UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- For the second time in 2015, Penn State freshman Briannah Tsang (Vancouver, British Columbia) was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after setting a career-high and capturing the all-around title vs. Maryland on Saturday (Jan. 24).
Tsang set a career-high in the all-around for the third straight meet and claimed her second all-around crown of the season. She posted scores of 9.825 or better on all four apparatus, including a 9.950 on the balance beam to move her into a tie for ninth in school history on the event. The Vancouver, British Columbia, native won two event titles vs. the Terrapins, as well, to move her season total to five event wins.She claimed the title on the balance beam vs. the Terrapins and followed that up with an event-winning and career-best total of 9.875 on the floor exercise. Tsang finished second on the uneven bars with a career-high-tying score of 9.850. She also didn’t finish outside the top-five on any of the four apparatus, with her 9.825 on the vault finishing tied for fifth.
On the season, Tsang sits among the NCAA leaders in the all-around and on three of the four apparatus. Her season average of 39.358 in the all-around ranks 9th and she is among the top-40 on the vault, uneven bars and balance beam. Her season averages of 9.883 on the balance beam ties for fifth, 9.875 on the vault is ties for 23rd and 9.833 on the uneven bars ties for 37th.
The rookie also earned Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honor after the Nittany Lions season-opening quad-meet victory against Cornell, New Hampshire and Rutgers. In the season-opener, Tsang won the vault title and tied for the balance beam title, and also claimed the all-around with a score of 39.225.
Tsang’s second honor of the season gives Penn State a two-time winner of the award for the third straight year. Emma Sibson (Allen, Texas) won the award twice last season and Samantha Musto claimed the honor twice during the 2013 campaign.
The No. 9 Nittany Lions hit the road next weekend to travel to Champaign, Ill. to tangle with No. 14 Illinois on Saturday, Jan. 31. The meet will begin at 5 p.m. They return home for back-to-back competitions against Michigan State and Ohio State on Feb. 7 and Feb. 14. The meet vs. the Buckeyes will serve as the programs annual Flip for a Cure meet.
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