UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Last year Alissa Bonsall competed on vault in every meet for Penn State as a freshman as she headed into the 2018 Big Ten Championships at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.
While Bonsall continued her streak of competing on vault at the Big Ten Championships last season, she also competed on floor, where she set a career-best score of 9.850 and helped Penn State set a meet-best score of 49.400 in the event.
Her teammates Lauren Bridgens and Peyton Schuller also scored a 9.850 on floor, which allowed Bonsall to share the career accomplishment with them.
"To experience that feeling was amazing," Bonsall said. "It's always amazing being with the team and having everyone there to support you."
Although she had the opportunity to compete in an environment like the Big Ten Championships last season, this year the sophomore has competed in even tougher environments.
Bonsall and Penn State have competed on the road in front of large crowds like in Utah where about 13,000 fans filled the Jon M. Huntsman Center in early January. And on the road against 3rd-ranked Florida, where about 6,800 fans were in attendance for its meet this past week at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Compared to the Big Ten environment Bonsall usually competes in, where people are always cheering and ready to support the athletes, meets in places like Utah and Florida can be another level.
While fans in Utah and Florida cheer and support the athletes like at Big Ten meets, they also are involved and react to every routine at the meet.
"During our routines you would hear the crowd go wild over a certain score and if they didn't like it they would boo which was something I've never really experienced other than with Utah," Bonsall said on the Florida meet. "I just think it's just surreal to be around an environment like that, it just really pumps you up."
The experience of competing in tough environments has helped Bonsall prepare to use that energy from the crowd while competing, but as Penn State gets closer to the postseason, the team's preparation will remain the same.
"I think our team is so prepared that we could be around any type of crowd and still do just as well as we would with no crowd," Bonsall said. "I think our team is very suited to adapt to any situation that we face."
Bonsall is use to adapting to different situations as she regularly competes in three events (vault, bars and floor) for Penn State at meets.
Although her position in the vault and bars lineup has changed throughout the season, she's proven that she can compete in any position for the team, according to Penn State head coach Sarah Brown.
Brown said that Bonsall is a great athlete and is learning to be a great competitor.
"She is learning that she belongs in that arena and she's learning that she can stand side-by-side with the best in the country and she can compete," Brown said. "I still think she has more to give because she trains at an even higher level than what she's been competing."
Before Bonsall begins a routine at a meet, especially before a vault routine, Brown will remind her that she belongs and to execute like she does in practice.
"I just tell her 'To breathe in and breathe out'," Brown said. "Anytime those nerves start to come up I just want her to breathe them out and I want her to execute the best gymnastics she can. When she starts having fun and laughing and smiling she's unstoppable."
When Penn State gets to beam, which is the only event Bonsall does not regularly compete in, during a meet she is just as invested in her teammates' routines as she is in her own. As she gives her "whole heart" in support and hopes for the best for her teammates on beam.
The support that she gives her teammates has also come back to her, as the team has helped her become more comfortable and gain more confidence this season.
"I tend to lack confidence sometimes but I think just with consistency and having this team by my side that it's like built me to be a stronger athlete and competitor," Bonsall said.
As Bonsall heads into her final regular season meet of the year and towards the postseason, where Penn State will face challenging opponents and compete in tough environments, she is focused on completing her landings after routines and doing the best that she can.
"I also wanna be able to support the team and be there to support whatever their needs are and be invested in their routines as well because the team environment is most important," Bonsall said.
