UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's gymnastics team opens up the 2019 season at the West Point Open hosted by Army on Friday, January 11 and Saturday, January 12. Action from Christl Arena is slated to get underway at 7 p.m. on both nights with the team finals to take place Friday and the individual finals to follow on Saturday.
Tickets
Fans have the option of purchasing an all-session pass, which admits fans to both Friday and Saturday's action for $25, or an individual session pass for $15 with a discount for youth and seniors at $10. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.GoArmyWestPoint.com/tickets, in person at the Army West Point Ticket Office at Gate 3 of Michie Stadium or by calling 1-877-TIX-ARMY.
Checking Out the Competition
Penn State will compete against host Army, Navy, Springfield, and Temple at the West Point Open this weekend. The Nittany Lions have won the last five West Point Open, and have won 20 total as they enter the 28th Annual West Point Open. Navy was ranked No. 9 in the CGA preseason poll, while Army was ranked No. 15, Springfield at No. 16, and Temple at No. 19.
In the Polls
Penn State was picked No. 4 in the Big Ten Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the College Gymnastics Association. Senior Wyatt Tyndall and junior Sam Zakutney were named to the 2019 Big Ten Men's Gymnasts to Watch List.
Returning All-Americans
Penn State returns All-Americans Stephen Nedoroscik, Greg Tamargo, and Sam Zakutney. Nedoroscik was named an All-American for the second straight year after earning a 14.666 and earning a second national championship title on the pommel horse. Tamargo earned his first career All-America citing on still rings after tying for sixth place with a 13.800 record. Zakutney earned two citings in 2018, bringing his career total to three. He tied for third in the parallel bars with a 14.466 score, and a seventh place finish on the high bar with a score of 13.866.
Build on Big Ten Success
Brennan Pantazis and Stephen Nedoroscik garnered First Team All-Big Ten honors, while junior Greg Tamargo was named to the second team. Pantazis and Nedoroscik became the 13th and 14th Big Ten Individual Event Champions in Penn State men's gymnastics history at the 2018 Big Ten Championships and are the first since Trevor Howard earned the high bar title in the 2016 campaign. Furthermore the duo are the first pair of Penn State gymnasts to earn a title in the same year since 2015 when Howard and Matthew Felleman each took home individual titles. Pantazis was just the second Penn State gymnast to capture the Big Ten floor exercise title and the first since Mike Dutka earned the honor in the 1998 season. Nedoroscik is the third Nittany Lion to notch the pommel horse title for Penn State as Craig Hernandez captured the title in both 2012 and 2013. Nedoroscik also joins the company of Dutka, who won three titles in the 1998 season, including the pommel horse victory.
2019 Slate Moments
Penn State will host Nebraska in a double dual with Penn State women's gymnastics on January 26, then will also host Navy and Air Force on February 23. Penn State will return to Rec Hall for its final home meet of 2019 to host Illinois and Michigan on Saturday, March 16.
Road highlights include going to the Winter Cup in Las Vegas, and a meet at Ohio State on Saturday, March 2. Ohio State finished 2018 ranked at No. 5 in the College Gymnastics Association Poll, and returns senior Alec Yoder who was the 2018 CGA Event Specialist of the year. The Nittany Lions will finish the regular season on the road, taking on Minnesota and Iowa in Minneapolis on March 23. Minnesota finished the season ranked No. 2 in the polls, and as the NCAA runners-up. Iowa fell in behind Penn State at No. 9 at the end of 2018.
