It was a cold spring day in Ann Arbor on the campus of the University of Michigan, but inside the Crisler Center, the NCAA regional semifinals were shaking out in a way that no gymnastics fan expected. In the final rotation, Penn State overtook host Michigan to earn itself a spot in the regional final later that weekend.
“That was probably the most exciting thing I’ve experienced here,” said senior Jessica Johanson. “All of our work that we’ve been putting in all season was paying off in that moment.”
The Nittany Lions’ 196.925 regional final qualifying score was only its third-highest score of the 2024 season and it came at the perfect time. Though there was a lot that went into making this upset possible, the gymnasts credit some of that success to the culture they’ve created.
“We trusted the process,” said Johanson. “We were talking about not doing anything different from our normal, we just need to do what we do in practice, and we put it together at the right time.”
Since Sarah Shire Brown took over the Nittany Lions in 2018, they’ve been improving one year after another. The year before she took over, Penn State finished the regular season at 33rd in the country. After her first year, the team jumped to 29. Each year they have gotten…
