Jan. 17, 2009
Complete Results in PDF Format
Champaign, Ill. - The 11th-ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team fell to No. 19 Illinois Saturday night in Champaign, Ill., 195.500-192.925. Freshman Whitney Bencsko (Pompton Plains, N.J.) claimed her first career collegiate event title as she recorded a 9.900 on vault and junior Allie Southard (Nanuet, N.Y.) tied for first on beam with a career-high 9.850, also her first career event title.
As a team, the Nittany Lions posted a 49.075 on vault, a 47.125 on bars, a 48.825 on beam and a 47.900 on floor. The Fighting Illini tallied scores of 49.025 on vault, 48.425 on bars, 49.025 on beam and 49.025 on floor.
Junior Brandi Personett (Katy, Texas) finished third in the all-around with a 38.500 as Bencsko scored a 38.175 for fourth and junior Casey Rohrbaugh (Spring Grove, Pa.) scored a 37.525 for fifth.
Penn State opened the meet on the uneven bars, with freshman Natalie Ettl (North Prairie, Wis.) finishing third with a 9.800 and junior Alexandra Brockway (Macungie, Pa.) placing fourth with a 9.775. Personett recorded a seventh-place 9.650 as Rohrbaugh and junior Rosie Smith (Waterford, Pa.) both notched a ninth-place 8.950 and Bencsko posted an 8.875. Illinois' Sarah Schmidt claimed the top spot with a 9.900.
On vault, Bencsko claimed first-place honors with a 9.900 and Smith tied for third with a season-high 9.850. Brockway finished tied for fifth with a season-best 9.825 as Southard competed for the first time this season on vault, scoring an eighth place 9.750. Rohrbaugh shared Southard's 9.750 and Personett posted a 9.275.
In the third rotation on floor, Personett finished second with a 9.850 while Smith and Bencsko posted scores of 9.700 and 9.675, respectively. Sophomore Melissa Klein (Oceanside, N.Y.) tallied a 9.525 while Southard and Rohrbaugh rounded out the Lion competitors with a 9.150 and a 9.075. Schmidt of Illinois took home the title with a 9.900.
Penn State finished out the meet on the balance beam, with Southard tying for first with a personal-best 9.850. Rohrbaugh, Klein and Brockway all scored a 9.750 to tie for sixth as Bencsko and Personett both finished 10th with a 9.725.
Penn State returns home to host Michigan State on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Rec Hall in a meet that will also be a double-dual with the Nittany Lion men against Michigan.
For more information on the Penn State women's gymnastics team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.