UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday that three members of the Penn State women's gymnastics team have received All-Big Ten honors.
Sophomore Cassidy Rushlow was named First Team All-Big Ten while seniors Alissa Bonsall and Ava Verdeflor were named Second Team All-Big Ten.
"Cassidy, Alissa and Ava have been leading the way for this young team all season," Head Coach Sarah Brown said. "Their attention to detail at practices shows in competition and their consistency on each event is what sets them apart. I am so proud of them and excited to continue to watch them shine at the Big Ten Championship this weekend."
Rushlow has been a consistent presence at the top of the leaderboards for Penn State throughout the season. Her 39.338 all-around national qualifying score ranks 33rd in the nation. After being named a Big Ten Gymnast to Watch prior to the season, Rushlow garnered Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors after posting a career-high 39.475 in Penn State's win over Maryland on Feb. 7. It marks the second consecutive season on the All-Big Ten team for Rushlow, as she was named to the Second Team last season.
Bonsall and Verdeflor have both found major success in their senior campaigns for the Nittany Lions. Verdeflor claimed her first two event victories of her career this season, highlighted by a 9.950 performance on bars at the Big Five Meet at Michigan. The performance earned her Big Ten Specialist of the Week honors. Her 9.900 NQS on bars ranks 27th in the nation.
Alissa Bonsall has claimed three event victories in 2021, and has set career highs on four different occasions this season. She has been the team's top scorer in the second half of the season, posting season highs on bars, vault and floor over Penn State's last three meets. Bonsall ranks 39th in the nation on bars with a NQS of 9.894. Bonsall announced earlier this week that she plans to return to Penn State next season.
In addition, senior Lauren Bridgens has been named Penn State's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. A three-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree, Bridgens missed the 2021 season due to injury and announced her intent to return to Penn State for the 2022 season. The award is given to student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
The Nittany Lions will return to action on Saturday March 20 at the Big Ten Championship in Minneapolis, Minn.