For a few Penn State men's gymnasts, competition extends beyond the Nittany Lions. In addition to collegiate gymnastics, some of them compete internationally for their home country. Junior Stephen Nedoroscik and sophomore Alex Frack are headed to Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend for Winter Cup, a qualifier meet for USA Gymnastics.
Nedoroscik, a two-time NCAA national champion, will be making his third appearance at Winter Cup. While he has plenty of experience in high-stakes meets, he still feels the pressure.
"There's a lot on the line at these meets," Nedoroscik said. "It's definitely a little more nerve-wracking."
Earlier in the season, Frack bruised his heel during a vault pass, but he is doing everything in his power to get back to a full recovery. Unfortunately, his foot has not healed fast enough for him to be a contender for the all-around title at Winter Cup and he will not be competing on floor and vault, but he is excited to be competing in all other events.
Frack sees the Winter Cup experience as an opportunity to represent Penn State. He has competed in junior level competitions, but wearing the Penn State name puts a whole new weight on his performance.
"It'll be nice to wear 'Penn State' on my chest while I'm competing," said Frack, who had four podium finishes as a freshman. "Penn State is everything."
Fellow Penn State team members have experience in international gymnastics competition, like junior Sam Zakutney (Canada) and redshirt sophomore Favian Valdez (Puerto Rico). For some, competing in front of a worldwide audience is the ultimate gymnastics experience. But for Valdez, Penn State is his favorite place to compete.
"Collegiate is more fun," Valdez said. "It's different when you're out there hearing your teammates cheering for you."
Consistency and refinement are the main focuses of head coach Randy Jepson. What sets Penn State apart is its attention to detail in each gymnast's performance. These elements are what will secure Nedoroscik's spot on the national team, if done well.
"Stephen has always been a standout on pommel horse," Jepson said. "To get to a world level, he has to be doing things even better than what he's been doing. He recognizes that."
While the two Penn State representatives will be competing at the same meet, their goals and experiences are different.
Nedoroscik is looking to make a splash in a national team setting. He will be vying for a spot on the Olympic team. He will have to perform his best and then some to garner attention for his performances.
"He's upped his game in terms of consistency," Jepson said. "I challenged him at the beginning of the year, he's really settled in now and been really consistent."
It's all about the experience for Frack. This will be a stepping stone in his gymnastics career, as he continues to work to achieve Olympic-level performances. He is doing everything he needs to be doing in training to get better, but time is on his side as an underclassman.
Collegiate and international events are different from one another in terms of competition and individuality, but they serve one another.
Zakutney competes with Penn State from January-April and then move right into international competition through October. The rigorous schedule and opportunity to compete on a world stage has helped him tremendously.
"Competing for Penn State definitely made me more confident as a competitor," Zakutney said. "That definitely showed in my performances internationally."
Nedoroscik and Frack carry their own accomplishments into this weekend's meet, but both will wear the Penn State name and compete against the best of the best while in Las Vegas.
"It's one of the biggest meets all year round," Nedoroscik said. "The best gymnastics in the world will be going on there this weekend."
