March 2, 2015
By Gabby Richards, GoPSUsports Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Saturday's senior night was bittersweet for coaches Jeff and Rachelle Thompson - the four seniors honored were the first gymnasts they recruited as coaches for Penn State.
Seniors Krystal Welsh, Sidney Sanabria-Robles, Alex Witt, and Lexi Carroll contributed to Penn State's quad meet win on Saturday, finishing ahead of Iowa State, Penn and SUNY Brockport, capping off their undefeated home slate this season.
These seniors are special, as they, along with the coaching staff, have again put Penn State on the map as one of the top women's collegiate gymnastics programs. Aside from their contributions to the sport, these girls have created a familial environment for the program; the trust they have in one another has made them as successful as they are today.
"From day one, these girls have been developing this trust for one another," head coach Jeff Thompson said. "We have this saying, `grab the rope.' When one of your teammates is having a bad day or doesn't perform as well on a routine, it is their job to support one another. If everyone is `holding on' and supporting one another, being successful and doing what we do at practice in meets becomes that much easier."
It was no surprise to fans watching on Saturday that the seniors performed as well as they did. Welsh clinched the all-around title, finishing with a season best score of 39.400. She tied for first on vault with a score of 9.925 and earned a winning score of 9.875 on floor.
Sanabria-Robles trailed Welsh for the all-around crown with a score of 39.300. After a miss-step on uneven bars, the senior bounced back in a big way, scoring a 9.900 on vault, 9.850 on floor, and winning the balance beam crown with a score of 9.900.
"We worked really hard on details this week," Sanabria-Robles said. "We wanted to do what we do in the gym in the meet, and we did that in three out of four events today. Once we put it all together, we will be good to go."
Witt has been a consistent competitor for Penn State on uneven bars all season, after coming back from a thumb injury, which left her worried she wouldn't compete. Witt placed second on bars with a score of 9.800. Carroll was not in the starting rotation, but she competed in an exhibition routine on floor, earning a 9.775, capping off her career as the last performer of the day.
The Nittany Lions finished with an overall team score of 196.650, just shy of their meet goal of 197.
"You always want to score the 197," Witt said. "We keep adding more little details and sticks, hoping to get to the 197 that we need. We are consistent and we know we are hitting every routine because we trust each other and work off of each other. Every time we compete, the little things help bring us to the next level."
Since the beginning of the season, these gymnasts have been working tirelessly to see out their goal: win every meet. After Saturday's performance, they have won all but two matchups this season, both of which were on the road.
"We want to win the Big Ten tournament," Sanabria-Robles said. "That has been a dream of ours forever, since we started our journey here. We want to make it to nationals, just do what we know we can do. If we do that, we can make it into the Super Six and that is definitely the ultimate dream for us."
"At the rate we are going, we are on the right path," Witt added.
There is a sign outside of the Penn State women's gymnastics facility, which reads, "little eyes are watching." So many young gymnasts attend home meets at Rec Hall, watching these gymnasts every move. They have been conditioned to be stellar student athletes, but often times in a sport like gymnastics, which is just as mentally challenging as it is physical, you can get caught up in sticking a landing or earning a certain score. These gymnasts never lose sight of that; they know they are not only champions for the sport, but role models for those aspiring to be just like them.
"I got really emotional making their senior video," Thompson said. "This was a great way for these girls to end their career in Rec Hall. These girls don't let little things bother them. When they have mistakes they put them behind them quickly. These girls are special; for them to go undefeated at home in their senior season is special."