CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 19 Penn State used a spectacular showing on the uneven bars to secure wins over Nebraska and North Carolina on Friday evening in Carmichael Arena with a team score of 196.875.
Elizabeth Leary competed in the all-around and won with a 39.250 for a new season-high. Ava Piedrahita secured a pair of event titles on the vault and uneven bar apparatuses and Dani Latronica earned an event title on balance beam, the seventh on the event she’s earned this season and the most by any Nittany Lion on a single event.
BEAM (48.975)
Ellie Monahan and Ashley Maul started out the rotation for the Nittany Lions with the pair grabbing 9.750s each. Leary, in the first event of her all-around performance, tallied a 9.775 on her routine. On the last two performances of the routine, Alyssa Kramer and Latronica showed out. The junior, Kramer, put up a 9.825 while the anchor sophomore, Latronica, recorded a 9.875.
FLOOR (49.275)
Leary started off the floor routine for Penn State with a 9.850 followed closely by Monahan who had a 9.850 of her own. Bella Misiura, the sophomore, secured a 9.825 on the exercise while Jessica Johanson recorded a 9.875 for a new season-high. Kalea McElligott snagged a 9.800 while on the floor and Kramer anchored the event with a 9.875. The 49.275 team score was the fourth-consecutive performance on the floor exercise with a 49.200 or higher for the Nittany Lions and the second-highest this season for the Blue and White.
VAULT (49.225)
Leary again opened things up for Penn State. On the vault apparatus, the all-around sophomore secured a 9.750 while Latronica followed up with her routine of a 9.800. Sophomore Allison Kaempfer set a new career-high with a 9.875 and the freshman Ava Cash registered a 9.800, the eighth of her career. Johanson tallied a 9.850 in the penultimate spot in the lineup and Piedrahita, the AAI Award nominee, grabbed a 9.900 for the fourth time this season. The 49.225 that the team recorded was the highest by the Nittany Lions this season.
BARS (49.400)
Johanson started off the rotation for Penn State with a 9.750 on the uneven bars apparatus. Monahan followed up the graduate’s routine by posting a 9.800, the third meet in a row where she had a 9.800 or better. Leary kept the momentum going for the Nittany Lions with a 9.875, the fourth time she’s scored at a 9.875 or higher. Piedrahita and Cash then put on a show with back-to-back stellar performances. Piedrahita set a new career-high on the apparatus with a 9.950 and Cash did the same with a 9.925. Latronica anchored with a 9.850.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions will take part in the second session of the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Illinois at State Farm Arena on Saturday, March 21st at 1 p.m. ET.