UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 25 Penn State women's gymnastics team is back on the road this weekend for a matchup at No. 3 Florida. The meet begins at 6:45 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
The Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Sarah Brown, are coming off a Quad Meet win on Senior Day. PSU totaled a 196.375, knocking off Arizona State (196.150), Cornell (194.575) and Yale (194.100). Penn State won three team events, earning victories on vault, bars and floor. PSU tallied a 49.050 on vault, a season-high 49.300 on bars and a season-best 49.350 on floor.
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens won her third all-around title of the season and the seventh of her career, totaling a 39.400. Freshman Melissa Astarita tied a career-high on floor (9.900) to win her second floor title of the season.
No. 3 Florida, coached by Jenny Rowland, is coming off a 197.225-196.350 win over No. 20 Arkansas last Friday.
Follow the action on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
SCOUTING THE GATORS
Florida is ranked No. 3 in the nation, with a 197.545 RQS and a 6-2 dual meet record. Florida has a high score of 198.025 against No. 1 Oklahoma.
The Gators rank No. 8 in the nation on vault (49.182 average), No. 3 on bars (49.464), No. 3 on beam (49.364) and No. 2 on floor (49.568).
Freshman Trinity Thomas is second in the nation in all-around, averaging a 39.621, and on floor, averaging a 9.950. She is No. 7 on bars (9.929 average). Thomas is also UF's top performer on beam, ranking No. 9 (9.896), and vault, ranking 33rd (9.846 average).
Senior Alicia Boren ranks No. 20 in the country in all-around, averaging a 39.375. Boren and freshman Nya Reed are tied seventh-nationally on floor, with an RQS of 9.920, and averaging a 9.921 and a 9.929, respectively. Sophomore Alyssa Baumann is tied for 19th on floor (9.904).
Sophomore Megan Skaggs sits No. 10 in the nation on bars, averaging a 9.911, while junior Amelia Hundley is No. 17 in the country (9.882). Skaggs is No. 22 on beam (9.836).
QUAD MEET RECAP
The Nittany Lions totaled a 196.375 in their Quad Meet, their second-highest score of the year.
Penn State started the meet with a 49.050 on vault, its third 49 or above on vault this year. PSU won the event behind a career-best performance by Gianna LaGuardia (9.875), who finished second on the event, and a 9.850 by Lauren Bridgens.
The blue and white registered a season-best and event-winning 49.300 on bars, its highest since the BYU Quad Meet in 2018 and its sixth 49 or above of the season. Sabrina Garcia led PSU with a 9.900, while Alissa Bonsall recorded a 9.875. Bridgens and sophomore Kourney Chinnery each earned a 9.850 with Chinnery achieving a career-high.
PSU recorded a 48.675 on beam, paced by Bridgens' 9.825.
The Nittany Lions finished with their strongest floor performance of the year, collecting a 49.350, their highest since the 2018 Big Ten Championships. Three PSU athletes earned a career-high score and two tied their career highs. Melissa Astarita claimed her second floor title of the season with a career high-tying 9.900. Bonsall and Bridgens each set a career-high with a 9.875. Mason Hosek and Tess McCracken both collected a 9.850, with Hosek tying a career-best and McCracken earning a career-high.
In all-around, Bridgens captured her third title of the season, and the seventh of her career, with a 39.400.
SETTING THE BAR
Penn State has enjoyed a strong effort on bars this season, ranking 12th in the nation, averaging a 49.180.
The Nittany Lions have posted six scores of 49.000 or above this year, led by its 49.300 in the Quad Meet. That followed a 49.250 at the Big Five Meet.
PSU had a stretch of four straight 49 or above performances against Temple/Towson (49.125), Ohio State (49.175), Minnesota (49.250) and Illinois (49.100) from January 12 through February 2.
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 and another at the Big Five Meet, while junior Tess McCracken had a career-high 9.900 vs. Ohio State and sophomore Alissa Bonsall matched Bridgens at the Big Five Meet.
STRONG ON FLOOR
The Nittany Lions have also enjoyed a solid year on floor, also achieving a 49.000 or above in six meets, led by their 49.350 in their quad meet.
Penn State also earned a 49.000 or above against Temple/Towson (49.025), Ohio State (49.000), Minnesota (49.275), Illinois (49.075) and at the Big Five Meet (49.000).
Freshman Melissa Astarita holds the blue and white's top mark on floor with a 9.900 against Temple and Towson. She matched that score in the quad meet. Garcia's season-best 9.875 came against Illinois and at the Big Five Meet, while Alissa Bonsall and Lauren Bridgens each had a career-best 9.875 in the quad meet.
