CAREER HIGHS:
Vault: 9.95 at Big 5 Meet (2/24/23)
Bars: 9.9 6x, Last at NCAA Regional Final (4/6/24)
Beam: 9.875 2x, Last at Southern Utah (3/8/24)
Floor: 9.9, 3x, Last vs. Iowa State (1/12/24)
All-Around: 39.525 2x, Last at Southern Utah (3/8/24)
2024 – SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: WCGA North East Region Co-Gymnast of the Year…First Team All-Big Ten...Academic All-Big Ten.
Season: Recorded the most points in a single season by a Nittany Lion since at least 2000, amassing 589.025 points in 15 all-around outings in 2024…Recorded seven 9.9+ scores on vault, did not score below a 9.8 on the event…Tied her career-best all-around score with a 39.525 at Southern Utah.
Meet-by-meet: Iowa State (1/12): In the Nittany Lions’ home opener, Piedrahita took the all-around crown with a 39.475…She also won the beam (9.875) and floor (9.9) titles in her first Rec Hall meet of the season…Added 9.85 tallies on vault and beam. at Rutgers (1/25): Went 9.9 on vault and bars, winning both event titles, on her way to another all-around win with 39.450 points. at Nebraska (2/17): Totaled 39.300 points in the all-around and earned the bars title with a 9.875…Earned 9.8+ totals on all four events. Big Fives (2/24): Recorded a 39.400 all-around score with 9.875 tallies on bars and floor along with a 9.85 on vault and a 9.8 on beam. at Southern Utah (3/8): Won the vault and all-around titles in Penn State’s third-best true road meet in school history…Tied her career high with a 39.525 all-around total including a season-best 9.925 vault, a 9.9 on bars, a 9.875 on beam, and a 9.825 on floor. at NC State w/Penn, Texas Woman’s (3/10): Completed her two-meet weekend with an incredible 39.400 all-around score, including 9.9s on vault (event title winner) and bars once again…Added a 9.85 on floor and a 9.75 on beam. at George Washington w/Rutgers, Towson (3/17): For the third meet in a row, scored 9.9+ tallies on both vault and bars while adding a 9.85 on floor and a 9.725 on beam. Big Ten Championships (3/23): Posted 9.8+ scores on all four events, leading to a 39.275 all-around total at the conference championship meet. Regional Second Round (4/4): Recorded a 39.300 with a 9.875 on vault, a 9.85 on beam, a 9.8 on bars, and a 9.775 on floor…Helped Penn State reach its first-ever NCAA regional final. Regional Final (4/6): Posted an outstanding 9.925 on vault in the regional final…Added a 9.9 on bars and a 9.85 on floor…Finished with a 39.300 in the all-around, capping off her award-winning sophomore campaign with a strong showing.
2023 – FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Postseason All-American…Second Team All-Big Ten.
Season: Earned All-America honors on vault in her first collegiate season…Competed in the all-around in all 14 meets this season aside for her vault performance in the National Championships.
Meet-by-meet: at Keystone Classic (1/6): Posted three 9.8+ scores in her collegiate debut. at Minnesota (1/21): Hit a 9.875 on vault en route to a 39.225 all-around…Posted a 9.8 on bars and a pair of 9.775s on beam and floor. at Michigan State (2/4): Went 9.925 on vault at Michigan State, tying the second-best total of her career…Added a pair of 9.8s on bars and beam, along with a 9.825 on floor, resulting in a 39.350 all-around. at Big 5 Meet (2/24): Tied the ninth-best vault score in school history with a 9.95…finished with a 39.300 all-around score. William & Mary (3/3): Earned a 9.925 on vault, tied a season-best with a 9.9 on vault, and put up a 9.875 on bars on senior day…Racked up a 39.425 all-around total, her highest mark in the regular season. Pittsburgh Regional I (3/30): Posted a 9.8+ in all four events, earning a 39.325 all-around score. Pittsburgh Regional II (3/31): Racked up three 9.9 scores (vault, bars, floor) on her way to a 39.525 all-around total, the second highest in school history at NCAA Regional competition…Her 9.9 on vault tied the fifth-best regional vault score in school history…Her 9.9 on bars tied the fourth-best regional bars score in program history…Her 9.9 on floor tied the fifth-best regional floor total in program history. NCAA Championships (4/13): Posted a 9.875 on vault, earning sixth in her session, good for a Postseason All-America nod…Her total tied the fifth-best vault total at the NCAA Championships in school history.
GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND
Competed at Hill's Gymnastics for coaches Cynthia Smaha and Amy Martelli...- Made the Region 7 all-star team in 2019 and 2021...Placed second at nationals in 2021 and fifth at nationals in 2022...Three-time Regional Champion in 2019, 2021, and 2022...Qualified for Nastia Liukin Cup in 2018 and 2019...Placed third in the all-around at Nastia Liukin Cup in 2019.
PERSONAL
Mother is Kelly Piedrahita...Has two siblings, Tony and Kaitlyn...Enrolled in the Division of Undergraduate Studies.
Ava Piedrahita Season 2023
PositionAA
ClassFreshman
HometownGaithersburg, Md.
Previous SchoolHill's Gymnastics
Women's Gymnastics
Women’s Gymmastics Places School Record 17 on WCGA Scholastic All-America Team
Penn State’s 3.7707 team GPA ranks tenth overall in 2023-24
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Women’s Gymnastics Gives Out Annual Team Awards
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Women’s Gymnastics Dances into Ann Arbor Regional Finals
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Women’s Gymnastics Set for NCAA Regional Competition
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Women’s Gymnastics Earns WCGA North East Region Awards
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McElligott Named Big Ten Freshman of the Year
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Big Ten Championships Slated for No. 24 Women’s Gymnastics
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Piedrahita Lands on All-Big Ten First Team
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No. 23 Women’s Gymnastics Posts Second-Best Road Score of the Season
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No. 23 Women’s Gymnastics Set for Two-Meet Weekend
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No. 22 Women’s Gymnastics to Host Senior Night Quad Meet
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No. 22 Women’s Gymnastics Posts Highest Big Five Score Since 2016
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No. 23 Women’s Gymnastics Set for Saturday Night Matchup at Nebraska
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Women’s Gymnastics Earns Best Road Score of the Season at Ohio State
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Women’s Gymnastics Travels to No. 15 Ohio State Friday
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Women’s Gymnastics to Host No. 16 Minnesota Saturday Afternoon
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Women’s Gymnastics Defeats Rutgers in Tough Road Competition
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Matchup With Rutgers on Thursday Night Set for Women’s Gymnastics
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Big Ten Opener Against Michigan State Slated for Women’s Gymnastics
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Home Opener Against Iowa State set for Women’s Gymnastics
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Women’s Gymnastics Wins Keystone Classic
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Women’s Gymnastics Set for Keystone Classic Season-Opener
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Salcedo, McElligott Named Gymnasts to Watch by Big Ten
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Women’s Gymnastics Hands Out Annual Team Awards
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Piedrahita Earns Postseason All-America Honors on Vault
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Rushlow, Piedrahita Primed for National Championship Competition
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Nittany Lions Roar Past Towson, Move to Regional Semifinal
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Women’s Gymnastics Set for NCAA Regional Competition Against Towson
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Women’s Gymnastics Earns Spot in Pittsburgh NCAA Regional
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Women’s Gymnastics Prepares for Big Ten Championships
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Women’s Gymnastics’ Rushlow, Piedrahita Named to All-Big Ten Second Team
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Women’s Gymnastics Posts Highest Team Score Since 2016
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Women’s Gymnastics Set for Regular Season Finale at No. 9 Auburn
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Women’s Gymnastics Upsets No. 21 Maryland at Big Five Meet
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Women’s Gymnastics Upsets No. 21 Maryland at Big Five Meet
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Women’s Gymnastics Travels to Nebraska for Big Five Meet
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Women’s Gymnastics Travels to Nebraska for Big Five Meet
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Nittany Lions Fall to No. 13 Ohio State
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Women’s Gymnastics Set for Big Ten Dual with No. 13 Ohio State
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Women’s Gymnastics to Host Nebraska at Rec Hall on Friday Night
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Nittany Lions Fall to No. 13 Michigan State in Road Matchup
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Women’s Gymnastics Set for Road Tilt at No. 13 Michigan State
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Nittany Lions Roar to Convincing Win Over Rutgers in Big Ten Home Opener
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Women’s Gymnastics Primed for B1G Home Opener on Monday Night
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Penn State Places First out of Four in Home Opener
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Women’s Gymnastics to Host Home Opener Friday Night
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Nittany Lions Hit the Road for Two Opening Weekend Competitions
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Nittany Lions Hit the Road for Two Opening Weekend Competitions
Women's Gymnastics