UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State men’s gymnast Craig Hernandez (Libertyville, Ill.) has been honored as Big Ten Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday (Jan. 30). He was recognized with the award for the first time in his career for his standout performance at last weekend’s West Point Open.
Hernandez established himself as a force to be reckoned with just two meets into his collegiate career with an impressive showing on the pommel horse at the annual two-day event hosted by Army. He easily outdistanced the field to win the pommel horse title at Saturday’s individual event finals with a score of 15.650. Hernandez’s score not only tied the Penn State program record, held by 2009 Nissen-Emery Award winner Casey Sandy, but was the highest in the nation thus far this season.
On Friday, Hernandez helped Penn State post the highest team score in the nation last week (352.000), capture the Nittany Lions’ 14th consecutive West Point Open title, and set a team program record in the pommel horse (59.300), finishing tied for fourth in the event (14.800) to earn a spot in the individual finals.
Hernandez and most of his Nittany Lion teammates will begin preparations for an upcoming road dual meet at Springfield College, scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12 in Springfield, Mass. A year ago, Penn State downed the Pride, 352.300-316.300, in Rec Hall.
This week, a Penn State contingent made-up of senior Miguel Pineda (Galloway, Ohio), junior Parker Raque (Louisville, Ky,), and sophomore Wasef Burbar (Arlington Heights, Ill.) will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete individually.