UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State women's gymnastics seniors Alissa Bonsall and Lauren Bridgens have been named nominees for the AAI Award, presented to the nation's most outstanding senior.
The duo is among 35 national nominees and nine Big Ten nominees for the award.
A true leader in her fifth season as a Nittany Lion, Bonsall continues to be one of Penn State's most consistent top performers. An individual regional qualifier in 2021, Bonsall shined on the national stage with a career-high 9.950 on bars at the NCAA Morgantown Regional.
Her success has continued into her fifth season, where she matched her career high with a 9.950 on bars on January 29 for her 11th career event title. She has achieved tremendous success in the classroom, earning WCGA Academic All-America, Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors in each of her years of eligibility.
Following the 2021 season, the conference awarded Bonsall with the Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship. Bonsall graduated from Penn State with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology in 2021. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in management and organizational leadership and holds a GPA of 3.88.
One of the most accomplished gymnasts in Penn State history, Lauren Bridgens returned for her fifth season at Penn State in 2022. After missing the 2021 season with an Achilles injury, Bridgens fought to return to form and has picked up right where she left off early in the 2022 season. Through four meets, Bridgens has claimed six event titles, raising her career total to 40.
Bridgens is one of only nine gymnasts in program history to claim First Team All-Big Ten honors three times. In March 2018, she earned the 10th perfect 10.0 score in Penn State history with her performance on bars at the BYU Quad Meet. In 2018, she competed on the national stage as an NCAA National Qualifier on bars during her freshman season. Bridgens success has also extended to the classroom, where she is a two-time WCGA Academic All-American and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient.
In 2022, Bridgens received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for her leadership while out with injury. Bridgens received her bachelor's degree in marketing from Penn State in 2021. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in corporate finance and holds a GPA of 3.42.
