UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 31 Penn State women's gymnastics team fell to No. 20 Illinois 196.300-195.275 at Rec Hall on Saturday. The team tied a season high on bars but could not overcome the Illini's season high team score on the day.
The Nittany Lions' 49.125 on bars tied their season high previously set against Maryland on Feb. 5. Alissa Bonsall won the event title with a season-high 9.875, her first of the season and fifth of her career. Ava Verdeflor recorded a career high on beam, leading the team with a score of 9.875.
"Tonight was really a team effort," Head Coach Sarah Brown said. "Although we came up short in the end, I could feel the team battling back after each routine."
Illinois was strong throughout the day, posting scores of 49+ in three out of four apparatuses. Arayah Simons recorded the top individual event score of the day with a 9.950 on floor exercise. Nicole Biondi won the all-around with a combined score of 39.350.
Penn State saw several strong performances as well, as Cassidy Rushlow placed second on vault with a 9.800 and fourth on beam with a 9.825. Melissa Astarita finished third on floor with a 9.850. Alissa Bonsall also added a pair of top ten finishes to her victory on bars, placing fifth on floor with a 9.800 and eighth on vault with a 9.675.
The team was solid on beam, finishing with a team score of 48.900. Three Nittany Lions finished in the top five on the apparatus, with Verdeflor's 9.875 ranking second, and Rushlow and Bella Romagnano tying for fourth with matching scores of 9.825.
"I think our performances are getting stronger and I am so proud of the group as a whole," Brown said. "We continue to see great leadership from our upperclassmen, and our underclassmen are battling to be better each week. It was nice to be back in Rec Hall and we are excited to celebrate our seniors next week!"
The Nittany Lions' senior class will be honored on the team's senior day when the team returns to Rec Hall on Sunday Feb. 19 to host No. 24 Ohio State. The meet is slated to begin at 2 p.m.
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).