UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 25 Penn State women's gymnastics team visits Rutgers on Saturday to continue Big Ten action. The meet will begin at 7 p.m. at the Rutgers Athletic Center with a broadcast on BTN2Go with a tape-delayed broadcast shown on Big Ten Network on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Last Saturday, the Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Sarah Brown, earned their first Big Ten win of the season, topping No. 34 Illinois, 195.275-193.500. PSU picked up a dual meet win over the Illini for the first time since 2014 and the first road dual meet win against Illinois since 2013.
The blue and white won three events, picking up victories on bars (49.100), beam (48.450) and floor (49.075). Senior Sabrina Garcia claimed her first all-around title this season and added her first floor title of the year, while sophomore Alissa Bonsall tied for the bars title.
Rutgers is 1-8 in dual meets this year, including an 0-3 mark in Big Ten action. Ranked 52nd in the RoadToNationals standings, the Scarlet Knights fell 195.275-194.600 against No. 39 Maryland last weekend.
Follow the action on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Rutgers enters the meet with a 1-8 overall record, including 0-3 in the Big Ten, after a 195.275-194.600 setback against No. 39 Maryland.
The Scarlet Knights are averaging 192.705 points per meet with its season high coming this past weekend.
Rutgers sits 41st in the nation on vault (48.575), No. 50 on floor (48.485), No. 56 on bars (47.765) and No. 62 on beam (47.880).
Sophomore Belle Huang leads Rutgers in all-around, averaging 38.390. She also paces RU on vault (9.745) and floor (9.790).
Junior Shannon Farrell tops the Scarlet Knights on bars (9.655), while freshman Mia Betancourt leads the squad on beam (9.644).
ILLINOIS MEET RECAP
The Nittany Lions went on the road for the first time in Big Ten competition this year and came away with its first conference win of the season.
No. 22 Penn State's 195.275-193.500 win over No. 34 Illinois was its first dual meet win in the series since 2014 (196.675-195.600). It was also PSU's first dual meet road win against Illinois since 2013 (196.300-195.775).
The Nittany Lions claimed team titles on bars (49.100-48.600), beam (48.450-47.225) and floor (49.075-48.850), while narrowly missing a vault title (48.825-48.650).
Senior Sabrina Garcia earned her first all-around title of the season, and the third of her career, with a 39.250. Garcia won her first floor title of the year, sixth of her career, earning a 9.875, tying a season-high. She also posted a 9.800 on beam, finishing second, a 9.825 on bars, tying for third, and a 9.750, tying for fifth, on vault.
Sophomore Alissa Bonsall captured her first career bars title, tying a season-high with a 9.850, her second overall event title of her career.
Fellow sophomore Lauren Bridgens finished third in all-around (39.150), second on floor (9.850, tied season-high) and third on bars (9.825).
Senior Gianna LaGuardia placed third on vault, and led PSU, with a 9.775.
SETTING THE BAR
Penn State is off to a strong start on bars this season, ranking 11th in the nation.
The Nittany Lions scored a 49.100 against Illinois, its fourth straight week above a 49.000.
PSU had a season-best 49.250 against Minnesota on January 26, a 49.175 vs. Ohio State (1/19) and a 49.125 against Temple and Towson (1/12).
Senior Sabrina Garcia has PSU's top score on bars, a career-high 9.950 against Ohio State. Sophomore Lauren Bridgens had a season-best 9.900 against Minnesota, while junior Tess McCracken had a career-high 9.900 vs. Ohio State.
STRONG ON FLOOR
The Nittany Lions have also enjoyed a solid year on floor, also achieving a 49.000 or above in four consecutive weeks.
Freshman Melissa Astarita holds the blue and white's top mark on floor with a 9.900 against Temple and Towson. Garcia's season-best 9.875 came against Illinois, while Alissa Bonsall, Lauren Bridgens and Kourtney Chinnery have all contributed a 9.850.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST SCORES
The Nittany Lions' 196.775 against Minnesota 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 12th-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 33rd-best individual meet overall score in the country this season.
The Nittany Lions' 49.250 on bars in the 17th-best season-high on bars in the nation, its 49.225 on beam is tied for the 18th-best season-high and its 49.275 is tied for the 19th-best season-high in the country.
NATIONALLY RANKED NITS
As a team, Penn State currently ranks 11th in the nation on bars, with a 49.120 average, and 27th on beam, with a 48.725 average.
On bars, Garcia ranks 23rd in the nation and fifth in the Big Ten (9.875 average), while Bridgens is tied for 18th in the nation and sits seventh in the league (9.870). Junior Tess McCracken sits 74th in the country (9.815).
Garcia is tied for fifth in the conference and 52nd in the country on floor (9.850).
In all-around, Bridgens is tied for 28th in the country and sits fifth in the Big Ten with a 39.275 average, while Garcia is tied for 52nd in the nation and holds 10th in the conference (38.994).
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 four scores over 49.100 on bars, a 49.000 and 49.225 on beam and four 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 10 event titles this season. PSU has four straight titles on floor. The Nittany Lions also have three titles on bars and three titles on beam.
The Nittany Lions have won eight 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) as well as a floor title (9.875) and all-around title (39.250) against Illinois. Freshman Melissa Astarita won the floor title against Temple/Towson (9.900) and sophomore Alissa Bonsall won a bars title against Illinois (9.850).
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.
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, No. 22 Minnesota and No. 34 Illinois.
PSU is set to compete against No. 2 Florida, No. 10 Michigan, No. 16 Nebraska, No. 19 Arizona State, No. 20 Ohio State, No. 27 West Virginia, No. 28 NC State, No. 35 Maryland and No. 40 Iowa.
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions return to Rec Hall to battle on Saturday, February 16 to battle No. 10 Michigan. The 4 p.m. meet will be Dad & Daughter Day. Fans will receive Dad & Daughter autograph cards and stations. There will also be a photo booth with free take home and digital photos as well as a post-meet autograph session.
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.
Freshman Melissa Astarita