UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 27 Penn State women's gymnastics team takes on Illinois on Friday night in Champaign in a key Big Ten meet. The meet is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET with a broadcast on BTN Plus.
The Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Sarah Brown, are coming off a season-high 196.325 in a win over Rutgers (195.700) last Friday. Penn State earned season bests on vault (48.850) and beam (49.175), while recording a 49.275 on bars and a 49.025 on floor.
Lauren Bridgens won the all-around title, tying a season-high 39.400. She also claimed titles on vault (9.850), bars (9.875) and floor (9.875), tying season bests on vault and floor. Bridgens shared the bars title with Alissa Bonsall. Freshman Cassidy Rushlow had her second straight 9.900 on beam.
Penn State set or tied six career highs and set or tied 12 season highs.
No. 25 Illinois, coached by Nadalie Walsh, tallied a 193.500 at Maryland last Saturday.
Follow along with the action on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
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.
NCAA Regional tickets are now available. Fans can purchase All-Session Tickets, good for all three days, are $32 for adults, $20 for youth (ages 12 or younger) and $20 for students. Tickets are available at either of the two remaining home meets. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY, visiting the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office or visiting here. For more info on the regional, visit here.
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.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI
Illinois is coached by Nadalie Walsh, in her third season. Last Saturday, Illinois competed at Maryland, collecting a 193.950. Freshman Mia Takekawa won the bars title, while Shaylah Scott captured the beam title.
The Illini rank 25th in the RoadToNationals standings, averaging a 195.240. Illinois currently ranks 23rd on bars (48.910 average), 27th on floor (48.920), 33rd on beam (48.685) and 35th on vault (48.725).
Takekawa leads Illinois in the all-around, ranking 16th in the nation with a 39.325 average. Earlier this season, she earned a 10.000 on beam in a meet against Lindenwood, Penn and Temple. Junior Nicole Biondi sits 53rd in the country in all-around, averaging a 39.025. On beam, Scott ranks 23rd, averaging a 9.870, while junior Kylie Noonan is 57th with a 9.820 average. Freshman Arayah Simons holds 24th on floor with a 9.887 average.
RUTGERS MEET RECAP
Penn State collected a season high 196.325 in the win over Rutgers (195.700) last Saturday.
The blue and white recorded back-to-back 196.275 or better scores for the first time since a 196.375 vs. Arizona State, Cornell and Yale (3/2) and a 196.325 at Florida (3/8) in 2019. Penn State picked up back-to-back home scores 196.275 or better for the first time since 2015, a 196.550 vs. Maryland (1/24) and a 197.025 vs. Michigan State (2/7).
The Nittany Lions set season highs on vault (48.850) and beam (49.175), their second score above a 49.000 on beam. PSU tallied a 49.275 on bars, its third 49.175 or higher, and a 49.025 on floor, its second 49.000 or better on floor.
Lauren Bridgens won the all-around (39.400), vault (9.850), bars (9.875) and floor (9.875) events, while tying season highs on vault, bars and all-around. Penn State set or tied six career highs and set or tied 12 season highs. Ava Verdeflor tied career highs on bars (9.850) and beam (9.850).
BRIDGENS LEADING ON FLOOR
The Nittany Lions have seen significant improvement through the season on floor, led by Lauren Bridgens. The junior has won three straight floor titles. She won at Nebraska with a 9.925, set a career high against Iowa (9.950) and won against Rutgers (9.875). Bridgens currently ranks 30th in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten with a 9.880 average. She also ranks 32nd nationally in all-around (39.185).
Penn State increased its floor score through each of the first three meets before a season-high 49.375 against Iowa, the Nittany Lions' best floor performance since the 2018 Big Ten Championships.
Against Rutgers, Bridgens won all-around and three events for the second time in her career. The first came against Cornell & Penn in 2018 when she won all-around, bars, beam and floor.
SETTING THE BAR
The Nittany Lions have enjoyed a solid start to the season on bars, averaging a 49.115, good for 14th in the country. Penn State has three scores above a 49.175 this season, including a 49.300 against West Virginia and a 49.275 against Rutgers. PSU's 49.300 vs. WVU was PSU's highest bars score in a home opener since 2001. PSU earned the top six places in the meet against Rutgers.
Bridgens ranks 34th in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten on bars, averaging a 9.850. She has PSU's highest bars score in two meets and has one event title. Bonsall sits 50th in the country on bars, averaging a 9.840. She has PSU's highest score in four meets, including two event titles.
FANTASTIC FRESHMAN
Cassidy Rushlow has already made a strong impact as a freshman. She has led PSU on beam four times, once on bars and one in all-around. Rushlow had a 9.925 on bars vs. WVU, PSU's highest score this year, and back-to-back 9.900's on beam in the last two meets. The Massachusetts native has one event title each on bars, beam and all-around. She sits 35th in the nation and 10th in the Big Ten with a 9.850 on beam.
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
No. 30 Penn State is five weeks into 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. 24 West Virginia in the home opener, No. 10 Nebraska, No. 32 Iowa and Rutgers.
Home meet opponents include: No. 29 NC State, Cornell, Towson and No. 2 Florida. On the road, PSU will battle No. 25 Illinois, No. 28 Ohio State, No. 19 Maryland, No. 8 Michigan, No. 33 Michigan State, No. 6 Minnesota and No. 15 Arkansas.
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.
NITTANY LIONS ON NATIONAL STAGE
The Nittany Lions' home meet against No. 32 Iowa was their second straight national broadcast this season, featured on Big Ten Network. Penn State's matchup with Nebraska on ESPN2 was its first meet on a national network this season.
Sophomore Melissa Astarita