UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's gymnastics team handed out its annual awards at the team banquet Monday. Head coach Sarah Brown gave out five individual awards and recognized additional team accomplishments at this year's end-of-season celebration.
The 60th Penn State women's gymnastics team finished its remarkable 2024 season with its first-ever trip to the Super 16 as it advanced to the Ann Arbor NCAA Regional Final. The Nittany Lions earned six out of the top 17 scores in program history in 2024, culminating with a season-high 197.050 at the NCAA Regional Finals. Penn State finished as the No. 15-ranked team in the nation, the best final standing for the team since 2014 and 25 spots better than the team's 40th-overall finish in 2022.
In addition to the following team awards, Penn State recognized its Academic All-Big Ten honorees, its Big Ten All-Championships Team winners, Isabella Salcedo and Amani Herring, and its NCAA Championships qualifier, Herring.
To honor Team 60's record-setting season, Brown handed out the following team awards:
Lynn Crane & Janae Whittaker Attitude Award – Olivia Yarussi
Given to an individual who displays a consistently upbeat attitude, in and out of the gym. This individual must be highly motivated and completely team-oriented.
Yarussi earns this year's Attitude Award thanks to her outstanding demeanor in and out of the gym. She has battled setbacks and injuries and through that, has grown as a vocal leader to her teammates. She is a hard worker, not only in the gym, but as a member of Penn State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Hairston/Samuels Improvement Award – Alyssa Kramer
Given to an individual who displays extraordinary improvement in a given time. Awarded for any facet of gymnastics.
Struggling to find your rhythm in your first collegiate season is a tough challenge to overcome. Kramer never wavered from her goals and found herself contributing to Penn State's lineups each and every week, finally recording a coveted 9.9 on floor after six 9.875s as her season progressed. Making the jump from wary newcomer to constant contributor is why Kramer earned this year's Hairston/Samuels Improvement Award.
Nittany Newcomer Award – Kalea McElligott
Given to the top performing newcomer of the year.
McElligott became Penn State's first Big Ten Freshman of the Year since 2015 and is aptly recognized as this season's Nittany Newcomer. McElligott was the top freshman all-arounder in the Big Ten, competing all four events in all but one meet in her first collegiate season. She was an integral part of Penn State's Super 16 team and will look to turn heads once again as she moves into her sophomore campaign in 2025.
Four-Year Achievement Award – Maddie Johnston
Given to the senior who has given 100% to the program throughout their entire Nittany Lion career.
Johnston has been an exemplary Nittany Lion since the day she stepped on campus. She has competed in all 51 meets in her four-year career with the Blue & White. That dedication and persistence to earn and maintain a spot in coach Brown's lineups each and every year is why Johnston was awarded just the third Four-Year Achievement Award in Penn State's history.
Allison Barber/Katie Rowland MVP Award – Ava Piedrahita
Given to an athlete who makes a scoring impact on the program above and beyond the ordinary.
A year after becoming Penn State's 97th All-American, and now a sophomore, Piedrahita went right back to work, competing the all-around in every meet of the 2024 campaign. The star led her team to its first-ever NCAA Regional Final appearance and concluded her season with a 9.925 on vault in the final meet of the season. Piedrahita amassed 589.025 total points in 2024, the most by a Nittany Lion in a single season since at least 2000. The Gaithersburg, Md. native was recognized as a First Team All-Big Ten honoree for her outstanding efforts this year.
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