After a tough loss at the NCAA Regionals to end their season, the Nittany Lions have work to do to improve for the future, and that future lies with the underclassmen.

Penn State finished the 2025 season ranked No. 25, dropping 10 spots compared to last season’s rankings.

Despite their lack of collegiate experience, scoring was relatively strong among the younger gymnasts this season. Developing their skills further, as well as focusing on consistency in scoring, can be the difference maker for the blue and white.

With a young team, challenges were expected. Many of the young gymnasts had strong individual seasons, but there’s still work to be done to make it to the NCAA Championships in the following years.

With inconsistent or low scoring for certain gymnasts, the blue and white has to work on building specific routines. Sometimes, the best way to do this is with removal from the lineup.

Penn State has done this well for certain gymnasts, specifically freshman Dani Latronica.

Latronica scored her season-low 8.9750 on beam on Jan. 24 against Rutgers, resulting in her removal from the beam lineup for a few meets. She was put back into the lineup on Feb. 14 against UCLA, where she scored a 9.8000.

The freshman remained in the lineup for the remainder of the season and never scored below a 9.8000 from that point on.

This strategy seemed to work well with freshman Allison Kaempfer, as well. After her season-low 8.9500 on floor on Jan. 18 against Minnesota, Kaempfer didn’t compete on floor again until Feb. 7 against Maryland, where she scored a 9.8000 and remained solid the rest of the season.

Focusing on routines and ironing out mistakes will only benefit Penn State moving forward, even if that calls for the removal of a gymnast from the lineup for a brief period of time.

For athletes who already garner consistent scores, the key moving forward is to hone in on their skills and get them to a higher scoring level.

This could be executed with freshman Bella Misiura, who competed in the final three meets of the season on floor. At Clemson and in the Big Ten Championships, the freshman scored a 9.8250 and only dropped to a 9.8000 at the NCAA Regionals.

If the blue and white focuses on enhancing her routine, a consistent athlete like Misiura could boost the overall score at the end of the meet.

Similarly, freshman Ellie Monahan had a steady season on beam, but her scores weren’t always the highest. With her season-high of 9.8000, focusing on perfecting technique and execution will increase the team score in the long run.

Leaning on reliable athletes will be of great importance moving forward, too.

Elizabeth Leary was a standout all season, showing up in big moments and proving herself as a key asset to the young team. With a 9.8500 season-high in every event, the freshman delivered time and time again, as her presence on the team seemed to make every difference.

Similarly, sophomore Kalea McElligott had a strong year on floor, producing nothing lower than a 9.8250 and a season-high 9.9000. While her scoring on bars and beam saw some dips, she competed in four meets as an all-around gymnast and became a key piece to the blue and white’s success.

With such a young group of athletes, it seems like Penn State’s future is looking up.

MORE GYMNASTICS CONTENT