UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 6 Penn State men’s gymnastics is back in action this weeken, hosting No. 5 Ohio State in Rec Hall on Sunday afternoon in University Park, Pennsylvania. The event is set to begin at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network for fans at home..
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Date: Sunday, March 22 at 3 p.m. ET
Location: University Park, Pa. | Venue: Rec Hall
MEETING HISTORY
Penn State is 21-15 all-time against the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions have won two of the last five dual meets against Ohio State, dating back to the 2021 season.
LAST TIME OUT
No. 6 men’s gymnastics fell to than-No. 5 ranked Michigan, 326.250-311.550, in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday, March 7. The PSU score marked the second lowest score of the season for the Blue & White, which posted just four sticks on the day and faced two event scores under 50.
SENIOR DAY
Penn State will celebrate five graduates at this weekend's meet. Graduate student Kellen Ryan and seniors Matt Underhill, Will Fleck, Ian Raubal, and Kacper Garnczarek will all be recognized for their accomplishments in a post-meet ceremony on Sunday.
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 travels to Lincoln, Nebraska for the 2026 Big Ten Championships set to take place from Friday, April 3 to Saturday, April 4.