Feb. 18, 2016
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Starting Saturday, the Penn State women's gymnastics team will compete in three meets over a six-day span. The Nittany Lions welcome No. 4 Alabama, No. 13 Denver and Cornell for a quad meet on Saturday at 4 p.m. inside Rec Hall.
After the Nittany Lions host the quad meet, Penn State travels to Maryland for a Monday night showdown inside the XFINITY Center at 7 p.m. Originally scheduled for Jan. 24, the meet between the two Big Ten programs was postponed due to winter storm Jonas. Penn State then heads to Philadelphia for the Pink Invitational on Feb. 26.
The Nittany Lions enter the weekend meet on a two-meet winning streak as they defeated then-No. 23 Ohio State, 195.925-195.675, last weekend in Columbus, Ohio.
No. 4 Alabama is coming off a 197.375-195.250 win over then-No. 24 West Virginia at home on Valentine's Day.
Last Friday, No. 13 Denver finished second at the Perfect 10 Challenge behind No. 1 Oklahoma. The Sooners won the meet tallying a 197.675 followed by then-No. 12 Denver (196.000), No. 17 George Washington (195.750) and Utah State (195.100).
Cornell enters the meet after finishing second at the Big Red Goes Pink Invitational. Air Force took home the team title with a 191.525, while Cornell hit a 191.225. Also at the meet, Brockport State finished third (187.625) and Ithaca College rounded out the field (185.900).
Prior to the Penn State meet, Maryland hosts No. 11 Arkansas Friday night inside the XFINITY Center. Maryland most-recently suffered a 194.850-194.425 loss to Rutgers on Valentine's Day.
The quad meet is Veterans, Armed Forces & Public Safety Day. Prior to the meet, the ROTC will be in attendance for the color guard and the national anthem. Veterans, members of the armed forces, and public safety personnel can attend the meet for free with a valid veteran, military, or public safety I.D. Following the meet, the women's gymnastics team will be holding an autograph session.
Single meet tickets are available for all home meets in advance and at the door for a cost of $8 for adults and $5 for youth.
FOLLOW ALONG
Live stats and live video of the quad meet will be on GoPSUsports.com for no charge.
For the Maryland meet, live stats and live video links can be found at the top of this article. The meet will be streamed live on BTN2Go.
SERIES vs. ALABAMA
The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide hold a 29-3-0 advantage in the series against the Nittany Lions. The two squads first met on Jan. 27, 1983, inside Rec Hall. In the first-ever meeting the Crimson Tide topped the Nittany Lions, 178.350-176.300.
Alabama and Penn State met every year from 1983-2012 with the exception of 1992 and 2007.
Penn State's last win in the all-time series against Alabama was in 2009, as Penn State topped Alabama by the slimmest of margins, 196.650-196.625.
SERIES vs. CORNELL
The Nittany Lions own a 9-0-0 record against the Cornell Big Red. The two teams first met in a quad meet on March 17, 2001. The Nittany Lions topped Cornell, 196.600-185.600.
Last year, the Nittany Lions opened the 2015 season with a quad meet win over Cornell (194.675-186.725), New Hampshire (194.675-193.45) and Rutgers (194.675-191.825).
SERIES vs. DENVER
The series between Penn State and Denver is tied 3-3-0 with the first meeting taking place on March 10, 2001. In the first meeting between the two programs, the Nittany Lions topped the Pioneers, 195.375-194.650, in a quad meet in Denver.
The two teams last met on Jan. 5, 2013, with No. 20 Denver winning by a margin of 194.700-193.725.
SERIES vs. MARYLAND
The two programs will be meeting for the 17th time in the regular season, with Penn State owning a 15-1 record in those contests.
Penn State and Maryland first met on Jan. 31, 1987, with Penn State defeating Maryland, 178.400-174.600.
Last season, the Nittany Lions defeated the Terrapins, 196.550-194.450, inside Rec Hall on Jan. 24, 2015.
IMPROVING ON THE BEAM
The Nittany Lions have used the same lineup on the balance beam all season (Hosek, Garcia, Raygoza, Brown, Tsang and Medvitz). Over the first three meets of the season, Penn State improved its each score on the balance beam each meet.
On the balance beam, Penn State opened the year with a 47.950 against North Carolina State then a 48.150 against Nebraska and then a 49.025 against Illinois.
NITTANY LION DEBUTS
Six Nittany Lions made their debut on Jan. 9, 2016 against North Carolina State. Five of the seven freshmen competed along with junior transfer Kiera Brown.
