UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 25 Penn State women's gymnastics team hosts No. 22 Minnesota on Saturday for a 4 p.m. meet as part of a double dual at Rec Hall. The meet will be live streamed through LionVision.
The Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Sarah Brown, won the bars and floor events last weekend against No. 17 Ohio State, but fell 196.075-194.850. Sophomore Lauren Bridgens won her first all-around title of the season, setting season highs on all four events. Senior Sabrina Garcia won the bars title, for the second straight week, to lead PSU to a season-best 49.175 on bars. PSU is 2-2 in dual meets.
Minnesota, coached by Jenny Hansen, enters the weekend with a 5-2 dual record after a 195.475-194.350 win over No. 38 Iowa last Saturday in its Big Ten opener.
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).
DOUBLE DUAL
The Nittany Lions will compete alongside the men's gymnastics squad as part of a double dual. It is Super Hero Day as fans are encouraged to dress as their favorite super hero. It is also Cub Club Day and there will be a book drive
SCOUTING THE GOPHERS
No. 22 Minnesota enters the meet with a 5-2 record after topping No. 38 Iowa, 195.475-194.350 in its Big Ten opener. The Gophers also own wins over No. 24 Illinois-Chicago, Gustavus Adolphus, Hamline and Winona State this year.
Minnesota is averaging 195.075 points per meet. They currently rank ninth in the nation on bars (49.108), 23rd on vault (48.792), 36th on floor (48.692) and 40th on beam (48.483).
Sophomore Lexy Ramler ranks ninth in the nation in all-around, averaging a 39.483. Ramler is also third in the country on beam (9.925) and tied with teammate Ivy Lu for 17th on bars (9.883).
Last Saturday, Ramler won all-around with a 39.450 as well as vault (9.825), beam (9.950) and floor (9.825). Lu won the bars title with a 9.875.
OHIO STATE MEET RECAP
Last weekend, the Nittany Lions won the floor and bars events, but fell 196.075-194.850 against No. 17 Ohio State.
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens won all-around with a 39.300, posting a season-high on all four events. She tied a career-best with a 9.850 on floor. She also tallied a 9.900 on bars, 9.825 on beam and 9.725 on vault.
Senior Sabrina Garcia led the Nittany Lions to a win on bars with an individual bars title for the second straight week. She tied a career-high with a 9.950. Junior Tess McCracken also had a strong performance with a 9.900 on bars, establishing a career-high. PSU totaled a season-best 49.175 on bars.
On floor, the Nittany Lions won 49.000-48.950, led by 9.850 performances by Bridgens and freshman Melissa Astarita.
Garcia had a season-high in all-around with a 39.225.
SEASON HIGHS
Penn State established numerous season and career highs against Ohio State.
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens earned season-high scores on all four events and all-around, while tying a career-high on floor.
Senior Sabrina Garcia set season-bests on all-around, vault and beam, while matching a career-high on bars.
Junior Tess McCracken established a career-high on bars. Sophomore Kourtney Chinnery set a season-high on vault (9.800), while sophomore Alissa Bonsall had a season-high 9.725 on floor.
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 49.175 on bars and 49.000 on floor.
Against Temple and Towson, PSU earned a 49.125 on bars and a 49.025 on floor. At Utah, Penn State had a 49.000 on beam, its highest in a season-opener since 2004.
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 (9.950).
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 39.300.
EVENT TITLES
As a team, Penn State has won six event titles this season. In each of the last two meets, PSU has won the bars and floor titles. The Nittany Lions also won beam against Utah and Temple/Towson.
The Nittany Lions have won four individual event titles. Senior Sabrina Garcia earned individual bars titles against Temple/Towson (9.900) and Ohio State (9.950). Sophomore Lauren Bridgens won the all-around title against Ohio State (39.300), while freshman Melissa Astarita won the floor title against Temple/Towson (9.900).
NATIONALLY RANKED NITS
As a team, Penn State currently ranks 11th in the nation on bars, with a 49.083 average, and 27th on beam, with a 48.650 average.
Senior Sabrina Garcia is tied for 17th in the nation and ranks second in the Big Ten on bars (9.883), while ranking 66th in all-around (38.725) and 69th in the country and sixth in the league on floor exercise (9.833).
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens sits tied for No. 21 in the country and fifth in the conference on bars (9.875) and No. 22 in the nation and No. 5 in the Big Ten on all-around (39.212).
On bars, sophomore Alissa Bonsall is tied 57th with a 9.825 average and junior Tess McCracken is tied 71st with a 9.817 average.
Sophomore Kourtney Chinnery sits No. 8 in the Big Ten on vault with a 9.792 average.
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, No. 32 Temple and No. 17 Ohio State.
PSU is set to compete against No. 3 Florida, No. 8 Michigan, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 18 Nebraska, No. 19 Arizona State, No. 22 Minnesota, No. 26 West Virginia, No. 31 NC State, No. 32 Maryland, No. 33 Illinois and No. 40 Iowa.
PSU ON BTN
Two Penn State meets have been selected for Big Ten Network broadcasts.
The Nittany Lions hosted Ohio State on Saturday, January 19 to open the broadcast slate.
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 hit the road to continue Big Ten action next Saturday, February 2, at No. 33 Illinois. The meet is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Huff Hall.
Sophomore Kourtney Chinnery