UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Big Ten has announced that Penn State senior women's gymnast Natalie Ettl (Waukesha, Wis.) and junior men's gymnast Scott Rosenthal (Clearfield, Pa.) are among 24 student-athletes named Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2011-12 academic year. Ettl and Rosenthal were chosen from a group of 300 student-athletes honored throughout the academic year who had displayed positive sportsmanship.
One member of each varsity sports team on every campus was chosen by his or her institution as a Sportsmanship Award honoree. From each university's list, two Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners were then selected. All of the Sportsmanship Award honorees have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, these student-athletes must be in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
Ettl was an uneven bars specialist for three years for the Nittany Lions, earning Second Team All-Big Ten laurels in 2010 and first team honors in 2011. She was the 2010 and 2011 Big Ten Uneven Bars Champion. During her three-year career, Ettl averaged 9.800 on bars and owns a career high 9.975. She was a walk-on turned scholarship recipient who endured seven knee surgeries over a seven year span. Despite hanging up her leotard and retiring prior to her senior year, Ettl remained a fixture with the women's gymnastics program, dedicating herself to supporting her teammates.
As a senior, Ettl was honored as the John W. Oswald Award winner, a student achievement award recognizing graduating seniors who have provided outstanding leadership in at least one of several areas of activity at the University. An Academic All-Big Ten selection, she graduated with a degree in kinesiology and plans to pursue a master's degree in nursing.
Rosenthal played an integral role in Penn State's success in 2012, helping lead the Nittany Lions to a third place showing at the National Collegiate Championships, the program's best finish since its NCAA title-winning season of 2007.
The foundation of the nation's top still rings team, Rosenthal spent most of the season ranked No. 1 in the event and was the anchor of the line-up that set the Penn State program record (62.400). In the 2012 season opener versus Army, Rosenthal smashed the individual still rings record, previously held by three-time All-American Tommy Ramos (16.000), when he scored a 16.300. He would go on to score a 16.000 or above five times in 2012. Nationally, only one other gymnast reached that scoring benchmark last season and he did it just once.
Rosenthal finished the 2012 campaign strong, capturing his first career and the program's seventh Big Ten still rings championship and then earned his second All-America honor with a runner-up finish at the National Collegiate Championships.
For his career, Rosenthal has won 22 still rings titles and recorded 34 top three finishes in the event.
Also an accomplished student, Rosenthal is a two-time CGA First Team All-American Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was named a Big Ten Distinguished Honors Scholar in 2011.