B1G+ • Live Stats • Meet Notes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are looking to continue the team’s hot start to the season and is set to head east to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-2, 0-2 Big Ten) at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J. on Sunday, February 1st at 2 p.m. The trip to Piscataway will be the second Big Ten away meet that the Nittany Lions have taken part in this season, with the first being a 196.075-194.100 victory over Illinois.
LAST TIME OUT
In a meet that had to be moved up due to inclement weather, Penn State put on one of the greatest showings in program history. The Blue and White tallied a total score of 197.250, the third-highest team score in the history of Penn State women’s gymnastics, and the ninth-highest in Division 1 during 2026.
The Nittany Lions bars routine was the program’s third-best in team history thanks to Dani Latronica’s stunning 9.950 routine. Ava Piedrahita added on to the bars show with a 9.900 of her own, the second consecutive week with a 9.900 or higher. Penn State had it’s sixth best ever showing on floor thanks to the trio of Bella Misiura, Kalea McElligott and Alyssa Kramer putting up scores of 9.900 or above, with Kramer setting a new career-high with a nearly perfect 9.975.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Blue and White continue to climb in the national and event rankings. After the dominant third meet, Penn State is ranked no. 13 in the all-around in the Road to Nationals rankings, the third highest ranking in the Big Ten. All of the Nittany Lions’ events are also ranked inside the top-20 with vault at no. 18, floor at no. 17, beam at no. 13 and bars inside the top-10 at seventh in the nation.
Latronica leads Penn State with a pair of national and Big Ten rankings. Her uneven bars routine is the 19th-best in the country and sixth-highest average in the Big Ten while her beam is ranked at 40 and eighth in the Big Ten. Elizabeth Leary’s bars routine is 40th and 12th in the country and Big Ten, respectively, while Kramer’s floor is 27th and seventh in the same order. McElligott has the 41st-best floor routine in the country and the ninth best in the Big Ten while Allison Kaempfer’s vault is 14th in the Big Ten. Piedrahita’s vault is also ranked no. 14 and her bars is eighth in Division 1 and third in the conference.
SERIES HISTORY
The Nittany Lions have dominated the all-time series against the Scarlet Knights, 29-2, and won last year’s meet in Rec Hall, 194.825-194.550. In that meet, Penn State won every event except for the beam with McElligott securing a 9.875 on the floor and alum, Gabrielle Gallentine, securing a 9.900 on bars.
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and X/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).