Whitney Bencsko Class: Sophomore Hometown: Pompton Plains, N.J. High School: Pequannock Township Height: 5-5 Position: AA

Lion Career
2009 (Freshman):NACGC/W First Team All-American on vault and Second Team All-American in the all-around ... Second Team All-Big Ten ... tied for second with teammate Brandi Personett on vault at the Big Ten Championships ... competed in all 13 meets, including 12 in the all-around ... qualified for the Individual Event Finals of the 2009 NCAA National Championships in vault finishing tied for eighth ... averaged a 38.877 in the all-around, 9.804 on vault, 9.560 on bars, 9.698 on beam and 9.815 on floor ... earned the An Carr award as the most inspirational gymnast of the meet versus Pittsburgh (1/10) where she finished second in the all-around ... on vault, finished in the top five event finishers 10 times ... scored better than a 9.800 11 times ... scored a career-best 9.925 against Michigan State (1/24) and matched the score at West Virginia (3/9) to claim individual event titles ... competed on bars in 12 meets with three top five finishes ... Scored a career-high 9.875 to earn first at Maryland Quad meet (3/14) ... had six top five finishes on beam ... recorded a career-best score of 9.825 against New Hampshire, Rutgers and Bridgeport (2/21) ... finished in the top five seven times on floor ... scored better than 9.800 on nine occasions ... registered a career-high 9.925 versus West Virginia (3/9) ... finished in the top five in the all-around nine times, including six second place finishes ... notched a career-high score of 39.425 at West Virginia (3/9) ... scored a 38.900 or better in the all-around seven times.

High School/Club
Was a member of the North Stars Gymnastics Club program in Boonton, N.J., under the direction of Tony Gehman ... was the Level 10 New Jersey state champion on bars in 2008, finishing second on vault, second on beam, second on the floor and second in the all-around ... at Level 10 Region 7 Regionals, claimed the vault, bars, floor and all-around championships in 2008 ... at the 2008 Level 10 J.O. Nationals, finished sixth on beam, eighth on vault and 14th in the all-around ... at the 2007 Level 10 J.O. Nationals, claimed ninth on vault ... at the 2007 Level 10 Region 7 Regionals, finished first on vault and bars while claiming third on floor and fifth in the all-around ... was the 2007 Level 10 New Jersey state champion on bars and in the all-around while finishing second on vault and floor ... claimed first on vault and floor at the 2006 New Jersey state championships while also finishing second on bars and beam and in the all-around ... posted a first place finish in vault at the 2006 Level 10 Region 7 Regionals while also claiming third on floor and in the all-around ... posted as sixth-place finish on bars at the 2006 Level 10 J.O. Nationals while also finishing 10th on vault and 12th in the all-around ... placed first on vault, second on floor and second in the all-around at the 2005 US Elite Challenge ... was a four-year high honor roll member at Pequannock Township High School.

Personal
Born Whitney Christine Bencsko on Sept. 12, 1990 in Pompton Plains, N.J. ... parents are Doug and Paula Bencsko ... has three siblings, Ashley (24), Justin (22) and Morgan (9) ... brother Justin plays baseball at Villanova ... father Doug played football at Ithaca College ... majoring in biobehavioral healther ... names Dave Matthews Band, Rascal Flatts and Lil Wayne as favorite entertainers, the New York Yankees as favorite pro sports team, "The Great Gatsby" as favorite book, "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice" and "So You Think You Can Dancer?" as favorite television shows, "Step Up" and "Superbad" as favorite movies, Channing Tatum and Patrick Dempsey as favorite actors, the British Virgin Islands as favorite place to visit and Jennifer Aniston as favorite actress ... names goals for this season as "I want to help my team win a first-ever Big Ten Championship! And I also want to help my team qualify to NCAA Nationals and better yet, Super Six!" ... nickname is Whit.

Why Penn State?
"Penn State just seemed like the place for me. From the first time I stepped on the campus and met the team, I felt like I belonged. I would have never passed up the incredible atmosphere and experience."