UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's gymnastics team heads on the road Saturday to take on Ohio State in the team's Big Ten opener.
The Nittany Lions are coming off a victory in their home opener against Yale last Friday.
The meet can be streamed live on Big Ten Plus beginning at 2 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live Stream | Live Results
SERIES HISTORY
The sides have met 60 times since the first meeting in 1965, with the Nittany Lions holding a 34-25-1 advantage over their conference rival.
A LOOK BACK AT THE HOME OPENER
The Nittany Lions (3-0) followed a solid opening night showing against Penn and Temple with another successful night, winning all four events in the meet.
Penn State once again recorded a score over 49.0 on bars, winning the event with a 49.050 score. Fifth-year senior Lauren Bridgens and freshman Jessica Johanson won the event with matching 9.825 scores.
Bridgens also shared the victory on floor, matching freshman Isabella Salcedo with a score of 9.850 en route to a 48.975 score for Penn State. Salcedo claimed the top spot on vault with a 9.825 score. The Nittany Lions were led by Amy Bladon on beam, as the junior recorded a career-high 9.825 on the apparatus. The win is the first event win of Bladon's career.
YEAR FIVE
The Nittany Lions welcome back three gymnasts for their fifth year of eligibility, as Alissa Bonsall, Lauren Bridgens and Kourtney Chinnery announced their return to Penn State earlier this year. Bonsall shined during her senior season in 2021, representing the Nittany Lions as an individual qualifier at the NCAA Morgantown Regional where she set a career high with a 9.950 on bars. Bridgens and Chinnery missed the 2021 season.
NEW FACES
Penn State added eight athletes to the roster for the 2022 season. Isabella Salcedo and Elina Vihrova were named Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch ahead of their first meet as Nittany Lions. The duo is among seven gymnasts in Penn State's freshman class. Penn State also welcomed sophomore Sarah Duhe, a transfer from the University of Alabama.
THE RETURN
After missing the 2021 season with injury, Senior+ Lauren Bridgens has made her return to the Penn State lineup. Bridgens enters 2022 with 34 career event titles, and is one of nine Nittany Lions to earn three First Team All-Big Ten honors in their career. In 2018, she became the first Nittany Lion to earn a 10.0 score on bars. Bridgens was named Penn State's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award last season.
