Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 28, 2006 ¨C The seventh-ranked Penn State women¡¯s gymnastics squad dropped its first away meet of the season to Big Ten-foe Minnesota, 194.175 to 193.500. The Nittany Lions even their record at 3-3 and fall to 0-2 in conference action.
Penn State posted scores of 48.400 on the vault, 48.500 on the bars, 48.050 on the beam and 48.550 on the floor.
Senior Jen Orlando (Herndon, Va.) finished third in the all-around at the meet, posting a 38.600.
Senior Lisa Clark (Philadelphia, Pa.) claimed the highest Nittany Lion finish on the vault, placing second with a 9.775, her second-highest score of the season. Senior Michelle Ilg (Colonia, N.J.) finished fourth with a 9.700 as Orlando and senior Meredith Hoover (Dublin, Ohio) tied for sixth with a 9.650. Freshman Katie Perret (Colorado Springs, Colo.) notched a 9.625 for 10th as sophomore Aslynn Satterfield (Boalsburg, Pa.) tallied a 9.600 for 11th. Minnesota¡¯s Laura Johnson claimed the event title with a 9.850.
On the bars, Perret captured her first collegiate event title with a 9.775 as Ilg placed third with a 9.750, just off her season high. Hoover and junior Corissa Pirkl (West Islip, N.Y.) tied for fourth with a 9.675, Orlando came in eighth with a 9.625 and Clark placed 12th with a 9.025.
Pirkl was Penn State¡¯s top finisher on beam with a fifth-place 9.700 as Perret placed sixth with a 9.675, equaling her career-high in the event. Orlando and Hoover claimed eighth with a 9.575, junior Ashley Mehrer (Midlothian, Va.) placed 10th with a 9.525 and junior Stephanie Sullivan (Gaithersburg, Md.) came in 11th with a 9.475. Minnesota¡¯s Johnson took home the event title with a 9.825.
Clark claimed her first event title of the season on the floor with a 9.775 as Orlando tied for second with a 9.750. Satterfield tied for fifth with a 9.725, Mehrer and Pirkl both posted a 9.650 to tie for seventh and Ilg placed 11th with a 9.550.
Penn State remains on the road, visiting Arkansas on Feb. 4. The Nittany Lions return home for their final meet of the season at Rec Hall on Feb. 10, hosting No. 12 Nebraska, Rutgers and Yale. The event will also be Senior Night, honoring Clark, Hoover, Ilg and Orlando.
For more information on the Penn State women¡¯s gymnastics team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.
