UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 5 Penn State men’s gymnastics will host No. 4 Nebraska on Sunday, March 16 at Rec Hall for the team’s senior day meet. A win for the Nittany Lions would clinch at least a share of the 2025 Big Ten men’s gymnastics regular season title.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Date: March 16 at 3:30 p.m.
Location: University Park, Pa | Venue: Rec Hall
PROMO – Senior Day
Doors open at 2:30 p.m.
Admission is free
Spectators can find sport-by-sport parking HERE
TUNE IN
LAST TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions stuck nine landings and hit all but one routine in a 321-750-312.550 win over then ranked No. 5 Illinois. In the meet, Penn State gymnasts took home four event titles.
Of the four individual titles, senior Josh Karnes took home three, winning the floor, parallel bars, and high bar. For his efforts, Karnes was named the College Gymnastics Association’s Gymnast of the Week.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
No. 4-ranked Nebraska enters the weekend with a 3-2 overall record and a 1-1 conference mark. The Cornhuskers most recently bested No. 3 Ohio State with a 325.650-321.450 final score in the Devaney Center.
Nebraska’s Chase Mondi has been a force this season on the floor exercise. Mondi ranks second with a four-score average of 14.033. He also ranks fifth nationally on the vault with a four-score average of 14.167.
MEETING HISTORY
Nebraska owns a narrow 8-7 advantage over the Nittany Lions in the all-time series which dates back to 1983.
The Cornhuskers have had edge lately, winning four of the last five head-to-head meetings.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
For the first time since the 2023 season, and only the second season since 2020, Penn State has a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award, which highlights the nation’s top men’s gymnast. Senior Josh Karnes has been named one of seven finalists for the award, the College Gymnastics Association (CGA) announced Tuesday afternoon.
Karnes, a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, finished his 2024 season with a bronze medal at the NCAA Championships on the Parallel Bars after being securing the event title at Big Ten individual championships the same season. The senior is a five time All-American, earning the nod in the All-Around and Parallel Bars in both 2023 and 2024 in addition to earning the honor on the Vault in 2023.
This season, Karnes has earned Gymnast of the Week honors from the Big Ten and Specialist of the Week honors from the CGA. The Communications and Media Studies major is currently the nation’s No. 2-ranked Parallel Bars gymnast with a four-score average of 14.033. His High Bar numbers have been equally as impressive this year. He ranks fifth in the country on the event with a four-score average of 13.683. As the anchor for the event, he has helped Penn State to secure its last two meet wins, including the upset over No. 2-ranked Stanford.
The “Heisman Trophy” of gymnastics, the Nissen-Emery Award is inscribed with the following motto: “The true champion seeks excellence physically, mentally, socially, and morally.”
2025 SEASON PREVIEW
The Nittany Lions entered their 2025 campaign ranked sixth in the College Gymnastics Association (CGA) Preseason Coaches Poll.
Head coach Randy Jepson returns for his 34th season at the helm of the program along with associate head coach Tony Beck (ninth season) and assistant coach Carlos Vazquez (13th season).
Penn State finished their 2024 season 3-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten. The team has 14 returners including All-Americans Josh Karnes, Michael Artlip, and Luke Esparo.
Karnes finished the 2024 season as an NCAA Bronze Medalist following his third-place finish in the parallel bars at the national championships.
Karnes along with graduate student Matt Cormier were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch after stellar regular and off seasons.
The team has a new face. Graduate Student Kellen Ryan will make his debuts with the Nittany Lions, joining the program from the University of Minnesota.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions will head on the road to Columbus, meeting Big Ten foe Ohio State on Sunday, February 9 at 1 p.m. at the Covelli Center. The match will be streamed live via B1G+.