PITTSBURGH – The Penn State women's gymnastics team (10-9, 3-6 Big Ten) scored a 196.825, setting its NCAA Regional program record in the semifinal round of the Pittsburgh Regional.
Florida led the way in session II of the semifinals with a 197.875 followed by Arizona State at 197.525. Penn State came in ahead of Big Ten foe Maryland's 196.675, but short of a trip to the final round of regionals. It marked the third time this season that the Nittany Lions took down Maryland after outscoring the Terrapins at the Big Five meet during the regular season and at the Big Ten Championships just two weeks ago.
"Tonight was in incredible way for our team to finish our season," said head coach Sarah Brown. "I'm so proud of each and every one of our athletes. It's not easy to compete two days in a row, and for us to finish even stronger today than we did yesterday just shows the growth and the progress of our program."
The Nittany Lions received NCAA Regional program-record totals on bars and beam, with each performance littered with individual career-highs and top-ten NCAA Regional program marks.
ROTATION RECAP
Penn State began its evening on vault, earning a 49.000 as a team. Ava Piedrahita started off her stellar outing with the first of her three 9.9 totals on the night, tying the fifth-best mark in school history on the vault. Maddie Johnston, Isabella Salcedo, and Cassidy Rushlow each earned 9.8 scores to round out the group.
The Nittany Lions then moved to bars, where they really started to get going. Johnston earned a 9.85 out of the two-spot, earning a solid mark to push the Nittany Lions in the right direction. Gabbie Gallentine also collected a 9.85 before Piedrahita and Rushlow closed out the Nittany Lions' historic rotation. Piedrahita earned her second 9.9 of the night, tying the fourth-best regionals bars score in school history and matching her career high before Rushlow posted a 9.95 to tie the regional school record. Penn State's 49.325 bars total is its program record in NCAA Regional competition.
On balance beam, the Nittany Lions erased all memory of yesterday's counted fall and put up a 49.150 as a team to set yet another regionals program record. Johnston impressed, tying her career-best score with a 9.9 as the event anchor for the Nittany Lions, and matching the regional school record on the apparatus. Salcedo's 9.875 is tied for the fourth-best regionals beam score in program history, helping push Penn State to its best beam score of the postseason. Piedrahita's 9.825 and Haleigh Gibble's 9.8 gave the Nittany Lions a solid foundation that was capped off by two historic performances.
In the final rotation of the night, Penn State put up its best event total of the night, scoring a 49.350 on floor to finish an incredible meet with the third-best regional total in school history and the Nittany Lions best floor score of the year. Three 9.9s led the Nittany Lions on the apparatus, with Piedrahita (matched career high), Jessica Johanson (career high), and Salcedo each earning the top scores for the team. Amani Herring finished off her freshman season with a 9.85 on the floor as well.
Penn State's all-around competitors performed well throughout the course of the night. Piedrahita showed out with a 39.525, setting the second-best all-around total ever for a Nittany Lion at NCAA Regional competition. Johnston and Johanson recorded a 39.350 and a 39.075, respectively, to wrap up their seasons.
REGIONAL RECORD BOOK
- Team
- 196.825 total – Regional program record and tied the 12th-best overall score in school history.
- 49.325 on bars – Set the regionals program record.
- 49.150 on beam – Set the regionals program record.
- 49.350 on floor – Tied the third-best floor score in school history…Best regionals floor score since 2014.
- Maddie Johnston
- 9.9 on beam – Tied Jessie Bastardi (2019) and Meredith Hoover (2003) for the regional program record on beam.
- 39.350 all-around – Tied the 11th-best regional all-around total in program history.
- Cassidy Rushlow
- 9.95 on bars – Tied Alissa Bonsall (2021) for the best regionals bars score in program history.
- Ava Piedrahita
- 9.9 on vault – Tied the fifth-best regionals vault score in program history...Best since Lauren Bridgens in 2018.
- 9.9 on bars – Tied the fourth-best regionals bars score in program history.
- 9.9 on floor – Tied the fifth-best regionals floor score in program history…Best since Brianna Tsang in 2016.
- 39.525 all-around – Set the second-best regional all-around total in program history…Best since Brandi Personett in 2010.
- Isabella Salcedo
- 9.875 on beam – Tied the fourth-best regionals beam score in program history.
- 9.9 on floor – Tied the fifth-best regionals floor score in program history…Best since Brianna Tsang in 2016.
- Jessica Johanson
- 9.9 on floor – Tied the fifth-best regionals floor score in program history…Best since Brianna Tsang in 2016.
FROM THE SOURCE
Head Coach Sarah Brown
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