Jan. 26, 2015
By Gabrielle Richards, GoPSUsports Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - From the solid landings to the explosive execution, the Nittany Lion women's gymnastics freshman class delivered a stellar performance in Saturday's performance against Big Ten newcomer, Maryland. In the 196.55-194.45 win over the Terrapins, freshmen Briannah Tsang, Oni Timothy and Lauren Li put up big numbers in their respective events, shattering personal best records and setting new team records in the process.
"That was beautiful, wasn't it?" head coach Jeff Thompson said. "We have been waiting years for this class to finally get here. They are starting to figure it out."
So far this season, these gymnasts have been explosive, electric and surprising, constantly proving their worth and solidifying their spots in the Nittany Lions' rotations.
Li Delivers on Vault
The Plano, Texas, native was a solid opener for Penn State on vault; she opened the meet with a 9.875. It is never easy for anyone to open a meet or an event, but that pressure is even more daunting for a rookie. Li rose to the occasion and delivered an impressive performance. Not only did the freshman win the event and set a personal best, she set a new team record.
Li delivered on floor as well, tying three other Nittany Lions for fourth with a 9.80 finish, tying her personal best. The freshman led the team with the opening performance on beam, but came up just shy in her bid to stick a landing.
"Beam is one of the hardest events," Thompson said. "It is just as much mental as it is physical. Unfortunately, Lauren [Li] hasn't been able to do what we see her do in practice in the meets. She is solid on beam, but when she is out in front of the crowd she focuses more on not falling than performing. I talked to her right after she finished the routine and I asked her, `Why do you thing we have you first?' We have more confidence in her than anyone else."
Timothy Shines On Floor
With every press off the mat and ever leap into the air, Timothy is explosive. There is so much power in her performance that you expect her to stick every landing. The New York native switched up her vault routine, landing an impressive turn for a rookie, earning her a 9.80, a personal best.
"We upgraded her vault this week," Thompson said. "She went from a full to a one and a half. She has been able to perform this fault before, but she has struggled with consistency. Today she nailed it and I think people saw just how confident Oni [Timothy] could be today. She was the second vault of the meet and she was able to stick such an impressive turn; I don't think the judges knew how to react to it."
Her floor routine was impressive, too. She stuck a double layout in her first pass of the routine, followed by two other combinations that were just as impressive, finishing with a personal best and fourth overall, while matching the team record.
"She did a really nice job on floor," Thompson said. "She even made a flub in her second pass but you wouldn't know it because of her confidence."
Tsang Is Pure Magic
There really are no words to describe this young gymnast. Her performance is effortless and truly beautiful. Tsang has been a firecracker in the all-around competition, shattering personal bests and team records with every tumble and leap.
Saturday's performance was special. Not only did she win the all-around title, she won floor and beam with near perfect scores. Tsang opened her floor routine with a complex pass combination that involved so many rotations you weren't sure how she could stay in the air that long. She finished with a 9.875, setting a team-high and new personal best.
"When you put her [Tsang] in the lineup on events that she is comfortable with, it is as easy and effortless as flicking a switch," Thompson said.
Her beam routine was one for the record books, too. Finishing with a stellar 9.950, the freshman set a new team high and personal best. Her all-around performance contributed to her 39.500 finish on the day, clinching the all-around title.
"Briannah [Tsang] is a different kind of gymnast," Thompson said. "She isn't your typical freshman. Before coming to us, she competed internationally for her country [Canada] and she has a gold medal from the World Cup. Gymnastics is something that comes to her. I don't know if there is anyone else in college who has a gold medal from the World Cup. It is truly magical to watch."