UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Cassidy Rushlow (bars) and Ava Piedrahita (vault) of the Penn State women's gymnastics team will make the trip to the NCAA Women's Gymnastics National Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday, April 13 as individual qualifiers following their standout performances in regional competition. Both Penn State gymnasts will compete in session I of the National Semifinals at 3 p.m. ET, rotating with Cal.
At the Pittsburgh Regional this past weekend, Rushlow earned a 9.95 on bars which won her a trip to the NCAA Championships. To qualify, the Nittany Lion senior won the tiebreaker between the second-place bars finishers at the Pittsburgh Regional after Florida's Kayla DiCellio, the regional bars champion, moved on to the championships with her team. Piedrahita's 9.9 on vault in Pittsburgh qualified her in the same manner, with DiCellio winning the regional vault title as well.
Rushlow's 9.95 on bars in Pittsburgh tied the Penn State school record in regional competition and Piedrahita's 9.9 on vault matched the fifth-best regional vault score in program history.
For the Nittany Lions, this marks the first time that the squad will send individuals to the NCAA Championships since Jessie Bastardi (beam) and Sabrina Garcia (bars) qualified in 2019. It is the first time Penn State sent a gymnast on vault to the National Championships since Lauren Bridgens competed in the all-around in 2018.
SEASON REVIEW - CASSIDY RUSHLOW
In 2023, Rushlow posted one of the best seasons on the uneven bars that Penn State has ever seen, becoming the first Nittany Lion to record three-or-more 9.95+ scores on the apparatus in the same year, heading into the National Championships with four such marks in 2023.
- Her 9.95 at the Pittsburgh Regional is her postseason career high and tied Penn State's regional program record on the apparatus.
- Earned a career-best 9.975 on bars against Nebraska, the second-highest score in Penn State history on the event.
- Became the first gymnast in program history to earn three-or-more 9.95+ scores on bars in the same season, entering the championships with four such marks.
- Collected eight 9.9+ scores on bars throughout the season and did not record a single bars score below 9.8, earning four bars titles over the course of the season.
- Added three 9.85+ scores on balance beam, including one event title.
- Earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors, the third conference honor of her career (2020 Second Team, 2021 First Team).
SEASON REVIEW - AVA PIEDRAHITA
- Her 9.9 on vault at the Pittsburgh Regional is tied for fifth all-time in Penn State history in regional competition and was the best vault score at regionals for the Nittany Lions since Lauren Bridgens in 2018.
- She also scored a 9.9 on bars and floor in Pittsburgh, tying the fourth and fifth-best marks in Penn State history in regional competition on those events, respectively.
- Additionally, her 39.525 all-around total at regionals is Penn State's No. 2 mark all-time in regional competition and is the best all-around score for a Nittany Lion since Bridgens posted a 39.525 on Feb. 26, 2022.
- Tied the No. 9 vault score in Penn State history with a 9.95 on Feb. 24 at the Big Five meet.
- Earned four scores of 9.925+ on vault in 2023, and only recorded two scores below 9.825 on the apparatus during her first collegiate season.
- Was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, collecting the first conference honor of her career.
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Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).