COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Penn State women's gymnastics team (5-3, 1-3 Big Ten) finished strong to post a 196.650, the squad's second-best score of the season, at No. 15 Ohio State on Friday night.
Despite falling 197.350-196.650 to the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lions remained resilient throughout the meet, earning multiple outstanding scores in their third and fourth rotations.
Standout sophomore Amani Herring recorded a pair of 9.9-plus scores, including a career-best 9.95 on the balance beam. Herring led a Penn State beam team that tied its season-best mark with a 49.325, this time on the road. Maddie Johnston fronted Penn State's trio of all-arounders with a 39.275 that included 9.8-or-better scores on vault, bars, and beam.
ROTATION RECAP
The Nittany Lions posted two event scores of 49.300-or-better in a single meet for the first time this season. Both totals came in Penn State's final two rotations, as the floor and beam squads fought hard and concluded the meet on high notes.
On bars in the first rotation, Cassidy Rushlow totaled a 9.875 to front a Penn State group that totaled a 49.100. Both Gabbie Gallentine and Johnston scored 9.825s while Kalea McElligott posted a 9.800.
Ava Piedrahita continued to be a reliable presence as Penn State's vault anchor, as she led the team with a 9.875, earning a share of the event title. Herring and Johnston each recorded 9.800 totals, rounding out Penn State's top three scorers on the apparatus.
Herring's 9.900 led the Nittany Lions' impressive showing on floor as they earned a 49.300, their first of two 49.300-plus scores, in the third rotation of the night. McElligott, Piedrahita, and Alyssa Kramer each received 9.875 marks, complementing Herring with outstanding scores of their own.
In the final rotation of the night, Penn State's beam squad tied its season high with a 49.325, led by a career-best 9.950 from Herring that tied her for the event title. Johnston and Isabella Salcedo each collected 9.875 scores while McElligott posted a 9.850.
Herring's 9.95 on beam is Penn State's second 9.95 total of the season on the apparatus, as Salcedo also earned the total in the Nittany Lions' meet against Michigan State in January. Herring and Salcedo join the Penn State record books yet again, as their scores mark the first time the Nittany Lions have recorded two 9.95-or-better totals on balance beam in a single season since 2015.
Johnston led Penn State's trio of all-arounders with a 39.275. Piedrahita earned a 39.225 and McElligott recorded a 39.200.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Nittany Lions will head to Nebraska on Saturday, Feb. 17 for a 7 p.m. road meet against the Cornhuskers.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensGymnastics) and X/Instagram (@pennstatewgym).