TWO CAREER EVENT TITLES (ONE BALANCE BEAM, ONE FLOOR EXERCISE)
CAREER BESTS
| Event | Score | Date | Meet |
| All-Around | 39.050 | 1/15/17 | Nebraska |
| Vault | 9.850 | 2/4/17 | Michigan State |
| Uneven Bars | 9.925 | 3/9/18 | at BYU Quad Meet |
| Balance Beam | 9.900 | 3/17/19 | at WVU Quad Meet |
| Floor Exercise | 9.850 | 1/25/20 | Iowa |
2020 – SENIOR SEASON
Awards: Named an Academic All-Big Ten selection...Garnered Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors.
Season: Competed in eight meets on floor…Performed three exhibition routines on bars and two on beam…Graduated in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing…The 2020 season was canceled on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meet-by-Meet: Iowa (1/25): Earned a career-high 9.850 to place fifth. at Ohio State (2/14): Notched a 9.775 on floor. at Big Five Meet (2/22): Secured a 9.825 on floor. Florida (3/7): Recorded a 9.750 on floor.
2019 – JUNIOR SEASON
Awards: Earned an Academic All-Big Ten selection...Named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar...Selected a WCGA scholar-athlete.
Season: Appeared in 12 meets on beam…Competed in seven meets on bars.
Meet-by-Meet: at Utah (1/5): Tallied a 9.775 on beam, placing seventh. Michigan (2/16): Recorded a 9.775 on bars, good for seventh place. at Big Five Meet (2/22): Collected a 9.775 on bars. PSU Quad Meet (3/2): Placed seventh on bars with a 9.825. at Florida (3/8): Registered a 9.825 on bars, placing eighth. at WVU Quad Meet (3/17): Set a career high and claimed an event title with a 9.900 on beam. Big Ten Championships (3/23): Secured a 9.850 on bars, good for 15th overall. NCAA Regional (4/5): Tallied a 9.750 on bars.
2018 – SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Selected Academic All-Big Ten...Garnered Big Ten Distinguished Scholar accolades...Honored as a WCGA scholar-athlete.
Season: Competed in all 13 meets on floor exercise and 11 meets on beam.
Meet-by-Meet: at Maryland (1/19): Recorded a 9.750 on floor…Earned a 9.825 in an exhibition routine on bars. at Michigan State (2/4): Placed sixth on floor with a season-best 9.800…Took fourth on beam with a 9.775. at Ohio State (2/9): Collected a 9.750 on floor. George Washington (2/24): Tallied a 9.825 to place fifth on bars. at Pitt Quad Meet (3/4): Had a season-best 9.850 on beam to tie for third…Claimed third on bars with a 9.850. at BYU Quad Meet (3/9): Set a career high with a 9.925 on bars, good for third overall. at Big Five Meet (3/17): Recorded a 9.825 on bars…Added a 9.750 on beam. Big Ten Championships (3/24): Secured a 9.825 on bars…Registered a 9.800 on floor. NCAA Regional (4/7): Recorded a 9.750 on beam and floor.
2017 – FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Named All-Big Ten second team...Selected a WCGA scholar-athlete.
Season: Competed in 10 meets in all-around…Participated in 12 meets on bars, 12 meets on beam, 12 meets on floor and 10 meets on vault.
Meet-by-Meet: PSU Quad Meet (1/7): Made her Nittany Lion debut with a 9.800 on beam, placing third, and a 9.775 on bars. at Nebraska (1/15): Tallied a career-best 39.050 in all-around to finish third overall…Secured a season-best 9.875 on bars…Added a 9.800 on beam, a 9.750 on vault and a 9.750 on floor. Maryland (1/21): Collected a career high-tying 39.050 in all-around…Set a season-best with a 9.825 on floor for her first career event title…Posted a 9.775 on bars. at Illinois (1/29): Tallied a 9.825 on bars, good for second place. Michigan State (2/4): Posted a career-best 9.850 on vault…Also had a 9.850 on bars, placing second, and a 9.750 on floor. Ohio State (2/11): Secured a 9.825 on bars, placing sixth, and a 9.800 on floor. at TWU Quad Meet (2/19): Collected a 9.800 on floor, finishing eighth overall, and a 9.775 on beam. Pittsburgh (2/25): Registered a 9.850 on bars to claim second place. at Penn Quad Meet (3/5): Recorded a 9.875 on bars...Added a 9.800 on floor. Big Ten Championships (3/18): Placed 16th in all-around with a 38.775…Finished 21st on bars with a 9.800...Added a 9.750 on vault and a 9.750 on beam. NCAA Regional (4/1): Took sixth on bars with a 9.850…Finished 18th in all-around.
GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND
Trained at Rebound Gymnastics under coach Diane Farrell...Qualified for the Level 10 USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic National Championship meet six consecutive times...Finished 13th in all-around and third on floor at the 2016 national championships...Placed sixth in all-around, third on vault and fifth on bars at the 2016 regionals...Claimed second in all-around, an event title on beam, second on bars and floor and third on vault at the New Jersey state meet...Named the 2016 New Jersey Optional Gymnast of the Year across levels 7, 8, 9 and 10...Placed sixth in the nation on bars at the Level 10 National Championships in 2015...Won the all-around and swept the four events at the New Jersey state meet...Competed at Saint John Vianney High School and captained her gymnastics team to an inaugural second-place finish at the New Jersey State Championship as a senior...Named one of 30 New Jersey State Scholar-Athletes in 2016...Captured the all-around and floor exercise titles and finished second on the vault at the high school State Championship...Earned New Jersey high school sectional all-around and floor exercise championship titles and runner-up on the vault...Awarded Shore Conference all-around, vault and floor exercise champion...Broke the Shore Conference all-around record and tied the vault record...Named to the New Jersey All-State High School Girls Gymnastics Team... Four-year permanent Honor Roll of Distinction...Member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society...Earned the 2016 President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence.
PERSONAL
Full name is Kristen Marie Politz…Daughter of Mary and Ken Politz...Has two brothers, Kevin and Michael...Brother, Kevin, played soccer at Wake Forest…Shawn Johnson is her favorite athlete, “Stick It” is her favorite movie, “Friends” is her favorite TV show, Salmon is her favorite meal and Bora Bora is her dream vacation destination...Majoring in marketing…Born on September 1, 1998, in New Haven, Connecticut.
Why Penn State?
“I chose Penn State because of the indescribable college spirit I experience every time I step onto campus. I just knew this was where I wanted to continue my gymnastics career and get a great education.”