UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 25 Penn State women's gymnastics team earned two All-Big Ten selections, announced by the conference on Monday. Sophomore Lauren Bridgens was named First Team, while senior Sabrina Garcia collected Second Team accolades. Both athletes have earned multiple All-Big Ten honors in their Penn State careers.
Bridgens earned first-team All-Big Ten accolades for the second straight year. She is the 56th first-team All-Big Ten selection in program history. Bridgens becomes the 15th athlete in program history to earn multiple first-team All-Big Ten honors.
The Maryland native is currently ranked No. 21 in all-around in the RoadToNationals standings with a 39.355 RQS and a 39.128 average. She also sits 33rd in the nation on bars with a 9.890 RQS and a 9.836 average.
Bridgens owns seven event titles this season, including three all-around, three on bars and one on vault. She has 21 career event titles. The 2018 All-American has set career highs this year in all-around, beam and floor. She posted a career-best 39.525 in all-around vs. Minnesota, a 9.900 on beam at No. 3 Florida and a 9.875 on floor during the PSU Quad Meet. She has four bars scores of 9.900 or higher this season.
Garcia garnered her third career All-Big Ten selection. She was a first-team honoree in 2017 and a second-team pick in 2018. She was also an All-American in 2017. She was one of 25 nominees for the AAI Award, given to the nation's most outstanding senior.
The Etters, Pa. native sits 45th in the country on bars, and ninth in the Big Ten, with a 9.875 RQS and a 9.855 average.
Garcia has collected five event titles in 2019, including two all-around, two on bars and one on floor. She has 23 career event titles. She has earned four bars scores of 9.900 or higher this year, including a career-high 9.950 against Ohio State.
Penn State hosts the 2019 Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 23 at Rec Hall. The first session will begin at noon featuring No. 34 Maryland, No. 39 Michigan State, No. 22 Ohio State and Rutgers.
The evening session, starting at 5 p.m., will feature the Nittany Lions, No. 36 Illinois, No. 31 Iowa, No. 7 Michigan, No. 10 Minnesota and No. 18 Nebraska.
