UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State's Stephen Nedoroscik was named the College Gymnastics Association (CGA) Specialist of the Year on Wednesday. The senior dominated the competition on pommel horse during the shortened 2020 season, posting the highest single routine score, highest national qualifying average and highest overall average.
Nedoroscik starred both internationally and collegiately this season, highlighted by a gold medal with a 15.4 score in the finals of the Melbourne World Cup. That performance helped him earn a spot on the U.S. National Team for the second-straight year.
"Stephen set out this season to really be dominant, and that was a goal we had for him," Penn State head coach Randy Jepson said. "Even though the season was cut short, I think he succeeded on that in nearly every respect, not only domestically but also abroad. Bringing home a World Cup medal and proving that you're one of the top guys in the world definitely makes you one of the top specialists in the country."
Highlighting the collegiate schedule for Nedoroscik was a career-best score of 15.9 in a meet at Air Force. That was the highest score in the NCAA in five years despite recent changes that made scoring standards more difficult. His national qualifying average (15.217) on pommel horse was nearly a point better than any other gymnast on the season, his 15.9 was nearly a point better than any other gymnast's routine on the apparatus and his overall average (14.571) was more than a half point better than the next-best gymnast.
Nedoroscik, a two-time national champion and four-time All-American, won five of the seven times he competed this season despite travelling to Australia and Azerbaijan between meets. He had three scores better than 15.0.
"We're really pleased that he was named Specialist of the Year," Jepson said. "It's an exciting way for him to finish up the season, but it's also an exciting way to look forward to what he has ahead of him in 2021."
