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Lion Career
2009 (Sophomore):NACGC/W Scholar-Athlete ... competed in 12 meets on beam and three meets on floor ... averaged a 9.683 on beam and a 9.383 on floor ... on beam, scored higher than 9.750 on five occasions ... scored a career-high 9.850 at West Virginia (3/9) to win beam ... recorded a score of 9.775 at the NCAA Championships ... recorded a season-high 9.650 on floor versus Alabama and Ohio State (3/1).
2008 (Freshman): NACGC/W Scholar-Athlete ... saw action in 11 meets on beam, also competing on floor six times and vault once ... averaged a 9.582 on beam (11 meets) and a 9.663 on floor (six meets) ... reached her career high four times on beam, posting a 9.775 at Pittsburgh (1/11), at New Hampshire (2/9), at Arizona State (3/7) and at home against Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers (3/21), placing second at Pittsburgh and third at New Hampshire ... recorded a career-high and third-place 9.800 on floor in the opening meet of the season at Pittsburgh (1/11) ... finished the season with four consecutive floor routines of 9.700 or better, including a 9.775 at the NCAA Regional Championships (4/12) High School/Club
Attended Oceanside High School in Oceanside, N.Y. ... competed for Phoenix Gymnastics in Bethpage, N.Y. ... was a four-time Level 10 National Qualifier ... placed second in the all-around at 2006 Regionals ... earned first place on the beam at the 2005 Regionals ... placed second on vault, beam and floor at multiple Regional Championships ... was a member of the High Honor Roll ... earned Most Outstanding Student in Art, Band and Music Theory ... AP Scholar with distinction ... earned a 99.9 average ... is a Schreyer Honors Student at Penn State. Personal
Born Melissa Gail Klein on April 27, 1989 in Long Island, N.Y. ... parents are Susan and Robert Klein ... has one brother, Nolan (25) ... majoring in Painting and Drawing and after graduation would like to attend graduate school for art ... names Indian food as favorite food, 'American Beauty' as favorite movie, 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garcia Maquez as favorite book, Art and Creative Writing as favorite school subjects and Svetlana Korkina as favorite athlete ... names goals for this season as 'win Big Tens and rock NCAAs!' ... nickname is Mel.
Why Penn State?
'I chose Penn State because I wanted to be on a team that would challenge me to be the best gymnast I could be. I also like that it is a big school with a lot of academic opportunities.' Quoting Coach Shephard
'Mel is working hard to become a major contributor on beam, floor exercise and vault.' Melissa's Favorite Quote
'In the theater of dreams we are sleeping in the aisle.' ~Rickie Lee Jones Inside Women's Gymnastics: A Q&A with Melissa