CAREER HIGHS:
Vault: 9.95 at Big 5 Meet (2/24/23)
Bars: 9.9 6x, Last at NCAA Regional Final (4/6/24)
Beam: 9.875 2x, Last at Southern Utah (3/8/24)
Floor: 9.9, 3x, Last vs. Iowa State (1/12/24)
All-Around: 39.525 2x, Last at Southern Utah (3/8/24)
2024 – SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: WCGA North East Region Co-Gymnast of the Year…First Team All-Big Ten...Academic All-Big Ten.
Season: Recorded the most points in a single season by a Nittany Lion since at least 2000, amassing 589.025 points in 15 all-around outings in 2024…Recorded seven 9.9+ scores on vault, did not score below a 9.8 on the event…Tied her career-best all-around score with a 39.525 at Southern Utah.
Meet-by-meet: Iowa State (1/12): In the Nittany Lions’ home opener, Piedrahita took the all-around crown with a 39.475…She also won the beam (9.875) and floor (9.9) titles in her first Rec Hall meet of the season…Added 9.85 tallies on vault and beam. at Rutgers (1/25): Went 9.9 on vault and bars, winning both event titles, on her way to another all-around win with 39.450 points. at Nebraska (2/17): Totaled 39.300 points in the all-around and earned the bars title with a 9.875…Earned 9.8+ totals on all four events. Big Fives (2/24): Recorded a 39.400 all-around score with 9.875 tallies on bars and floor along with a 9.85 on vault and a 9.8 on beam. at Southern Utah (3/8): Won the vault and all-around titles in Penn State’s third-best true road meet in school history…Tied her career high with a 39.525 all-around total including a season-best 9.925 vault, a 9.9 on bars, a 9.875 on beam, and a 9.825 on floor. at NC State w/Penn, Texas Woman’s (3/10): Completed her two-meet weekend with an incredible 39.400 all-around score, including 9.9s on vault (event title winner) and bars once again…Added a 9.85 on floor and a 9.75 on beam. at George Washington w/Rutgers, Towson (3/17): For the third meet in a row, scored 9.9+ tallies on both vault and bars while adding a 9.85 on floor and a 9.725 on beam. Big Ten Championships (3/23): Posted 9.8+ scores on all four events, leading to a 39.275 all-around total at the conference championship meet. Regional Second Round (4/4): Recorded a 39.300 with a 9.875 on vault, a 9.85 on beam, a 9.8 on bars, and a 9.775 on floor…Helped Penn State reach its first-ever NCAA regional final. Regional Final (4/6): Posted an outstanding 9.925 on vault in the regional final…Added a 9.9 on bars and a 9.85 on floor…Finished with a 39.300 in the all-around, capping off her award-winning sophomore campaign with a strong showing.
2023 – FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Postseason All-American…Second Team All-Big Ten.
Season: Earned All-America honors on vault in her first collegiate season…Competed in the all-around in all 14 meets this season aside for her vault performance in the National Championships.
Meet-by-meet: at Keystone Classic (1/6): Posted three 9.8+ scores in her collegiate debut. at Minnesota (1/21): Hit a 9.875 on vault en route to a 39.225 all-around…Posted a 9.8 on bars and a pair of 9.775s on beam and floor. at Michigan State (2/4): Went 9.925 on vault at Michigan State, tying the second-best total of her career…Added a pair of 9.8s on bars and beam, along with a 9.825 on floor, resulting in a 39.350 all-around. at Big 5 Meet (2/24): Tied the ninth-best vault score in school history with a 9.95…finished with a 39.300 all-around score. William & Mary (3/3): Earned a 9.925 on vault, tied a season-best with a 9.9 on vault, and put up a 9.875 on bars on senior day…Racked up a 39.425 all-around total, her highest mark in the regular season. Pittsburgh Regional I (3/30): Posted a 9.8+ in all four events, earning a 39.325 all-around score. Pittsburgh Regional II (3/31): Racked up three 9.9 scores (vault, bars, floor) on her way to a 39.525 all-around total, the second highest in school history at NCAA Regional competition…Her 9.9 on vault tied the fifth-best regional vault score in school history…Her 9.9 on bars tied the fourth-best regional bars score in program history…Her 9.9 on floor tied the fifth-best regional floor total in program history. NCAA Championships (4/13): Posted a 9.875 on vault, earning sixth in her session, good for a Postseason All-America nod…Her total tied the fifth-best vault total at the NCAA Championships in school history.
GYMNASTICS BACKGROUND
Competed at Hill's Gymnastics for coaches Cynthia Smaha and Amy Martelli...- Made the Region 7 all-star team in 2019 and 2021...Placed second at nationals in 2021 and fifth at nationals in 2022...Three-time Regional Champion in 2019, 2021, and 2022...Qualified for Nastia Liukin Cup in 2018 and 2019...Placed third in the all-around at Nastia Liukin Cup in 2019.
PERSONAL
Mother is Kelly Piedrahita...Has two siblings, Tony and Kaitlyn...Enrolled in the Division of Undergraduate Studies.
Ava Piedrahita Season 2025
PositionAAClassJuniorHometownGaithersburg, Md.Previous SchoolHill's Gymnastics