In their debuts, freshman Jessica Jones won the floor exercise title with her score of 9.850 and Brown won the uneven bars with a score of 9.950. Brown's score of 9.950 tied the number three performance in school history.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The 2016 roster is comprised of 14 student-athletes, which includes seven freshmen. Eight of the 14 Nittany Lions are newcomers to the program, as Kiera Brown will be a junior this season for Penn State. Brown joins the Nittany Lions after transferring from the University of Georgia.
The 2016 Nittany Lions do not feature any seniors, but will be led by a quartet of juniors. The Nittany Lions also return Briannah Tsang, who was the 2015 Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year.
RAISING THE BAR
Over the first five meets of the season, the Nittany Lions have improved their team score with most-recently a 195.925 against No. 23 Ohio State (Feb. 13).
The Nittany Lions started the year with a 194.125 (NC State), followed that up with a 194.575 (Nebraska), posted a 195.025 (Illinois), tallied a 195.700 (Michigan State) and recorded a 195.925 against Ohio State.
AMONG THE REGIONAL LEADERS
Junior Kiera Brown ranks second in the Northeast region on the uneven bars (9.880) behind Michigan's Nicole Artz (9.882).
Also on the uneven bars, freshman Sabrina Garcia ranks fifth with her season average score of 9.835.
NITTANY LIONS ON BTN
The Penn State women's gymnastics team will be featured twice on the Big Ten Network during the 2016 season.
The women's program enters the 2016 campaign ranked 17th in the NCAA and was picked fourth in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Nittany Lions are slated to host Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Rutgers on Saturday, March 12 live on BTN starting at 1 p.m.
The 2016 Women's Big Ten Championships are hosted by the University of Nebraska inside the Devaney Center on March 19 in two sessions, starting at noon and 5 p.m. Both sessions will be live on BTN.
THE FIRST TEAM TO TWENTY
The 2014 edition of the Nittany Lions became the first group of gymnasts to crack the 20-win plateau during the regular season in school history.
With two victories at the Big Ten Quad in Ann Arbor, Mich., the team moved past the 2007 squad for the most regular season victories in school history.
The 2007 team finished the year with a 19-4 overall mark and finished third at the NCAA Regional Championships.
In 2014, Penn State finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships, but followed that up with a second place showing, behind eventual co-national champion Florida, at the NCAA Regional and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the 17th time in program history.
Top 5 Single Season Victories
20-3 2014
19-4 2007
18-5 2005
17-3 1982
16-0 1981
16-3 1991
THOMPSON CLOSING IN ON 150 WINS
Head coach Jeff Thompson is in his 17th season as a collegiate head coach and is closing in on his 150th career regular season victory. In his career, Thompson has compiled a 148-103 record.
In his sixth season at the helm of Penn State, Thompson has a record of 76-21. Add that to his 72 wins while at Auburn and the Highland Heights, Ky., native sits at 148 career wins. His overall record while at Auburn was 72-82.
In 2014, the Nittany Lions owned a 20-3 regular season record and set a school record for regular season victories on March 15 in the Big Ten Quad in Ann Arbor.
The previous school record was held by the 2007 squad, which finished 19-4 and placed third at the NCAA Regional Championships.
THOMPSON IN ELITE COMPANY
Head coach Jeff Thompson headed back to the NCAA Championships for the second time as a head coach and his first as the leader of the Nittany Lions in 2014.
Thompson's first appearance at the national meet came with Auburn in 2003 and he led the Nittany Lions back to the national summit for the first time since the program went in 2009.
He is just the third head coach in NCAA history to navigate two different programs to the NCAA Championships, joining K.J. Kindler (Iowa State & Oklahoma) and Judi Markell (Penn State and Florida).
Thompson took Auburn to the championships during his fourth season at the helm of the program. The Tigers finished 12th at the 2003 NCAA Championships, posting a team score of 193.525.
The Highland Heights, Kentucky, native guided Penn State to their 17th appearance at the NCAA Championships in his fourth year, as well. The Blue and White finished 12th with a team score of 194.825.
BIG TEN GYMNASTS TO WATCH
Penn State's Kiera Brown and Briannah Tsang were selected by the Big Ten women's gymnastics coaches as "Gymnasts to Watch" for the upcoming season.
Brown, a transfer from Georgia, will be a junior this year for the Nittany Lions. At Georgia, Brown was named All-SEC after she finished tied for second on the uneven bars at the 2014 SEC Championships. She also finished the 2014 season tied for 19th nationally on the uneven bars.
Tsang enters her sophomore season with the Nittany Lions after being named the 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Tsang was also named to the All-Big Ten second team. Last season, she competed in all 12 of the team's meets, including the NCAA Regional Championships. In 2015, she won at least one event title in each of her first seven career meets and posted at least one event win in eight of her 12 competitions.
2016 NITTANY LION SCHEDULE
The 2016 Nittany Lion schedule features 13 of the 36 ranked teams in the preseason coaches' poll.
