CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No.17 Penn State Nittany Lions placed third in the Big Ten Championships Session II with the team’s 16th consecutive 196.000 team score or higher on Saturday afternoon at State Farm Arena. Iowa took first with a 196.700 followed by Ohio State with a 196.250. Penn State was behind the Buckeyes with a 196.000 and Maryland fell in last with a 195.300.
VAULT (48.950)
Elizabeth Leary started Penn State off on vault. The sophomore phenom notched a 9.775 with the First Team All-Big Ten honoree, Dani Latronica, adding a 9.750 to the Nittany Lion score. Allison Kaempfer secured a 9.725 and the Big Ten All-Freshman Team selectee, Ava Cash, put up a 9.800 in the fourth spot in the rotation. Jessica Johanson secured a 9.775 while Second Team All-Big Ten honoree, Ava Piedrahita, put up a 9.850.
BARS (49.100)
Johanson and Ellie Monahan put up similar efforts to lead the Penn State bar routine, notching a 9.750 and 9.725 for the Blue and White, respectively. Leary was able to add a spectacular routine to secure the Nittany Lions a 9.875. Piedrahita added a 9.800 with Cash following that up with another 9.800. Latronica closed out the routine for Penn State with a 9.875.
BEAM (48.825)
Monahan started out the Penn State beam routine with a solid 9.750 on the apparatus. Ashley Maul followed up the sophomore with a 9.700 with Leary alongside her with a 9.800. Kalea McElligott and Leary put up a 9.800 and 9.750, respectively, while Latronica showed off her recorded a 9.825.
FLOOR (49.125)
The Blue and White had a strong start to the quad style meet on the floor. Leary started the Nittany Lions on the exercise with a 9.825 while Monahan was not far behind her and tallied a 9.800. Bella Misiura put up a 9.825 and McElligott started out the second half of the rotation with a 9.850. Johanson was close behind her with a 9.825 while Alyssa Kramer, the anchor of the Penn State rotation, secured a 9.800.
UP NEXT
Penn State will find out its postseason fate when the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Selection Show airs at 12 p.m. on Monday, March 23rd on ESPNU.