PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The No. 30 ranked Penn State women's gymnastics team is back on the road for the third consecutive meet as the Nittany Lions will take on Rutgers in New Jersey. The meet is slated to begin at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday and will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+.
At last week's quad meet in Columbus, Ohio, the Nittany Lions placed third with a team score of 195.250.
Penn State continued its long run of success on bars, recording a team score over 49 for the sixth straight meet with a 49.250. Seniors Ava Verdeflor and Alissa Bonsall posted matching scores of 9.875 to lead the team. The Nittany Lions also added a score of 49.075 on beam with Melissa Astarita leading the way with a 9.875. Astarita also led the team on floor with a 9.875.
This will mark the third consecutive meet in which Penn State will face Rutgers. The Nittany Lions have outscored the Scarlet Knights in each of the prior two meetings.
Fans can follow along with the action by watching Big Ten Network+, following live scoring and checking for updates on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).
SERIES HISTORY
Penn State is now 24-1 all-time against Rutgers with a 2-0 record thus far this season.
MEET THE OPPONENTS
Rutgers enters the dual meet with a 1-12 overall record. Third-year coach Umme Salim-Beasley's team ranks 40th in the nation with a qualifying score of 195.150.
The Scarlet Knights have seen their most success on beam where they rank 24th nationally with an average score of 48.884. Hannah Joyner ranks 22nd on the apparatus with a NQS of 9.913. She also ranks 28th on the all-around list.
NATIONAL NITS
Ava Verdeflor leads the 17th ranked Penn State bars squad with a NQS of 9.900 which ranks 23rd in the nation. Alissa Bonsall ranks 32nd with a NQS of 9.894.
Melissa Astarita's 9.894 NQS on floor ranks 45th in the nation.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Nine of Penn State's 24 lineup spots were occupied by freshmen in its season opener against Maryland. Three other lineup spots earned their first score on that event as a Nittany Lion.
Natalie Cross led the group, leading Penn State on vault (9.850) and beam (9.875), placing second overall in both events, and competing on bars. Maddie Johnston earned a solid 9.825 on beam, finishing third in the meet. She also competed on vault and bars. Maggie Ayers made her Penn State debut on bars, beam and floor. Amy Bladon made her Nittany Lion debut on beam and floor, while Donna Howell made her debut on vault.
HOME SWEET HOME
Penn State averaged a 196.230 in five home meets last season, its highest at Rec Hall since 2015. The Nittany Lions earned a 196.000 or better in each of the last four home meets, highlighted by a 196.575 in the PSU Quad Meet.
The Nittany Lions scored above a 49.000 on bars in four of five meets, paced by a 49.300 against West Virginia. Penn State tallied a 49.000 or better on beam in four home meets, finishing strong with a 49.325 against Florida. The blue and white also earned a 49.000 or better on floor in four meets, led by a 49.375 vs. Iowa.
BONSALL, RUSHLOW EARN B1G RECOGNITION
Senior Alissa Bonsall and sophomore Cassidy Rushlow were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch.
Bonsall won four individual event titles in 2020, including two on vault and two on bars. She earned a 9.900 on both vault and bars. She has three career scores of 9.900 on bars.
Rushlow ranked 39th in the nation on all-around last season with a 39.130 NQS. She also sat 63rd on beam with a 9.855 NQS. Rushlow won five individual event titles in 2020, including one in all-around, two on vault, one on bars and one on beam. She earned two scores of 9.900 on beam, a 9.900 on vault and a 9.925 on bars.