UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 6 Penn State men’s gymnastics begind its postseason run this weeken, taking on the 2026 Big Ten Championships hosted by Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. The event is set to begin Friday at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network for fans at home. Saturday's individual finals will also be broadcast via BTN and is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Date: Friday, April 3 at 8 p.m. ET | Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln, Neb. | Venue: Pinnacle Bank Arena
MEETING HISTORY
Last season, the Nittany Lions took home a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, hosted by Michigan. In the team championship section, PSU used 11 sticks to secure the silver, matching the best finish by PSU since the team won the Championship in 2019.
In last year's event, PSU sent seven Nittany Lions to Saturday’s individual finals to compete on 13 different routines. Four of the seven earned podium finishes in the Crisler Center, including event champion Josh Karnes, who won his second Big Ten parallel bars title, earning his third consecutive first team All-Big ten honor.
LAST TIME OUT
No. 6 men’s gymnastics dropped a tightly contested match against No. 5 Ohio State, 317.950-315.500, to close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon in Rec Hall. Penn State grabbed four event titles in the loss, with a few missed routines dropping PSU out of the lead in the final two rotations.
ALL-AMERICAN KIDS
Penn State men’s gymnastics had four student-athletes named College Gymnastics Association (CGA) Regular Season All-Americans this season. The group, consisting of Luke Esparo, Akseli Karsikas, Landon Simpson, and Matt Underhill, garnered the most honors for the Nittany Lions since the 2024 season.
CGA Regular Season All-Americans comprise of the eight student athletes with the highest four-score average on each apparatus. This year’s vault list is expanded due to a tie in scoring.
Esparo, who was forced to retire the rest of this season following injury, currently ranks sixth on the still rings with a four-score average of 13.817. His highest score of the season, a 14.300 at the Sam Mikulak Invitational, is the nation’s fifth-best score this season. His other counted scores include a 14.100 against Illinois, a 13.900 and a 13.450, both at the West Point Open.
Karsikas, who ranks fifth nationally on the high bar with a four-score average of 13.783. His highest score of the season, a 14.000 against Ohio State, is the nation’s 13th-best score this season, but his consistent scoring ranks him among the top high bar athletes in the country. His other counted scores are a 13.850 at Nebraska, a 13.800 at Michigan, and a 13.700 against Illinois.
Simpson currently ranks seventh on the parallel bars with a four-score average of 13.800. His highest score of the season, a 14.150 against Ohio State, is tied for the nation’s fifth-best score this season. His other counted scores include a 13.900 at Michigan, a 13.800 at Nebraska, and a 13.700 at the Sam Mikulak Invitational.
Underhill is the highest ranked Nittany Lion across all six apparatuses. His top score of 14.700 at the Sam Mikulak Invitational is still tied for the nation’s best rings routines of the year. His other counted scores include a 14.200 against Ohio State, a 13.900 at Nebraska, and a 13.750 against Army.
B1G HONORS
Penn State men’s gymnastics freshman Shaun Smith has been tabbed as the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year, the conference offices announced Wednesday afternoon. He becomes the fifth Penn State gymnast to earn Freshman of the Year honors, and the first since Sam Zakutney was recognized in the 2017 season. In addition to Smith’s recognition, junior Landon Simpson was the Penn State representative on the Sportsmanship Award team.
Smith, who is a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree this season, ranks 28th nationally on floor. His four-score average sits at a 13.350. He sits at 14th nationally on vault, as the team heads into the postseason. His four-sore average sits at 14.100 and owns a season-best score of 14.200 on the event.
Simpson enters his postseason as a College Gymnastics Association regular season All-American on the parallel bars, with a four-score average of 13.800. In addition to his p-bar prowess, he ranks 19th on the pommel horse, 23rd on vault, and has posted the tenth-best score in the all-around this season.
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.