UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 20 Penn State Nittany Lions are set to travel to Tempe, Ariz. to compete in the Arizona State Regional of the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships on Thursday, April 2 at 10 p.m. and will air on ESPN+. The Nittany Lions will join three-seed Florida and 14-seed California, along with the winner of the April 1 play-in between Arizona and host Arizona State.
Penn State’s appearance marks its fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and the 49th in program history, continuing a tradition of sustained success on the national stage.
The Nittany Lions will start on floor before continuing to vault then bars and finishing the competition on beam.
LAST TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions placed sixth at the Big Ten Championships, tallying a 196.000 team score across all four rotations. Penn State recorded a 48.950 on vault, 49.100 on uneven bars, 48.825 on balance beam and 49.125 on floor exercise in a well-rounded team performance.
Penn State’s strongest showing came on bars and floor, where the Nittany Lions surpassed the 49.100 mark on both events. Dani Latronica and Elizabeth Leary led the way on bars with matching scores of 9.875, tying for the top score among Penn State competitors on the apparatus. Leary also delivered a strong all-around performance, posting a 39.225 behind scores of 9.775 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.750 on beam and 9.825 on floor. Her consistency across all four events highlighted her role as a steady presence in the lineup.
On floor, Kalea McElligott led the rotation with a 9.850, while multiple Nittany Lions contributed scores of 9.800 or higher. Penn State continued to show depth throughout the meet, with routines at or above 9.800 across each event helping the team reach the 196.000 mark.
B1G HONORS
Head Coach Sarah Brown had three All-Big Ten honorees during the 2026 season. Latronica earned a First Team nod while Ava Piedrahita and Ava Cash were selected to the Second Team. Cash additionally earned All-Freshman honors.
Latronica has been one of Penn State’s most consistent performers, recording a 9.895 NQS on uneven bars and a 9.910 NQS on balance beam, both ranking among the top marks in the conference. She has tallied multiple scores of 9.900 or higher throughout the season and has been a key contributor in both rotations.
Piedrahita continued her strong return from injury, earning her third career All-Big Ten honor. She holds a 9.875 NQS on both vault and bars, ranking among the top competitors in the conference on each apparatus, and recently posted a career-high 9.950 on bars.
Cash made an immediate impact in her freshman campaign, recording a 9.895 NQS on uneven bars, which ranks among the top scores in the Big Ten. She has produced five scores of 9.900 or higher on the event this season, while also contributing on vault with a 9.835 NQS.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Penn State enters the NCAA Regional ranked No. 20 in the country with a team NQS of 196.470. The Nittany Lions hold a 49.028 NQS on vault, 49.243 on uneven bars, 49.078 on balance beam and 49.158 on floor exercise.
The Blue & White have been especially strong on bars, ranking 11th nationally and second in the Big Ten, while also checking in at 18th nationally on beam, sixth in the conference. Penn State is ranked 23rd nationally on vault and 26th on floor, sitting seventh in the Big Ten on both events.
Individually, Latronica leads Penn State on bars, ranking 40th nationally, while also sitting 23rd in the NCAA on beam and eighth and fifth in the Big Ten on bars and beam, respectively. She leads the team with 11 event titles this season, including 10 scores of 9.900 or higher, and recorded eight consecutive meets with a 9.900 or better. On beam, she has posted a 9.900 or higher in six straight routines prior to the Big Ten Championship.
Cash joins Latronica in the national rankings on uneven bars, sitting 47th nationally and tenth in the Big Ten, while Piedrahita ranks sixth in the conference on vault and 40th nationally.
NQS OUTLOOK
After a strong 2026 season, Penn State’s total team NQS (196.470) is the best it has been in the past two years with the second-highest average NQS (196.496) and the second-best single-meet high score in the North East Region. The Nittany Lions have posted a 196.000 team score or higher in every meet during the 2026 season, including a 197.250 team tally against Maryland, the third-best team score in program history and the highest team score since 2013.
Penn State’s improved its vault NQS (49.028) by over a tenth a point from the 2025 campaign (48.910). Throughout the 2026 season, the Nittany Lions tallied a team vault score of 49.000 or higher in eight meets, including a four-meet stretch prior to the Big Ten Championships. The Blue & White turned in one of their strongest vault performances late in the season, posting a team season-high 49.225 at the UNC Tri-Meet (March 13). That score surpassed their previous best of 49.200 set at the Big Ten Quad (Feb. 28). Penn State features three gymnasts ranked inside the top 11 in vault NQS in the Northeast Region: Piedrahita, Cash, and Jessica Johanson. Sophomore Allison Kaempfer sits just outside the top 20, coming in at no. 21.
Penn State’s bars NQS (49.243) is the highest by any Nittany Lions squad since the 2018 season (49.275) and the third-highest since 1998 with only the 2001 having a higher NQS (49.280). The Nittany Lions have recorded team scores of 49.100 or above in all but one meet this year, including six straight meets at 49.200 or above going into the Big Ten Championships and five Penn State gymnasts rank inside the top-20 in NQS. The Blue & White have recorded three of the top scores in program history during the 2026 campaign, with a 49.450 against Maryland (Jan. 24), which ranks third all-time, a 49.400 at the UNC Tri-Meet (March 13), fifth in program history, and a 49.375 against Minnesota (Feb. 14), tied for sixth-best ever for the Nittany Lions.
The Penn State floor unit has improved by a tenth a point in NQS (49.158) compared to last year’s NQS (49.055). Throughout the 2026 campaign, the Nittany Lions have scored a 49.000 on the exercise in all but one meet while recording a season-high 49.475 against Maryland (1/25), the sixth-highest team floor score in program history and the highest team floor score since the 2013 season.
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and X/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).