University Park, Pa., Aug. 14, 2006 ¨C The Penn State women¡¯s gymnastics team finished the 2005-2006 academic year with the sixth-highest team grade point average in the nation, the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W) announced. Individually, 10 Nittany Lion gymnasts earned scholar athlete honors for their performance in the classroom.
Penn State¡¯s sixth-place finish is the highest among Big Ten schools. The only league institution among the top 20, the Nittany Lions boasted a team GPA of 3.52, finishing behind Southern Utah (3.65), Winona State (3.59), Yale (3.57), Texas Woman¡¯s University (3.57) and Denver (3.53).
Ten of Penn State¡¯s gymnasts were recognized as scholar athletes by the NACGC/W, marking the second-highest individual team total in the country. Stephanie Sullivan (Gaithersburg, Md.) boasted the highest individual grade point average of the Nittany Lions, recording a perfect 4.00 in science, one of 54 women¡¯s gymnasts in the nation to do so.
Corissa Pirkl (West Islip, N.Y.) earned a 3.93 in marketing, Ashley Mehrer (Midlothian, Va.) notched a 3.91 in actuarial science and Jennifer Orlando (Herndon, Va.) posted a 3.83 in advertising/public relations. Genavieve Shingle (Langhorne, Pa.) tallied a 3.73 in advertising/public relations, Theresa Diehl (Wilmington, Del.) recorded a 3.69 in engineering and Meredith Hoover (Dublin, Ohio) posted a 3.68 in advertising/public relations. Michelle Ilg (Colonia, N.J.) earned a 3.62 in science while Aslynn Satterfield (Boalsburg, Pa.) posted a 3.60 in Recreation Parks & Tourism Management and Amie Olaes (Inverness, Ill.) tallied a 3.58 in advertising/public relations.
For more information on the Penn State women¡¯s gymnastics team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.
