Men's Gymnastics head coach Randy Jepson is ready to "unleash the lions" at the West Point Open on Jan. 11 to kick off the team's 2019 season.
The 2019 roster is complete with five seniors who have been "stalwarts" for the group.
"To see guys like Chris Sands come as a walk-on, and then end up as team captain… he's just done an outstanding job," Jepson said.
For Sands, the 2018 season featured several victories: three in floor exercise, one on still rings and a second-place finish on the high bar at Arizona State. Sands also received Academic All-Big Ten Honors last season. Other members of the team have also proven excellence outside of gymnastics, like redshirt senior Noah Roberson, a double major in biomedical and mechanical engineering boasting a 4.0 GPA.
"That's the kind of stuff I get to go to everyday in the afternoon, so it's just been great" Jepson said.
Roberson, like Sands, earned Academic All-Big Ten Honors in the 2018 season. The remaining seniors — Michael Burns, Greg Tamargo and Wyatt Tyndall — also received Academic All Big-Ten Honors in 2018, among other returning underclassmen.
Jepson expects the younger gymnasts to rise to the level of the seniors, who he says have set a great example.
"You've got to aspire to a little more each time," Jepson said.
He used last year's freshmen as examples of growth, including Jack Baldwin, who is now a key part of the Nittany Lions' pommel horse lineup. The four freshmen gymnasts will round out the team with incoming victories of their own. Freshman Eric Lung holds first-place titles from the 2018 Junior Olympics in floor routine and all-around.
The team competes on Olympic-level rules, and ranks fourth in the 2019 Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll. Jepson is confident in the capabilities of his team. He has mentored 18 individual national champions throughout his coaching career, earning him the CGA Honor Coach Award in 2011.
One of those national champions is junior Stephen Nedoroscik, a two-time NCAA pommel horse title winner and a gymnast Jepson praised on his ability to compete.
"He could make a world final right now. He is that good." Jepson said.
The 2019 season will be unique, especially in the Big Ten Conference, which will feature the first regular season conference championship. The conference will also be scheduling the competitions, and the Nittany Lions will have more time to rest and build in the beginning of the season. Jepson said they were not able to do this in years past.
Jepson plans to rest his team strategically throughout the season in order to optimize their performance at Big Ten meets and NCAAs. The team will face their first conference opponent, Nebraska, at home Jan. 26.
Other Big Ten meets throughout the season include Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio Mar. 2, Illinois and Michigan at home Mar. 16, and Minnesota and Iowa in Minneapolis, Minn. Mar. 23. Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota hold the top three spots in the 2019 Big Ten Coaches Poll, and Ohio State trails Penn State at No. 5.
The Nittany Lions finished last season No. 8 in the nation.
Jepson expects both start value and execution from his team this season, in addition to difficulty in their routines.
"We have got to be cleaner than ever," Jepson said. "Those judges' pencils are sharp."
The Nittany Lions are equally ready for future seasons, having added four gymnasts to the class of 2023 back in November.
Jepson and his team are seeking another national title this season, having previously won the championship in 2007, the same year Jepson was named National Coach of the Year. Penn State has won 12 NCAA team championships, tying them with the University of Oklahoma for most overall victories.
"We're looking ahead two or three seasons," Jepson said. "We have a lot more long-range planning than we used to."
