ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The 25th-ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team concluded its record-setting season with a 197.050 in the Ann Arbor Regional Finals of the 2024 NCAA Gymnastics Championships on Saturday, April 6.
Head Coach Sarah Brown's Penn State squad saved its best two rotations for last as it used an outstanding 49.375 on bars and 49.300 on beam to achieve its regional school record-setting 197.050 total score. The Nittany Lions' bars total not only set yet another regional school record, but tied the fourth-best total on the apparatus in program history.
The Nittany Lions' rock-solid bar rotation was highlighted by a season-high-tying 9.925 by senior leader Cassidy Rushlow. In her final team competition with the Blue & White, Rushlow put on a show for her teammates and the Nittany Lion faithful in attendance at the Crisler Center.
ROTATION RECAP
Penn State's opening rotation on floor scored them a 49.200, highlighted by a 9.875 by Isabella Salcedo. Alyssa Kramer and Ava Piedrahita each scored 9.850s on the apparatus and 9.8 totals from Jessica Johanson and Amani Herring rounded out the Nittany Lion scorers in the first rotation.
On vault, Piedrahita shined, sticking a 9.925 as the team's anchor, tying her season high with the highest-scoring vault for a Nittany Lion at regionals since 2012. Three 9.825 totals, from Johanson, Salcedo and Maddie Johnston, helped the Nittany Lions to a 49.200 score on the apparatus.
Penn State put up one of the top bar totals in program history in the third rotation of the evening, scoring a 49.375 thanks to Rushlow's 9.925 and a pair of 9.9 scores from Gabbie Gallentine and Ava Piedrahita. A 9.85 from Johnston and a 9.800 from Kalea McElligott rounded out the Nittany Lion scorers.
In the final rotation of the evening, Salcedo's 9.925 led Penn State to a 49.300 balance beam score. Herring recorded a 9.9 while 9.825 totals from McElligott, Johnston and Maul rounded out the top five scorers for Penn State.
Piedrahita scored a 39.300 in the all-around while McElligott earned a 39.150.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and X/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
