UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 35 Penn State women's gymnastics team returns to Rec Hall on Saturday for a matchup with No. 32 Iowa in a key Big Ten meet. The meet will be broadcast on Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. featuring Dean Linke and Alina Weinstein on the call. Fans can also watch on FoxSportsGo.com or the Fox Sports App.
Penn State, led by Head Coach Sarah Brown, tallied a 194.000 at No. 10 Nebraska last Thursday on ESPN2, but fell to the Huskers' 195.150.
Lauren Bridgens claimed the floor title with a career-best 9.925. She also recorded a season-high 9.850 on vault and tied for the team high on bars (9.825). Tess McCracken tied for the beam title with a 9.825.
Iowa, coached by Larissa Libby, competed on Sunday against No. 8 Maryland, collecting a 195.675. The Hawkeyes tallied a 192.700 in their season opener and a 195.550 in their second meet.
Follow along with the action on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
JARED BOX PROJECT
Fans are encouraged to bring small toys or games to donate to the Jared Box Project. There will be a collection station inside the main entrance to Rec Hall. For more on the Jared Box Project, visit jaredbox.com.
SEASON AND SINGLE-MEET TICKETS AVAILABLE
Season tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for youth (ages 12 and younger). Single-meet tickets are also available for $8 for adults and $5 for youth. For more info, please visit here, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m-4:30 p.m.
PARKING INFO
Due to construction on the new West Campus Parking Deck, Red A lot spaces are limited. Fans are encouraged to park in the Nittany Parking Deck, which is free from 1.5 hours before the meet until 1.5 hours after the meet. For more details, please visit here.
NITTANY LIONS ON NATIONAL STAGE
The Nittany Lions' home meet against No. 32 Iowa will be their second straight national broadcast. This meet will be featured on Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. Penn State's matchup with Nebraska on ESPN2 was its first meet on a national network this season.
SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
Iowa is led by Head Coach Larissa Libby, in her 16th year as head coach. The Hawkeyes recorded a 195.675 on Sunday against Maryland, but fell to the Terrapins' 196.125.
Bridget Killian (9.825) won the vault event title, while teammate Lauren Guerin (9.800) placed second. On bars, Allyson Steffensmeier led Iowa with a 9.925, securing second place. Mackenzie Vance won the beam title with a 9.875, while Guerin captured the floor title with a 9.950.
On the season, Iowa ranks 29th in the nation on vault (48.775 average), 47th on bars (48.083), 29th on beam (48.708) and 16th on floor (49.075). Guerin ranks 15th in the nation and second in the Big Ten on floor with a 9.900 average. She is also 42nd in the country on vault with a 9.833 average. Steffensmeier sits 33rd in the nation and seventh in the conference with a 9.850 average on bars.
NEBRASKA MEET RECAP
Penn State tallied a 194.000 in its Big Ten opener at Nebraska last Thursday. The Nittany Lions recorded a season-high 48.825 on vault and a season-best 48.775 on floor. Penn State held the lead going into the final rotation, but the Huskers secured the win with a 49.400 on floor.
Lauren Bridgens won the floor event with a career-high 9.925. Melissa Astarita and Alissa Bonsall contributed season-high 9.850's to help PSU reach its team season high on floor. Bridgens collected a season-high 9.850 on vault, finishing third overall, and a 9.825 on bars, placing second. Alissa Bonsall tied for second on bars. On beam, Tess McCracken registered a 9.825 to claim her second career event title.
SETTING THE BAR
The Nittany Lions have enjoyed a solid start to the season on bars, averaging a 49.042, good for 14th in the country and fourth in the Big Ten.
Penn State's 49.300 against West Virginia is the highest team bars score in the Big Ten this season. It was PSU's highest bars score in a home opener since 2001 and its highest bars score since a 49.350 in its quad meet last season vs. Arizona State, Cornell and Yale.
Against Nebraska, Lauren Bridgens and Alissa Bonsall tied for the team-lead with a 9.825, good for second overall. Cassidy Rushlow and Ava Verdeflor tied for fourth with a 9.800.
Bridgens currently ranks 60th in the country on bars with a 9.833 average. Rushlow won the bars title in the meet against West Virginia with a 9.925, tied for the second-best bars score in the Big Ten this season. Bonsall had the Big Ten's top bars score during the first weekend of competition, with a 9.875 at the Collegiate Challenge. She was named Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week for her efforts.
NATIONALLY RANKED NITS
As a team, Penn State ranks 14th in the country, and fourth in the Big Ten, on bars, averaging a 49.042.
Bridgens ranks among the nation's top 60 in three events. She sits 38th in the country and eighth in the Big Ten in all-around, averaging a 39.042. She is also 47th on floor (9.858) and 60th on bars (9.833).
McCracken and Rushlow are tied for 66th in the nation on beam, averaging a 9.817.
B1G GYMNASTS TO WATCH
Junior Lauren Bridgens and freshman Cassidy Rushlow were named Big Ten Gymnasts To Watch.
Bridgens is one of 15 Nittany Lions to earn multiple first-team All-Big Ten nods in their career. She set career highs in 2019 in all-around (39.525), beam (9.900) and floor (9.875).
Rushlow signed with the Nittany Lions after competing for Daggett Gold Medal Gymnastics in Massachusetts. At the 2019 Massachusetts State Championships, she claimed the all-around, vault and beam titles.
BROWN BEGINS THIRD SEASON
Head Coach Sarah Brown enters her third year leading the Nittany Lions. In 2019, Brown led PSU to a 10-9 record and a No. 24 ranking, its highest finish since 2015. Penn State placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships and third in Session I of the NCAA Regional.
The Nittany Lions went 11-8 in Brown's first season in 2018.
Ashleigh Gnat joined the PSU coaching staff in July 19 after spending two seasons as a Graduate Assistant at LSU. As an athlete, Gnat was a 17-time All-American and won the 2017 National Title on floor.
#FORTHEROAR
The Nittany Lions return 11 members from the 2019 squad. The returners include 2019 NCAA beam qualifier sophomore Jessie Bastardi and 2018 NCAA qualifier junior Lauren Bridgens. The returning 11 athletes have combined for 32 career event titles, led by Bridgens' 21.
Senior Erynne Allen, junior Alissa Bonsall and senior Tess McCracken were named team captains.
PSU welcomed freshmen Amy Bladon, Bella Romagnano and Cassidy Rushlow.
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
No. 31 Penn State will take on a challenging 2020 schedule. The Nittany Lions took on No. 21 Arizona State, No. 13 Auburn and No. 7 Denver at the Collegiate Challenge, now-No. 27 West Virginia in the home opener and No. 10 Nebraska.
Home meet opponents include: No. 32 Iowa, No. 36 Rutgers, NC State, Cornell, Towson and No. 2 Florida. On the road, PSU will battle No. 17 Illinois, No. 31 Ohio State, No. 11 Maryland, No. 9 Michigan, Michigan State, No. 7 Minnesota and No. 19 Arkansas.
PENN STATE HOSTING NCAA REGIONAL
The Nittany Lions are set to host an NCAA Regional on April 2-4 in Rec Hall. Penn State last hosted an NCAA Regional in 2018.
In a new format, installed in 2019, the regional has expanded to a three-day event. Day one (Thursday, April 2) will feature a dual-meet between the two lowest ranked teams with the winner advancing to a quad meet on Friday. Day two will include two quad meets with the top two teams from each advancing to Saturday's regional final quad meet.
Junior Ava Verdeflor