UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 27 Penn State women's gymnastics team has announced its 2021 schedule. The Nittany Lions are scheduled to compete in nine meets, all against Big Ten conference members. Penn State will compete against eight teams ranked in the WCGA Preseason Poll. The slate includes four meets at Rec Hall. Meet times and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
Penn State, led by Head Coach Sarah Brown, opens the 2021 campaign on the weekend of January 15 as it hosts No. 28 Maryland. The meet will be counted as a non-conference meet. The Terrapins finished 28th nationally and sixth in the Big Ten in the 2020 RoadToNationals standings with a 195.940 National Qualifying Score (NQS).
The Nittany Lions will welcome No. 20 Nebraska to Happy Valley on the weekend of January 22. Nebraska's 196.440 NQS sat 19th in the country and third in the Big Ten in 2020.
Penn State travels to No. 11 Minnesota on the weekend of January 29. The Golden Gophers ranked 10th in the nation and second in the conference, according to RoadToNationals, with a 197.035 NQS last season.
The Blue and White continues on the road on the weekend of February 5, visiting Maryland.
Penn State returns to Rec Hall on the weekend of February 12 for a meeting with No. 22 Illinois. The Fighting Illini held a 196.000 NQS in 2020, good for 24th in the country and fourth in the Big Ten.
The Nittany Lions conclude their home slate on the weekend of February 19 against No. 29 Ohio State. The Buckeyes posted a 195.600 NQS last season, ranking 34th in the nation and ninth in the Big Ten.
Penn State will compete at the Big Five Meet on the weekend of February 26 with No. 5 Michigan, No. 25 Iowa, No. 34 Michigan State and Rutgers. Michigan won the Big Ten regular season title in 2020 with a 197.410 NQS, finishing fifth in the nation. Iowa ranked 25th in the country and fifth in the Big Ten with a 195.995 NQS, while Michigan State sat 32nd in the country and eighth in the conference with a 195.795 NQS. Rutgers ranked 44th in the nation and 10th in the league with a 195.085 NQS.
The Nittany Lions finish the regular season with road non-conference meets at Ohio State, on the weekend of March 5, and Rutgers, on the weekend of March 12.
The Big Ten Championships will be held on March 20.
"We are very excited to be returning to competition this spring and so grateful for the chance to represent Penn State," said Brown. "Our team and staff have put in so many hours to prepare for the upcoming season, but we couldn't have done it without the efforts of our university and the Big Ten to keep our athletes safe and healthy throughout the preseason and competitive season. We are thankful for everyone's continued support and look forward to competing against some of the top teams in the country!"
Under current Big Ten guidelines, public tickets will not be sold for 2021 Penn State Women's Gymnastics home meets.
The Nittany Lions ended the 2020 season ranked 30th in the RoadToNationals standings with a 195.860 NQS. Penn State earned eight dual-meet wins, including four victories over ranked opponents.
Penn State notched five scores above a 196.000, its most since 2015. The Nittany Lions averaged a 196.230 in five home meets, its highest at Rec Hall since 2015. Penn State earned a 196.000 or better in each of the last four home meets of the 2020 season. The Nittany Lions ranked 21st in the nation with a 49.130 NQS on bars.
Senior Lauren Bridgens earned first team All-Big Ten honors for the third consecutive season, while Sophomore Cassidy Rushlow made a big impact in her first season in Happy Valley, collecting second team All-Big Ten accolades.
Bridgens and Rushlow are two of 12 returning members from the 2020 squad. The Nittany Lions added freshmen Maggie Ayers, Natalie Cross, Maddie Johnston, Maggie Mace and Abi Walker.
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
