UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s gymnastics team moved to 1-0 on Saturday afternoon with a win over Army in the season’s home opener. The Nittany Lions posted a final score of 316.900, topping the Black Knight’s score of 306.500.
Matt Underhill got the action underway in Rec Hall, posting a 13.100 on rings. Only Akseli Karsikas posted a higher score among Nittany Lions with a 13.200, but Army’s precision, and event champion Joseph Buselmeier, had the Black Knights on top after the first rotation.
The Nittany Lions took command after floor, winning all five remaining rotations. Josh Karnes was the leading Penn Stater on pommel horse with a 13.500. Event champion Maddox Pabellon of Army was the only higher score at a 14.000. The Nittany Lions’ consistency helped best the Black Knights by a narrow four tenths of a point in the pommel.
Kellen Ryan opened the rings with a 13.250 routine, notching a stick bonus on his landing. He held the top score until Underhill boasted a 14.200, his highest score on rings since competing at Michigan last season. The 14.200 earned him another event title and kept his record perfect after placing at the top spot both days of the West Point Open on rings.
PSU’s lowest score on vault was a 13.750, only 0.050 off of Army’s top scorer. Kellen Ryan and Michael Jaroh bookended the Penn State rotation with a 13.950, creating a Penn State tie for the event title.
The Nittany Lions only grew their victory on parallel bars with more than a four-point victory at the event. Ian Raubal, Matt Cormier, Michael Jaroh, and Josh Karnes each earned stick bonus for a perfect sweep of the event. Jaroh posted the top score at 13.950.
On the final rotation, Karnes posted a 13.200 to win the high bar title after stumbles from both teams lowered scores overall.
For his contributions in the victory of his first home meet at Rec Hall, graduate student Kellen Ryan received the event’s Gene Wettstone award, which highlights the most outstanding athlete of the meet.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions stay home next weekend to host William & Mary on Jan. 25 at 4 p.m in Rec Hall. The action will be streamed live via B1G+.