ANN CARR HONORS
The Nittany Lions present the Ann Carr Award, named after the two-time national champion, to the most inspirational gymnast of each home meet.
Lauren Bridgens (Ohio State), Mason Hosek (Minnesota), Sabrina Garcia (Michigan) and Tess McCracken (Quad Meet) have all won the award this season.
GARCIA NAMED AAI AWARD NOMINEE
Sabrina Garcia was selected as a nominee for the AAI Award, given to the nation's outstanding senior. She is one of 25 athletes, including five from the Big Ten.
She is currently ranked 41st in the nation in all-around and 35th on bars.
In 2019, Garcia has won five event titles, including two all-around, two bars and one floor. She has earned PSU's top all-around score four times this season.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
For the first time since 2014, the Nittany Lions will host the Big Ten Championships at Rec Hall. On March 23, Penn State will welcome the rest of the Big Ten for two sessions, with the first at noon and the second at 5 p.m.
With its top three finish in the Friday session of the Big Five meet, the Nittany Lions clinched a spot in the evening session. PSU will compete against Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Nebraska. In the noon session will be Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State and Rutgers.
EVENT TITLES
As a team, Penn State has won 15 event titles this season. PSU has won five titles on floor, four on bars, four on beam and two on vault.
The Nittany Lions have won 17 individual event titles, including five all-around.
Senior Sabrina Garcia has earned five individual titles this year, including bars against Temple/Towson (9.900) and Ohio State (9.950) as well as a floor title (9.875) and all-around title against Illinois (39.250) and all-around at Rutgers (39.325).
Sophomore Lauren Bridgens has also won five: all-around against Ohio State (39.300), at the Big Five Meet (39.425) and in the quad meet (39.400), vault against Minnesota (9.900) and bars at the Big Five Meet (9.900).
Freshman Melissa Astarita has won two floor titles. One against Temple/Towson (9.900) and one in the quad meet (9.900). Sophomore Alissa Bonsall won bars titles against Illinois (9.850) and at the Big Five Meet (9.900). Freshman Jessie Bastardi and junior Tess McCracken tied for the beam title at Rutgers (9.925). Sophomore Kourtney Chinnery won her first career event title on vault (9.875) at the Big Five Meet.
NATIONALLY RANKED NITS
As a team, Penn State currently ranks 12th in the nation on bars, with a 49.180 RQS, and ranks among the Top 30 on every event.
On bars, Bridgens and Garcia are tied for 35th in the nation, and sixth in the Big Ten, with a 9.875 RQS. Bonsall sits tied for 74th in the country with a 9.840 RQS.
Bridgens ranks 24th nationally, and fourth in the conference, in all-around, with a 39.280 average. Garcia sits 41st in the country, and tied seventh in the Big Ten, with a 39.085 average.
BALANCED EFFORT
Penn State has achieved a 49.000 or higher in all four events so far this season.
The Nittany Lions have three scores of 49.000 or above on vault, six scores over 49.100 on bars, a 49.000, 49.225 and 49.350 on beam and six 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 and junior Tess McCracken share the team's top beam effort (9.925) 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.
BASTARDI HONORED BY BIG TEN
Jessie Bastardi was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on February 11 for her efforts at Rutgers.
Bastardi earned a career-high 9.925 on beam against the Scarlet Knights to tie with McCracken to win the event title on beam, her first career event title. Bastardi and McCracken are tied for PSU's highest score on beam this season.
Bastardi is currently averaging a 9.761 on beam, good for 16th in the Big Ten. Her score of 9.925 is tied for the fourth-best in the Big Ten this year. She also had a 9.900 on beam against Minnesota on January 26.
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
Heading into the weekend, the Nittany Lions are set to compete in meets against 14 opponents ranked 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, No. 34 Illinois, No. 8 Michigan, No. 15 Nebraska, No. 32 Maryland, No. 40 Iowa and No. 21 Arizona State.
PSU will finish the regular season with meets against No. 3 Florida, No. 22 Ohio State, No. 26 West Virginia and No. 27 NC State.
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions will participate in another quad meet, this time on the road at No. 26 West Virginia. Penn State and the Mountaineers will be joined by No. 22 Ohio State and No. 27 NC State. The meet begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 17. It will be PSU's final regular season meet before the Big Ten Championships.
Senior Sabrina Garcia