UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 27 Penn State Women's Gymnastics team tallied 194.850 points, but was topped by No. 17 Ohio State, 196.075, on Saturday in Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions won the floor and bars events, while sophomore Lauren Bridgens won the all-around and senior Sabrina Garcia earned the bars title. PSU is 2-2 overall, while Ohio State improved to 2-1 in dual meets.
"I think coming home, we were really excited to be competing in Rec Hall," said Head Coach Sarah Brown. "I thought we started off much stronger on vault than we did last week and showed our potential there. I was very proud of the bar team. Despite the mistake at the beginning, they fought back really strong. I thought momentum was on our side going into beam. Sabrina did a great job tonight and led us off super-strong on beam."
"I gave them a pretty good talk before floor about not letting this opportunity slip away from us," said Brown. "To go to floor and finish with a 49.000, with some new faces in the lineup, showed the depth we have on floor. I continue to be impressed by the fight of this team."
The Nittany Lions started on vault with a 48.550, led by sophomore Kourtney Chinnery's season-high 9.800, which tied for second in the meet. Bridgens earned a season-best 9.725 to place seventh, while freshman Melissa Astarita placed ninth with a 9.700. Sophomore Alissa Bonsall tallied a 9.675 and Garcia collected a 9.650. Senior Gianna LaGuardia had a 9.500.
Ohio State earned a 48.925 on vault, led by senior Jamie Stone's 9.850. Junior Olivia Aepli tied for second with a 9.800.
Penn State totaled a season-best on bars with a 49.175, topping OSU's 49.025. Garcia tied a career-high with a 9.950 to win her second bars title, in as many weeks, and her 10th career bar title. Junior Tess McCracken posted a career-high 9.900 to tie with Bridgens for second. It was Bridgens' season high on bars. Bonsall placed seventh with a 9.800 and junior Erynne Allen had a 9.625. Sophomore Ava Verdeflor had an 8.700.
The Buckeyes were led on bars by sophomore Jenna Swartzentruber's 9.850.
The Nittany Lions followed with a 48.125 on beam. Bridgens paced the blue and white with a 9.825, tying a season-high, to finish fourth. Garcia also had a season-best score of 9.800, placing sixth, while freshman Jessie Bastardi collected a 9.700. McCracken posted a 9.450 while senior Mason Hosek had a 9.350. Verdeflor registered an 8.925.
Ohio State tallied a 49.175 on beam, led by Aepli, senior Amanda Huang and Stone, who each had a 9.850.
Penn State finished strong with a 49.000 on floor, edging Ohio State's 48.950. Bridgens tied her career-high with a 9.850 to finish third. Astarita matched her with a 9.850. Garcia earned a 9.825, placing sixth, while Chinnery registered a 9.750. Bonsall recorded a season-high 9.750 and Allen rounded out the group with a 9.675 in her first official floor routine as a Nittany Lion.
Bridgens captured her fourth career all-around title, to win the meet's Ann Carr Award, and her first this season. She tallied a 39.300 in all-around, a season best. Garcia followed with a season-high 39.225, her second straight top-three finish in all-around.
OSU's Aepli posted a 39.000 in all-around, while Stone had a 38.825.
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.
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens won the all-around title