UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 6 Penn State men’s gymnastics hosts No. 7 Illinois on Sunday, February 1 for the team's first taste of conference dual competition this season. The event is set to begin at 1 p.m. and will be streamed live via B1G+.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Date: Sunday, February 1 at 1 p.m.
Location: University Park, Pa. | Venue: Rec Hall
LAST TIME OUT
Penn State men’s gymnastics tied for second with fellow Big Ten opponent Illinois at the 2026 Sam Mikulak Invitational. PSU’s 317.650 trailed behind only Evo Gymnastics, a team comprised of some of the best gymnasts in the country, in the final standings.
At the event, Matt Underhill’s ring rotation was the best in the nation so far this season, as he posted a 14.700. The score was the best nationally by six tenths until teammate Luke Esparo notched the second-best score nationally with a 14.300. The stellar team performance on rings moved the Nittany Lions atop the leaderboard.
Underhill and teammate Shaun Smith each earned a Big Ten Athlete of the Week honor for their efforts at the meet.
MEETING HISTORY
This is Penn State’s first attendance at the annual Sam Mikulak Invitational, while the event enters its third season. Penn State will face off against Illinois and Air Force in addition to club gyms Florida Storm, Aussie Gems, EVO Gymnastics, Gymnastics Saskatchewan, Kovacs Gymnastics, and all Level 10 Event Qualifiers.
2026 SEASON PREVIEW
The Nittany Lions entered their 2026 campaign ranked seventh in the College Gymnastics Association (CGA) Preseason Coaches Poll.
Head coach Randy Jepson returns for his 35th season at the helm of the program along with associate head coach Tony Beck (10th season) and assistant coach Carlos Vazquez (14th season). Vazquez received the prestigious Honor Coach Award from the CGA at the conclusion. The award recognizes a member-coach of twenty-five years or more who has gained the admiration of his coaching associates. The Honor Coach Award Committee selects the recipient of this award each year by a secret ballot. The chairman presents this, the most prestigious of all gymnastics coaches’ awards, at the banquet prior to the NCAA Championship.
As a trio, the group was recognized as the CGA Central Region Coaching Staff of the year.
Penn State finished their 2025 season with a 6-1 overall record and 3-1 conference mark, good for a Big Ten regular season title. The team went on to have a record book finish in the post season, grabbing a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and earning the best PSU team finish in nearly a decade with s fifth-place spot at the NC Championships. The team has nine returners including All-Americans Matt Underhill and Luke Esparo.
Underhill is the lone returner to the roster with 2025 All-American honors after being recognized by the CGA for his work on rings during the regular season. Esparo is expected to be another big contributor this season foe the Nittany Lions after having to miss the 2025 season due to injury. The Wallingford, Connecticut, native was an All-American in his freshman season back in 2024.
Akseli Kasikas, who spend the summer and fall at various national team events with Finland, is back in action for the Blue & White. He and teammate Kacper Garnczarek were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch heading into 2026.
In addition to the returners, Penn State added a class of seven new faces to the roster.
UP NEXT
Penn State next hits the road to Nebraska on Saturday, February 7 at 4 p.m. The meet will stream live via B1G+.