big Ten and ranks 12th nationally on the balance beam with a 9.895 Regional Qualifying Score on the event and is ranked 31st nationally and is tied for third in the conference with a 9.875 RQS on the uneven bars. Her all-around RQS of 39.350 is fifth in the Big Ten and 17th nationally entering the postseason.
"Kassidy has been the model of consistency for our program this season," said Thompson. "She has competed in 42 of the 44 rotations for us this season and has hit all 42 of her routines. Her dedication to training has really paid off this season and she is very deserving of this honor. It is a testament to how well she has competed for our team all season."
The senior currently leads the team on the balance beam, uneven bars and in the all-around, while sitting tied for fourth on the team on the floor exercise and owning the team's fifth best performance on the vault. Stauder scored a career-best 39.475 in the all-around at New Hampshire on March 8 and logged a career-best 9.8750 on the vault and 9.925 on the uneven bars in a quad meet with Bridgeport, Western Michigan and Yale on Feb. 28. Her 9.950 mark on the balance beam came on March 8 in Durham, N.C. and a career-best 9.875 on the floor exercise came in a victory over Illinois on Feb. 15.
Junior Sidney Sanabria-Robles |
She owns five scores of 9.900 or better in 2014 and has moved her name into the Penn State record books with a 9.950 score on the balance beam in a quad meet at New Hampshire with Bridgeport and George Washington. That mark is tied for 10th on the Penn State charts. She has recorded a 9.925 and 9.000 on the event this season, as well.
Sanabria-Robles has also enjoyed her finest season as a collegiate gymnast in 2014. The junior has competed in all 11 meets this season, has made a touch during all 44 routines and posted career-best scores in all four events and in the all-around.
She currently ranks second on the team on the vault and the balance beam, while sitting tied for fourth on the uneven bars and tied for sixth on the floor exercise. Her total of 39.425 in the all-around is the team's second highest score of the season and a career-high effort. She notched a career-best 9.900 on the vault twice this season, last at New Hampshire on March 8, and equaled a career effort of 9.875 on the balance beam twice, as well, including last weekend at Michigan.
"At one point, Sidney was told her gymnastics career was over and this season she competed in the all-around in all 11 meets and has now been honored as an All-Big Ten performer," said Thompson. "This is a tremendous honor and a deserving reward for all of her hard work in the gym and recognizes her undying passion for the sport."
Her career-best effort of 9.850 on both the uneven bars and floor exercise has been equaled twice this season. She accomplished them both in meets with Illinois on Feb. 15 and in a home quad meet vs. Cornell, Southeast Missouri and UIC on Jan 19.
Junior Krystal Welsh |
Rounding out the honorees for the Nittany Lions was Welsh, who has also bolstered the Nittany Lions all-around rotation in 2014. The junior has competed in the all-around in all 11 meets to make touches on in all 44 routines for the Blue and White this season.
Welsh boasts new career-high scores in three of the four events and in the all-around this season, ranking third on the team with a RQS of 39.235 in the all-around. She is tied atop the Lions floor exercise charts, is tied for second on the squad on the uneven bars and is tied for third on the vault.
"We are excited to see Krystal receive this honor," said Thompson. "She has truly made her mark in the Big Ten and has contributed largely for our program this season. She returned from an injury and has been a steady performer in the all-around for our team in every meet this season. This is an incredible honor for her."
Welsh scored 39.325 in the all-around at the Rutgers quad meet on Feb. 22 to set a new career-high and has topped the 39.200 mark five times this season. Her 9.875 on the vault has tied her career-high three times this season, last at New Hampshire on March 8, and a 9.875 on the uneven bars last weekend at Michigan set a new career-best mark. Her 9.925 in the home opener with Cornell, Southeast Missouri and UIC on Jan. 18 is her best effort in three seasons.
The complete All-Big Ten honorees are listed below.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
Sunny Kato, Illinois
Amber See, Illinois
Natalie Beilstein, Michigan
Joanna Sampson, Michigan
Austin Sheppard, Michigan
Alina Cartwright, Michigan State
Lindsay Mable, Minnesota
Jessie DeZiel, Nebraska
Emily Wong, Nebraska
Sarah Miller, Ohio State
Melanie Shaffer, Ohio State
Kassidy Stauder, Penn State
SECOND-TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
Erin Buchanan, Illinois
Giana O'Connor, Illinois
Sydney Hoerr, Iowa
Nicole Artz, Michigan
Shelby Gies, Michigan
Madie Hanley, Minnesota
Hanna Nordquist, Minnesota
Kylie Schermann, Minnesota
Cierra Tomson, Minnesota
Hollie Blanske, Nebraska
Victoria Aepli, Ohio State
Sidney Sanabria-Robles, Penn State
Krystal Welsh, Penn State
Penn State will begin the postseason on their home floor, hosting the 2014 Big Ten Women's Gymnastics Championships on March 22. The Nittany Lions will join Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska in the 5 p.m. session of the championships, while Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State will all compete at Noon inside Rec Hall. Both sessions will be aired live on the Big Ten Network.
The Nittany Lions will then host the 2014 NCAA Regional Championships on April 5 inside historic Rec Hall, looking to earn a trip to the 2014 NCAA Championships in Birmingham, Ala.
For information on purchasing tickets for the 2014 Big Ten or NCAA Regional Championship fans can visit http://www.gopsusports.com/tickets/w-gym-tickets.html or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Follow Penn State women's gymnastics on Facebook by clicking here or on Twitter by clicking here. Stay up to date with any of our 31 varsity programs on all of your favorite social media platforms by clicking here.
-NITTANY LIONS-
For information on purchasing tickets for the 2014 Big Ten or NCAA Regional Championship fans can visit http://www.gopsusports.com/tickets/w-gym-tickets.html or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Follow Penn State women's gymnastics on Facebook by clicking here or on Twitter by clicking here. Stay up to date with any of our 31 varsity programs on all of your favorite social media platforms by clicking here.