UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 22 Penn State women's gymnastics team travels to No. 34 Illinois to continue Big Ten action on Saturday. The meet will begin at 5 p.m. at Huff Hall with a stream on BTN Plus.
Last Saturday, the Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Sarah Brown, posted season highs in all four events to total a 196.775, its highest since 2016. However, the Nittany Lions narrowly fell against then-No. 22 Minnesota (196.925). Penn State won the floor event with a season-best 49.275 and earned a 49.025 on vault, 49.250 on bars and 49.225 on beam. The beam performance was PSU's highest since 2017.
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens achieved a career-high in all-around, tallying a 39.525 and won vault (9.900). She also had a career-best on beam (9.875), tied a career-high on floor (9.850) and had season highs on vault and bars (9.900).
No. 34 Illinois, led by Head Coach Nadalie Walsh, is 4-4 in dual meets, including a 1-1 mark in Big Ten competition. The Illini dropped a 197.250-194.675 decision against No. 18 Nebraska last weekend.
Follow the action on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
SCOUTING THE ILLINI
No. 34 Illinois enters the weekend with a 4-4 overall record, including 1-1 in the Big Ten, after a 197.250-194.675 setback against No. 18 Nebraska last Saturday.
The Illini is averaging 194.444 points per meet, with a season-high 195.175 coming in a quad meet with Kentucky, Oregon State and Lindenwood.
Illinois sits 43rd in the nation on vault (48.494), No. 30 on bars (48.619), No. 35 on beam (48.481) and No. 28 on floor (48.850).
Junior Karen Howell ranks 30th in the country in all-around (39.200), while senior Mary Jane Otto is 38th on bars (9.850). Sophomore Kylie Noonan is 40th in the nation on floor (9.862).
MINNESOTA MEET RECAP
The Nittany Lions set season highs on all four rotations to earn a 196.775, its highest overall score since the Big Five Meet on March 12, 2016, but fell against No. 22 Minnesota.
Penn State tallied a 49.025 on vault, its first 49 of the seson on the event, a 49.250 on bars, a 49.225 on beam and a 49.275 on floor. PSU won the floor event for the third straight meet.
The Nittany Lions' beam score was its highest since a 49.475 in 2017 in a quad meet at Texas Women's University and its bars score was its highest since the BYU Quad Meet in 2018 (49.300).
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens won her second event title of the season and her first on vault with a 9.900. She also set a career high in all-around with a 39.525, highlighted by four season-high rotations. She earned a 9.900 on bars, 9.875 on beam (career-high) and a 9.850 on floor (tied career-high).
Bridgens and senior Sabrina Garcia tied for second on bars (9.900), while freshman Jessie Bastardi finished second on beam (9.900). Garcia placed third on floor with a 9.875
Individually and including all-around, Penn State recorded 19 season-high scores and 11 career-high scores.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST SCORES
The Nittany Lions' 196.775 is one of the top scores in the nation this season and in the history of the program.
The 196.775 is tied for the 11th-best overall score in program history. It is also the Nittany Lions' highest score within the first four meets of the season, bettering a 196.300 against Maryland in 2005.
PSU is tied for the 10th-best season high in the nation and the third-best in the Big Ten behind only Nebraska (197.250) and Minnesota (196.925). PSU has the 24th-best individual meet overall score in the country this season.
The Nittany Lions' 49.250 on bars in the 13th-best season-high on bars in the nation, its 49.225 on beam is tied for the 16th-best season-high and its 49.275 is tied for the 17th-best season-high in the country.
NATIONALLY RANKED NITS
As a team, Penn State currently ranks ninth in the nation on bars, with a 49.125 average, and 21st on beam, with a 48.794 average.
On bars, Garcia ranks 16th in the nation and third in the Big Ten (9.881 average), while Bridgens is tied for 17th in the nation and fourth in the league (9.881). Sophomore Tess McCracken sits 63rd in the country (9.819).
Freshman Jessie Bastardi is tied for 74th in the nation and ninth in the Big Ten on beam (9.800), while Garcia is sixth in the conference and 59th in the country on floor (9.844).
In all-around, Bridgens is tied for 16th in the country and sits third in the Big Ten with a 39.317 average, while Garcia is tied for 51st in the nation and sits 10th in the conference (38.908).
SEASON HIGHS
The Nittany Lions established 19 individual season highs and 11 career highs against Minnesota.
On vault, sophomore Alissa Bonsall (9.750), Bridgens (9.900), Garcia (9.800) and senior Gianna LaGuardia (9.800) earned season-bests.
Junior Erynne Allen (9.775), freshman Jessie Bastardi (9.775, exhibition), Bridgens (9.900) and sophomore Ava Verdeflor (9.850) recorded season-bests with Verdeflor setting a career high.
On beam, Bastardi (9.900), Bridgens (9.875), sophomore Kourtney Chinnery (9.675, exhibition), senior Mason Hosek (9.875) and sophomore Tess McCracken (9.850) all tallied season-highs, including career-bests by Bridgens, Chinnery and McCracken establishing career highs.
Bonsall (9.850), Bridgens (9.850), Chinnery (9.850), Garcia (9.875), Hosek (9.825, exhibition) and McCracken (9.775) all had season highs on floor, including career highs for Bonsall, Bridgens, Chinnery and McCracken.
Bridgens (39.525) and Garcia (39.275) each had season-highs in all-around, with Bridgens setting a career-best.
BALANCED EFFORT
Penn State has achieved a 49.000 or higher in all four events so far this season.
The Nittany Lions have a 49.025 on vault, a three scores over 49.125 on bars, a 49.000 and 49.225 on beam and a three 49.000 or above scores on floor.
The Nittany Lions also have a different high-scoring athlete for each event.
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens has the team's top vault (9.900), while senior Sabrina Garcia owns the team's top bars performance (9.950).
Freshman Jessie Bastardi has the team's top beam effort (9.900) and freshman Melissa Astarita has the team's top floor score (9.900).
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens has the top all-around score with a 39.525.
EVENT TITLES
As a team, Penn State has won seven event titles this season. PSU has three straight titles on floor. The Nittany Lions also have two titles on bars and two titles on beam.
The Nittany Lions have won five individual event titles. Sophomore Lauren Bridgens won the all-around title against Ohio State (39.300) and vault against Minnesota (9.900). Senior Sabrina Garcia earned individual bars titles against Temple/Towson (9.900) and Ohio State (9.950). while freshman Melissa Astarita won the floor title against Temple/Towson (9.900).
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
Heading into the weekend, the Nittany Lions are set to face 13 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, No. 17 Ohio State and No. 22 Minnesota.
PSU is set to compete against No. 2 Florida, No. 10 Michigan, No. 13 Nebraska, No. 15 Ohio State, No. 19 Arizona State, No. 27 West Virginia, No. 30 NC State, No. 34 Illinois and No. 39 Maryland.
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 travels to Rutgers next Saturday, February 9 for another Big Ten road meet. The 7 p.m. meet will be on BTN2Go. The Scarlet Knights are currently ranked No. 56 in the RoadToNationals standings.
