UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — No. 22 Pen State women’s gymnastics will compete against Maryland in College Park on Friday, Feb. 7 as conference duals continue for the Nittany Lions.
Head Coach Sarah Brown’s Nittany Lions battled through adversity and finished strong to earn their best team score of the season against Illinois. The 61st team in Penn State women’s gymnastics history has showcased great displays of leadership and determination through the first five weeks of the 2025 campaign. With more to prove, the Nittany Lions seek to win their third consecutive Big Ten dual meet when they travel to Maryland on Friday.
TUNE IN LIVE
LAST TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions opened conference play at home, first against Rutgers and most recently against Illinois. Penn State won its first regular season matchup against Illinois since 2019 in a close affair, a 196.325-195.900 victory. A sensational floor performance in its last rotation of the night pushed Penn State over the edge to earn the win.
True freshman Elizabeth Leary completed her third all-around of the season, compiling a career-best total of 39.175 while Kalea McElligott finished her second all-around with a season-best 39.275. McElligott is currently ranked 36th in the nation in the all-around and is top-ten in the Big Ten.
VAULT – No. 32
Penn State comes in at No. 32 in vault after recording a 48.850 total against Illinois. The rotation was highlighted by two scores of 9.8-or-higher, topped off by Maddie Johnston’s score of 9.825 and Leary’s 9.8.
BARS – No. 16
The Nittany Lions continued their dominance on bars by compiling a 49.075 against the Fighting Illini. The group was led by Cassi Barbanente and Dani Latronica, who each recorded 9.875 scores. Latronica, a true freshman, ranks tenth in the Big Ten in average bars score. Leary, McElligott and Johnston each earned 9.775 scores. The fantastic performance keeps Penn State ranked within the top 20 in the nation on bars.
BEAM – No. 29
The Nittany Lions continued to improve their score through each rotation, and on beam, they achieved a season-high score of 49.175. A pair of 9.875 totals from Amani Herring and McElligott fronted the Penn State beam group. Johnston finished right behind the pair, earning a 9.850 while Leary recorded a 9.8 to round out the top four in Penn State’s third rotation.
FLOOR – No. 21
Penn State used its last rotation on floor, and a pair of 9.9 scores, to win the meet over Illinois. Alyssa Kramer and McElligott’s career-best-tying 9.9 totals pushed the Nittany Lions to their second-straight win. Isabella Salcedo tallied a new season-high score with a 9.875 while Leary finished her all-around night with a 9.8.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and X/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).