UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The No. 7 Penn State men's gymnastics team has not suffered a loss on the young season, but as newcomer Andres Perez Gines becomes more familiar with his new life outside of Puerto Rico, head coach Randy Jepson's already promising group is looking like even more of a national contender.
Perez Gines was declared eligible by the NCAA just four days before his collegiate debut against Army West Point, in which he competed in two events and finished first on high bar with a score of 13.800.
The redshirt freshman arrived on campus Dec. 26, but a series of earthquakes in the southern part of the island ultimately prolonged the wait for his long-anticipated debut.
Fortunately, Perez Gines' family and friends back home were OK, but the resulting power outages temporarily prevented him from receiving academic documentation required for his NCAA eligibility.
Nevertheless, Perez Gines stayed prepared and thrived when given his first opportunity to perform, winning over the love and respect of his teammates in the process.
"He's going to be a force to be reckoned with in the near future," Jepson said after the team's 390.350-372.600 victory over Army.
Despite the short notice, neither Perez Gines' preparation nor his mindset was hindered heading into the meet.
"Ever since I came here, my approach has always been the same," Gines said. "I want to get in the gym and do the best that I can so that I can be ready for whenever the call is."
"The biggest thing for him is getting climatized with school, the team, the weather and our training," Jepson said. "He's really rounding into form now and we expect him to do a really good job for us."
Though Perez Gines is in his first season with the Nittany Lions, Happy Valley has peaked his interest since his senior year in high school.
Perez Gines reached out to the Penn State men's gymnastics program upon his high school graduation in 2016, but to no avail. Instead of letting it discourage him, Gines focused on honing his craft, and eventually seized a second opportunity to prove himself to the Penn State coaches.
"Last year, I had a couple of competitions in Dallas and Houston and they went really well for me," Perez Gines said. "The assistant coaches reached out to me and I told them I always wanted to be a part of the culture at Penn State."
Although it comes two years later than he may have anticipated, Perez Gines has finally secured his dream to compete for the Nittany Lions.
"He's coming as a transfer student, which is a little different," Jepson said. "He's a little more mature than most guys coming in, which is a big plus for us."
Perez Gines may serve as the most recent example, but he's not the first recruit of his kind in Penn State gymnastics history. In fact, Penn State has a longstanding history with Puerto Rico, with a number of former gymnasts from teams in the 1980s with the same origin.
"We've had quite a few guys who have come (from Puerto Rico)," Jepson said. "They've all been very successful here and it's worked out well to the point where we can prepare them as coaches and they can compete internationally for their country."
Aside from his own undeniable work ethic and positive demeanor, another underlying reason for Perez Gines' early success has stemmed directly from his group of teammates that have embraced him with open arms.
"It's all about the little things they've taught me: tips about the university, how to carry myself, advice about living here," Gines said. "The atmosphere here is so great and I feel embraced."
"He made it easy for his teammates to love him because he's just a really terrific guy," Jepson said. "Our team is really excited that he's here because of his personality, and then you add on his gymnastics and it's just really beautiful to watch."
