April 18, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS - Senior Casey Sandy (Brampton, Ont.) placed seventh in the vault at the individual event finals of the 2009 National Collegiate Championships on Saturday evening at the Sports Pavilion on the host campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. With the finish, Sandy earns his ninth career All-America honor and brings to a close one of the most distinguished careers in Penn State men's gymnastics history.
Sandy will depart Happy Valley with his legacy as one of the Nittany Lion program's all-time greats firmly and permanently established. His list of achievements is lengthy and illustrious, including 2008 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, 2008 Big Ten Parallel Bars and All-Around champion, 2008 NCAA All-Around champion, 2008 Penn State Male Student-Athlete of the Year, a conference record 11-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honoree, and three-time CGA National Gymnast of the Week recipient. His brilliant career culminated this week when he was honored with the 2009 Nissen-Emery Award, the highest honor presented in collegiate gymnastics.
With Sandy's two this year, Penn State gymnasts have earned 101 All-America honors since 1980, including 72 during head coach Randy Jepson's 18-year career. Sandy's All-America award career total of nine trails only Luis Vargas, who earned 11 during a three year span (2003-05).
Junior Nick Virbitsky (Harrisburg, Pa.), one of 12 Nittany Lions who will return next season, served as an alternate on the floor exercise after tying for 10th place on Friday but did not get the opportunity to compete, as no qualifiers withdrew.