UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Women's Gymnastics team is set to kick off the 2022 season when the team travels to Philadelphia for the Keystone Classic on Friday. The meet is slated to begin at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ with Kevin Copp and Noël Couch on the call.
The Keystone Classic will feature three programs from the state of Pennsylvania, as Penn State will be joined by Penn and meet host Temple.
Sarah Brown's Nittany Lions enter the 2022 season ranked 29th in the WCGA preseason poll. Brown enters her fifth season as the head coach of the Penn State women's gymnastics program.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live Stream | Live Results
SERIES HISTORY
Penn State holds a combined record of 21-0 against its two opponents, going 5-0 against Penn and 16-0 against Temple. The Nittany Lions last in-state matchup came in 2019 when Penn State defeated Temple 195.150-194.700 at Rec Hall.
YEAR FIVE
The Nittany Lions welcome back three gymnasts for their fifth year of eligibility, as Alissa Bonsall, Lauren Bridgens and Kourtney Chinnery announced their return to Penn State earlier this year. Bonsall shined during her senior season in 2021, representing the Nittany Lions as an individual qualifier at the NCAA Morgantown Regional where she set a career high with a 9.950 on bars. Bridgens and Chinnery missed the 2021 season.
NEW FACES
Penn State added eight athletes to the roster for the 2022 season. Isabella Salcedo and Elina Vihrova were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch ahead of their first meet as Nittany Lions. The duo is among seven gymnasts in Penn State's freshman class. Penn State also welcomed sophomore Sarah Duhe, a transfer from the University of Alabama.
THE RETURN
After missing the 2021 season with injury, Senior+ Lauren Bridgens is set to make her return to the Penn State lineup. Bridgens enters 2022 with 34 career event titles, and is one of nine Nittany Lions to earn three First Team All-Big Ten honors in their career. In 2018, she became the first Nittany Lion to earn a 10.0 score on bars. Bridgens was named Penn State's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award last season.
