UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Former Penn State Men's Gymnastics athlete Quest Hayden is staying in Happy Valley as a Volunteer Assistant for the Women's Gymnastics program, under head coach Sarah Brown.
Hayden was a member of the Penn State Men's Gymnastics team from 2015-18, graduating with a degree in Psychology.
He was a member of the 2013 U.S. Men's National Team and competed at the 2013 P&G Championships, finishing third on All-Around and first on Horizontal Bar. However, Hayden was plagued by a few injuries during his Penn State career, including two shoulder surgeries and a torn Achilles. Hayden looks to use the knowledge he gained while competing, and watching, as he begins his coaching career.
The Georgia native was part of the 2015 Big Ten Champion team, competing on Parallel Bars and High Bar during the Big Ten Championships. He competed at the NCAA Team Finals that year, establishing a new career high on High Bar. Hayden also competed on Pommel Horse at the 2016 NCAA Individual and Team Championships.
"I'm excited to have Quest on staff this year," said Brown. "His knowledge of the sport and passion for Penn State will benefit our team in so many ways. Quest is very outgoing and eager to help in any way and he's already shown himself to be an asset to our program. I'm thankful to have him on board and look forward to a great year."
The Nittany Lions went 11-8 in Brown's first season as head coach, finishing with a No. 32 national ranking. Penn State returns 13 members from the 2018 squad, including All-American sophomore Lauren Bridgens and All-Big Ten senior Sabrina Garcia.
