Ava Piedrahita Season 2023

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.