UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 27 Penn State Women's Gymnastics team welcomes No. 17 Ohio State on Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. meet at Rec Hall. The meet will be broadcast on Big Ten Network with Dean Linke and Alina Weinstein on the call. The team will celebrate its annual Pink Meet.
The Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Sarah Brown, won the Little Boston Invitational last weekend with a 195.10, topping No. 32 Temple (194.700) and Towson (190.225). Penn State captured three of four events, winning bars, beam and floor titles. Sophomore Melissa Astarita (floor) and senior Sabrina Garcia (bars) won individual titles.
Ohio State, coached by Meredith Paulicivic, is 1-1 on the season after knocking off No. 25 NC State, 196.025-194.550, last weekend.
Single-meet tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youth (12 and under). Season tickets are still available for $24 for adults and $16 for youth.
Follow the action on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
PINK MEET
The Nittany Lions will compete in their annual Pink Meet in honor of breast cancer research and awareness. The first 500 fans will receive pink Penn State gymnastics pins.
It is also Camper Reunion Day. There will also be free face painting and caricature drawings.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
No. 17 Ohio State enters the meet with a 1-1 record after a win over No. 25 NC State last weekend. The Buckeyes earned a 196.025-194.550 after falling 196.600-194.900 to No. 7 Georgia the previous week.
Against Georgia, the Buckeyes won all four events, posting scores of 48.925 on vault, 49.200 on bars, 48.925 on beam and 48.975 on floor.
Senior Jamie Stone won the all-around with a 39.200. Stone led OSU on floor with a 9.875 and tied for the lead on vault with a 9.825.
Jenna Swartentruber led the Buckeyes with a 9.875 on bars, while Morgan Lowe paced OSU with a 9.850 on beam.
LITTLE BOSTON INVITATIONAL RECAP
Last weekend, the Nittany Lions captured a first-place finish (195.150), at the Little Boston Invitational, defeating No. 32 Temple (194.700) and Towson (190.225). Penn State won three of four events, capturing bars, beam and floor titles.
Against Temple & Towson, senior Sabrina Garcia won on bars with a 9.900, her first event win of the season. She also placed second on floor with a 9.850 and fourth on beam with a 9.775.
Freshman Melissa Astarita earned her first career event win, claiming the floor title with a 9.900. She finished fifth on vault with a 9.750.
Junior Tess McCracken led the Nittany Lions on beam with a 9.800, while sophomore Kourtney Chinnery paced PSU with a 9.800 on vault.
BALANCED EFFORT
Penn State has achieved a 49.000 or higher in three events so far this season.
Last weekend, the Nittany Lions had a 49.125 on bars and 49.025 on floor. At Utah, Penn State had a 49.000 on beam.
The Nittany Lions also have a different high-scoring athlete for each event.
Sophomore Kourtney Chinnery has the team's top vault (9.800), while senior Sabrina Garcia owns the team's top bars performance (9.900).
Senior Mason Hosek has the team's top beam effort (9.850) and freshman Melissa Astarita has the team's top floor score (9.900).
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens has the top all-around score with a 39.125.
NATIONALLY RANKED NITS
As a team, Penn State currently ranks 14th in the nation on bars, with a 49.038 average, and 18th on beam, with a 48.913 average.
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens is tied for 30th in the nation in all-around (39.125) and tied for 31st on bars, averaging 9.863, good for sixth in the Big Ten.
Senior Sabrina Garcia and sophomore Alissa Bonsall are tied for 42nd in the country on bars, averaging 9.850, while Garcia is also 56th in the country and third in the league on floor (9.838).
On beam, Mason Hosek is tied for 62nd in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten (9.813), while Jessie Bastardi and Tess McCracken are tied for 72nd nationally and ninth in the conference (9.800).
STRONG DEBUTS
Three Penn State newcomers have shined so far in their first seasons in Happy Valley.
Freshman Melissa Astarita earned her first career event title with a 9.900 on floor last weekend. She also placed fifth on vault with a 9.750. She improved scores in both of her events in the first two weeks.
Redshirt freshman Jessie Bastardi has a strong start on beam with scores of 9.825 and 9.775 in the last two weeks, both top-five finishes in each meet.
Junior Erynne Allen had a career-best 9.725 on bars last weekend to place eighth. She also posted a 9.800 in an exhibition routine on floor.
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
Heading into the weekend, the Nittany Lions are set to face 14 opponents among the Top 40 of the RoadToNationals standings during the 2019 season. The Nittany Lions already competed against No. 5 Utah and No. 32 Temple.
PSU is set to compete against No. 3 Florida, No. 9 Michigan, No. 15 Nebraska, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 19 Arizona State, No. 25 Minnesota, No. 26 West Virginia, No. 32 NC State, No. 36 Illinois, No. 37 Maryland, No. 38 Iowa and No. 39 Yale.
PSU ON BTN
Two Penn State meets have been selected for Big Ten Network broadcasts.
The Nittany Lions host Ohio State on Saturday, January 19 to open the broadcast slate. The meet is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Rec Hall.
Penn State travels to Rutgers on Saturday, February 9 for a 7 p.m. meet. It will be broadcast live on BTN2Go with the broadcast being shown on Big Ten Network on February 10 at 10 a.m.
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions return to Rec Hall next Saturday for a double-dual with the men's gymnastics team. The women's gymnastics team will take on No. 25 Minnesota at 4 p.m.