The Nittany Lion non-conference home schedule is highlighted by a quad meet with No. 3 Alabama, No. 16 Denver and Cornell on Feb. 20. The Nittany Lions also welcome to Rec Hall, No. 11 Nebraska (Jan. 16) and No. 15 Illinois (Jan. 29).
LIONS POST TENTH BEST SEASON OPENING SCORE IN SCHOOL HISTORY
The tally of 194.125 is the 10th highest season opening score in school history and their best first meet mark since a 194.675 in 2015.
Three of the top-10 scores have come under the watch of head coach Jeff Thompson.
Five of them have been recorded at home, with four others accomplished at the Super Six Challenge; 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
195.775 Morgantown, W.Va. 2012
195.075 University Park, Pa. 1999
194.875 University Park, Pa. 2006
194.850 Gainesville, Fla. 2005
194.800 University Park, Pa. 2009
194.675 University Park, Pa. 2015
194.600 Tuscaloosa, Ala. 2004
194.575 Fayetteville, Ark. 2007
194.375 Athens, Ga. 2003
194.125 University Park, Pa. 2016
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Penn State enjoys one of the most historic collegiate gymnastics venues in the country and they take pride in giving the home crowd something to cheer for, including a lot of wins.
Since 1975, Penn State owns a 223-55 overall record in home meets. The Nittany Lions are 220-55 at Rec Hall and are 3-0 in meets contested inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
The loss to North Carolina State on Jan. 9, 2016, snapped a seven-meet winning streak inside Rec Hall. The seven-meet winning streak was the fourth-best in program history.
Penn State swept its last two home meets in 2014 and was unblemished in its five home dates in 2015.
The longest unbeaten streaks in school history are as follows: (Streaks are listed by meets, not wins. Meaning if Penn State hosted three teams needed to be victorious vs. all three opponents to extend the streak.)
1. 1977-82 - 28 meets
2. 1999-2001 - 11 meets
3. 1975-77 - 10 meets
4. 2014-15 - 7 meets
5. 2013-14/2009-10/2005 - 6 meets
8. 2007/1992-93 - 5 meets
10. 2011/1991/1986-87 - 4 meets
REC HALL BAG POLICY
No backpacks or duffle bags are permitted during varsity athletic events, other athletic and non-athletic events at this venue. No bags or purses larger than 8.5"x11"x6" will be permitted. All other bags will be searched upon entrance to the facility.
NITTANY LIONS WELCOME THREE IN 2017
Tess McCracken, Kristen Politz and Mikayla Waddell have signed their National Letters of Intent to attend Penn State University and participate in women's gymnastics for the 2017 season, head coach Jeff Thompson announced on Nov. 11, 2015.
McCracken, who trains at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) in Plano, Texas, has been coached by Laurent Landi, Cecile Canqueteau-Landi and Natasha Boyarskaya.
She was the 2012 Texas level 10 state champion on balance beam as well as second place on uneven bars while tallying a third place in the all-around. McCracken went on to compete in the USA Junior Olympic National Championships where she finished in the top-10 in the nation on uneven bars and balance beam.
Politz currently trains at Rebound Gymnastics in Marlboro, New Jersey, and is coached by Bob and Diane Ferrell.
Politz is a five-time consecutive Junior Olympic National Championship qualifier where she first qualified at the age of 12 and placed first on floor exercise and first in the all-around at the National Invitational Tournament.
In 2015, she finished sixth in the nation on the uneven bars at the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic National Championships. During the same season, she was third on the balance beam at the Region Seven Championships and earned the title of New Jersey State champion in the all-around several weeks earlier by sweeping the titles on all four events.
In 2014, she finished first in the region on floor exercise and followed it up with a fourth place finish at the Junior Olympic National Championships.
Waddell, who trains at ENA Gymnastics in Paramus, New Jersey, is coached by Craig and Jennifer Zappa and John Wojtczuk and she, too, comes to Penn State with a great history.
In 2014, Waddell finished fourth in the nation on balance beam and seventh in the nation on Vault at the Junior Olympic National Championships.
She was also named the Region Seven vault, balance beam and all-around champion in 2014 as well as the state champion on balance beam. In 2013, she was the Region Seven champion on balance beam and in 2012, as a Level 9, she was the national champion on vault and balance beam at Eastern Nationals.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Nittany Lions begin a three-meet road trip starting Monday against Maryland in College Park, Md. The meet is slated for a 7 p.m. start inside the XFINITY Center.
Following the Maryland meet, Penn State competes again on Friday in Philadelphia, Pa., Penn State will take part in the Pink Invitational against Southern Connecticut, Temple, West Chester & West Virginia at 5 p.m. inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center.