Jan. 13, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's gymnastics team heads to Lincoln, Neb., to open its 2017 Big Ten slate against Nebraska. The Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers meet Sunday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m. (EST) inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Along with the Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers women's gymnastics meet, the Nebraska wrestling team hosts Michigan in the annual Tumble N Rumble event. Fans can follow along with live stats via Huskers.com.
The No. 18 Nittany Lions enter the meet with a 3-0 record after tallying a quad meet win over Bowling Green, BYU and Temple last weekend. Sunday's meet is the 2017 season opener for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Cornhuskers entered the 2017 season No. 12 in the NACGC/W Preseason Coaches' Poll.
As a team, then-No. 23 Penn State recorded a 194.625 to top then-No. 36 BYU (194.225), Temple (191.925) and Bowling Green (190.725).
In Penn State's season-opening meet, sophomore Sabrina Garcia tied the No. 3 performance on the uneven bars in school history with her score of 9.950 to capture her first career uneven bars title. Along with Garcia, Briannah Tsang tallied a Big Ten-leading all-around score of 39.350 en route to her sixth career all-around title.
Tsang also won the vault (9.850), floor exercise (9.850) and tied for the balance beam title (9.825).
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
Nebraska was picked 12th in the NACGC/W Preseason Coaches' Poll and second in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The Cornhuskers return 10 letterwinners from the 2016 team, which finished eighth at the NCAA Championships.
Along with the 10 returning letterwinners from last year, Nebraska welcomes five newcomers to the team in 2017.
NEBRASKA HISTORY
The 2017 season marks the third-straight year Penn State opened its Big Ten slate against Nebraska.
The Nittany Lions won the inaugural meeting between the two programs inside Rec Hall on Feb. 9, 1983 by a margin of 174.75-173.95.
After Nebraska joined the Big Ten prior to the 2011-12 school year, Penn State and Nebraska first met as conference opponents at the 2012 Big Ten Championships.
Nebraska won the 2012 Big Ten title with its score of 197.100 and Nittany Lions finished sixth at the Big Ten meet with a score of 195.700.
Nebraska has defeated Penn State in each regular season meet and Big Ten Championship meet since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten conference.
Nebraska holds a 22-5-0 advantage in the regular season against Penn State.
WELCOME BACK
The Nittany Lions return 12 members from the 2016 team that finished fourth at the Big Ten Championships and fifth at the NCAA Regional Championships.
A pair of Nittany Lion freshmen competed in all 12 meets (Hosek & Jones), while Sabrina Garcia competed in 11 of 12 meets on the year.
RECORD-SETTING PERFORMANCE
Sophomore Sabrina Garcia swung into the Nittany Lion record books with her performance on the uneven bars in the 2017 season-opening meet.
Garcia recorded a career-best 9.950 on the uneven bars, which tied the No. 3 performance in school history.
TSANG'S 28 TITLES
Junior Briannah Tsang has captured 22 individual titles and six all-around titles over Nittany Lion career.
Tsang opened up her junior year with three individual titles and the all-around title in a quad meet victory against Bowling Green, BYU and Temple.
PRESEASON POLL
The Penn State women's gymnastics team was selected 23rd in the 2017 National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W) Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The Nittany Lions closed out the 2016 season ranked No. 26.
Penn State will compete against eight programs that are ranked in the NACGC/W Preseason Coaches' Poll during the 2017 season.
HOME SWEET HOME
The 2017 slate features five home meets for the Nittany Lions inside Rec Hall. Penn State opens the 2017 campaign at home in a quad meet against Bowling Green, BYU and Temple on Jan. 7. The Nittany Lions return home two weeks later to host Maryland in a double dual with the Penn State men's program on Jan. 21.
The month of February features three home meets for the Blue & White with Michigan State (Feb. 4), Ohio State (Feb. 11) and Pittsburgh (Feb. 25) coming to town. All Nittany Lion home meets start are scheduled for Saturdays at 4 p.m.
NITTANY LION RANKINGS
Following the opening weekend of action, sophomore Sabrina Garcia's score of 9.950 on the uneven bars is tied for the No. 2 score in the nation.
Along with Garcia, junior Briannah Tsang ranks in the top-25 in two events and in the all-around.
Tsang's score of 39.350 in the all-around ranks tied for 13th, her 9.850 on the floor exercise is tied for 24th and her 9.850 on the vault is tied for 24th.
NEW NITTANY LIONS
Tess McCracken, Kristen Politz and Mikayla Waddell joined the Penn State women's gymnastics team in the fall of 2016 as freshmen. McCracken is from Plano, Texas, while Politz (Morganville, N.J.) and Waddell (Ridgewood) both call New Jersey home.
STARTING OFF STRONG
Since the 1999 season, the Nittany Lions have started the season with a top-10 season-opening meet score. The Nittany Lions have tallied a season-opening top-10 score in each of the past three seasons.
Three of the current top-10 scores have come under the watch of head coach Jeff Thompson.
Five of those scores 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
194.625 University Park, Pa. 2017
194.600 Tuscaloosa, Ala. 2004
194.575 Fayetteville, Ark. 2007
194.375 Athens, Ga. 2003
THOMPSON CAPTURES WIN NO. 150
Head coach Jeff Thompson is in his 17th season as a collegiate head coach and recently captured win No. 150. In his career, Thompson has compiled a 160-107 record.
On Feb. 22, 2016, Penn State defeated Maryland, 196.350-195.350, for Coach Thompson's 150th career win.
In his sixth season at the helm of Penn State, Thompson has a record of 88-25. Prior to Penn State, the Highland Heights, Ky., native tallied a record of 72-82 at Auburn.
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.
MOLINARO, NILSON NAMED ASSISTANT COACHES
Following the conclusion of the 2016 season, head coach Jeff Thompson tabbed Kera Molinaro and Josh Nilson as assistant coaches with the Penn State women's gymnastics program.
Prior to the 2016 season, Molinaro was a volunteer assistant coach and she then served as an interim assistant coach during the 2016 season.
Nilson joined the PSU program after spending nine years at Utah State.
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 230-58 overall record in home meets. The Nittany Lions are 227-58 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.)
1977-82 28 meets
1999-2001 11 meets
1975-77 10 meets
2014-15 7 meets
2013-14/2009-10/2005 6 meets
2007/1992-93 5 meets
2011/1991/1986-87 4 meets
SIBSON RETURNS
After an injury plagued 2016, senior Emma Sibson made her return for the Nittany Lions in the season-opening quad meet. In her lone event of the day, Sibson tied for seventh on the vault with a 9.725.
A 2015 Second Team All-Big Ten honoree, Sibson owns eight career event titles. During her first two seasons at Penn State she competed in all 26 meets, which included tying for fifth-place on the vault at the 2015 Big Ten Championships (9.900).
SMART LIONS
Four Nittany Lions were honored by the Big Ten for their work in the classroom.
Nicole Medvitz, Christina Postiglione, Chanen Raygoza and Briannah Tsang were named to the 2016 Academic All-Big Ten team.
To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
BIG TEN GYMNAST TO WATCH
Prior to the start of the 2017 season, Briannah Tsang was named a Big Ten Gymnast to Watch.
Tsang tied for 38th overall on the floor exercise at the NCAA Championships with her score of 9.8125.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Nittany Lions return home to Rec Hall for a double dual meet along with the Penn State men on Jan. 21. The Penn State women will compete against Maryland, while the Penn State men will compete against Army starting at 4 p.m.