Jan. 17, 2015
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| 196.025 | 197.125 |
| Devaney Center | Lincoln, Neb. | |
| <!a href="http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/psu/sports/w-gym/auto_pdf/2014-15/box_score/stats_20150111aaa.pdf" target="_blank">Results (PDF) |
| <!a href="http://www.gopsusports.com/view.gal?id=166782" target="_blank">Photo Gallery (PSU) |
| <!a href="https://gopsusports.com/" target="_blank">VIDEO: Postmeet Interviews --> |
| MEET RESULTS | ||||
| PSU | UNL | |||
| Team | 196.025 | 197.125 | ||
| V | 49.275 | 49.750 | ||
| UB | 49.025 | 48.875 | ||
| BB | 48.975 | 49.250 | ||
| FX | 48.750 | 49.250 | ||
| EVENT WINNERS | |
| Gymnast, School - Score | |
| AA | Hollie Blanske, UNL - 39.500 |
| V | Ashley Lambert, UNL - 10.000 |
| UB | Four Gymnasts Tied - 9.850 |
| BB | Grace Williams, UNL - 9.925 |
| FX | Hollie Blanske, UNL - 9.925 |
LINCOLN, Neb. - Season-best scores on three of four events were not enough to overcome the second highest score in the NCAA on Saturday afternoon, as the No. 15 Penn State women's gymnastics team dropped a 197.125-196.025 decision to No. 8 Nebraska inside the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb.
The Nittany Lions eclipsed their scores from the season opener last weekend on three of four apparatus and had a pair of gymnasts tie for event titles vs. the Huskers. A 49.275 on the vault led the way, while they also eclipsed the 49.000 barrier on the uneven bars at 49.025. Their total of 48.975 on the balance beam was also a high score for 2015.
"I'm really proud of the way our team competed today," said head coach Jeff Thompson. "To score 196.025 in our first road meet against a quality opponent is a big accomplishment. We got off to a great start on the uneven bars and vault, and were not as sharp on floor exercise as we could have been. After a fall started us on balance beam, we did a great job recovering and hitting the next five routines.
"Although we didn't get the win, it was an outstanding performance by each of our competitors. We got to see Tina [Postiglione] exhibition on a couple of events and we got to rest a few of our student-athletes. To compete against a Super Six team from last season in their home arena and have it come down to the last routine was what we wanted to see out of our team."
Senior Sidney Sanabria-Robles (Caguas, Puerto Rico) and freshman Briannah Tsang (Vancouver, British Columbia) tied with Nebraska's Ashley Lambert and Hollie Blanske for the individual title on the uneven bars. All four competitors logged scores of 9.850 on the event.
A second place showing for Sanabria-Robles in the all-around highlighted the competition for Penn State, as she tied her career-high with a 39.450 total. She equaled her all-around total from last season vs. Illinois on Feb. 15. She totaled scores of 9.825 or better on all four events, including a 9.900 on the vault, which also tied a personal best.
Tsang posted a personal-best all-around score for the second straight meet to open her career and notched a pair of 9.900's or higher. She grabbed a third place finish in the all-around, behind event winner Blanske (39.500) and Sanabria-Robles. Her 9.950 on the vault is tied for the ninth best total in Penn State history and a 9.900 on the balance beam gives her the team-high total in each event. She placed second overall on the vault and third on the beam. She also set a personal-best mark on the uneven bars at 9.850.
Penn State began the meet on the uneven bars and swung its way to a season-best score of 49.025. Tsang and Sanabria-Robles each tied for the event title with a 9.850 showing, with seniors Alex Witt (Odessa, Fla.) and Krystal Welsh (Bowie, Md.) scoring 9.800 and 9.775, respectively, to give Penn State four of the top seven performers on the event. Nebraska used a perfect 10.000 from Ashley Lambert and four other scores of 9.900 on the vault to jump out to the early 49.750-49.025 lead after one rotation.
The Nittany Lions moved to the vault for the second rotation and cut into the Huskers lead. They notched a season-best tally of 49.275, while watching their opponent score 48.875 on the uneven bars. Tsang posted the top score for the Blue and White at 9.950, tying for the ninth best score in program history. Sanabria-Robles tied her career-best with a 9.900 on the event, while freshman Lauren Li (Plano, Texas) led off the event with a tally of 9.875 for the second straight meet.
The third rotation sent Penn State to the floor exercise and Nebraska to the balance beam, but a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes on the floor led to a score of 48.750. The Huskers logged a 49.250 on the balance beam to rebuild their lead to nearly one point, 147.875-147.050. Sophomore Emma Sibson (Allen, Texas) led the way for the Lions with a 9.900 on the even to finish second on the event and tie her career-best, which she set last season at the Big Ten Championships.
Penn State closed out the competition on the balance beam at 48.975, narrowly missing their third 49.00 or better tally of the afternoon, but Nebraska scored 49.250 on the floor exercise to come away with the 197.125-196.025 victory. Tsang paced the squad with a career-best 9.900 on the beam to finish second overall. Sanabria-Robles and Welsh each logged scores of 9.850, with the total equaling Welsh's career-best.
The Nittany Lions return home to face Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. That meet will be the only double-dual meet of the season for Penn State, with the men's program facing preseason No. 2 Michigan.
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