EAST LANSING, Mich. – The 24th-ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team recorded a 195.825 team total in session I of the 2024 Big Ten Championships on Saturday afternoon in Jenison Field House.
The Nittany Lions finished eighth in the conference as Michigan State took the team title with a 197.600, followed by Minnesota (197.500), and Michigan (197.200). Isabella Salcedo and Amani Herring earned spots on the All-Championships team thanks to their 9.9 floor scores.
Penn State battled through its first two rotations, with Ava Piedrahita leading Penn State with 9.8-plus scores on both bars and beam. Following the bye, the Nittany Lions recorded their best team total of the meet, securing a 49.150 on floor, including a pair of 9.9 totals. The team then followed with a 49.125 on vault, recording its highest vault total at the Big Ten Championships since 2015.
ROTATION RECAP
Following a first-rotation bye, Penn State's bars group posted a 48.950 team score in the second rotation of the afternoon. Led by a 9.85 from Piedrahita, a 9.825 from Maddie Johnston, and 9.800 totals from Gabbie Gallentine and Cassidy Rushlow, the Nittany Lions posted a solid start on bars.
On beam, the Nittany Lions received a strong starting routine, a 9.8 from Piedrahita, but struggled to complement their top scorer. Kalea McElligott's 9.75 and Maddie Johnston's 9.725 rounded out Penn State's top three scores on the apparatus.
In the fifth rotation, Penn State bounced back in a big way, securing a pair of 9.9 scores on floor in its highest-scoring rotation of the day, a 49.150 team total. Herring and Salcedo each posted 9.9 tallies to lead the Nittany Lions while Piedrahita secured her third 9.8-plus of the day with a 9.825. Penn State's freshman wrapped up the scorers for the squad, with Alyssa Kramer recording a 9.775 and Ashley Maul earning a 9.75.
In the sixth and final rotation, the Nittany Lions posted a 49.125, recording their best vault total at a Big Ten Championship meet since 2015. Penn State recorded three 9.85 scores on vault as Johnston, Salcedo, and Herring each recorded the mark. Piedrahita (9.8) and Jessica Johanson (9.775) rounded out the scorers for the Nittany Lions in the final rotation of the day.
Piedrahita recorded a 39.275 all-around total, earning 9.8-or-better tallies in all four of her events at the Big Ten Championships. Her mark this season improved her total from last year's conference meet.
WHAT'S NEXT
With the conference meet concluded, Penn State will tune in to Monday's NCAA Gymnastics selection show to find out where it will travel for its 2024 NCAA Gymnastics Regional.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and X/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
