Eight Nittany Lions Recognized As WCGA Scholar-Athletes

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Eight members of the Penn State Women's Gymnastics team were recognized for their achievements in the classroom on Monday, being named Scholar-Athletes by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA).  Penn State was also recognized for having a 3.476 team GPA during the 2018-19 academic year, which was the highest in the Big Ten by .02. 
 
Junior Erynne Allen, sophomore Alissa Bonsall, sophomore Kourtney Chinnery, senior Mason Hosek, senior Jessica Jones, junior Tess McCracken, junior Kristen Politz and sophomore Ava Verdeflor were all recognized for having a 3.5 or higher GPA for the 2018-19 year. 
 
The Nittany Lions added to their academic accolades, which included 11 Academic All-Big Ten selections this past Winter.  Jones, McCracken, Politz and Verdeflor earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors.  Jones garnered the Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship after graduating with a degree in kinesiology.  Hosek graduated in May with a degree in communication sciences and disorders. Politz earned a 4.0 GPA this year.  Penn State has increased or matched its semester GPA for nine straight semesters.
 
"I continue to be impressed by this team's dedication to academics!" said Head Coach Sarah Brown. "They don't take the term student-athlete lightly and they're constantly striving for greater achievements in and out of the gym. They're committed to rigorous coursework in a variety of challenging majors, and I'm so proud of each of them. I can't thank our faculty and staff at the Morgan Academic Center enough for their constant diligence and dedication to helping our student-athletes to become the best versions of themselves."
 
Penn State finished the 2019 season with a 10-9 dual record and a No. 23 national ranking, its highest since 2015.  The Nittany Lions placed third in the NCAA Regional in Ann Arbor, where freshman Jessie Bastardi and senior Sabrina Garcia qualified for the NCAA Championships.  The blue and white is set to return 12 members from the 2019 squad, including first-team All-Big Ten selection Lauren Bridgens.