Groden & Shank Selected to Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch List
Dec 14 | Women's Gymnastics
Seniors bring a combined 66 meets of experience into 2018 season
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Seniors Libby Groden and Makenzey Shank were both selected as Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch in the conference preseason release distributed Thursday. The duo brings a combined 66 meets of experience to Rutgers gymnastics as the 2018 season nears.
The Scarlet Knights open the campaign on Jan. 6 at Arizona in a quad meet before heading back to the Livingston Gym on Jan. 13 to take on Illinois, Yale and Southern Connecticut. RU will host four meets overall, including the Big Five Meet at the RAC on March 17. Season tickets can be purchased for $25 by calling 1-866-445-GORU (4678) or by clicking here.
A three-time NCAA Regional qualifier, Groden has been a consistent presence in the Rutgers lineups, competing in 39 career meets with 33 all-around performances. She became the first Scarlet Knight to garner All-Big Ten recognition last season with a Second Team appearance, while also being honored with the program's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The Pennsylvania native notched a 38.940 all-around Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) with four outings totaling at least 39.000. That included a 39.050 at NCAA Regionals at West Virginia. Overall, Groden scored as high as 9.850 on balance beam (9.780 RQS), 9.825 on floor exercise (9.800 RQS), 9.800 on uneven bars (9.735 RQS) and 9.750 on vault (9.725 RQS), picking up at least a 9.700 in 41-of-52 routines during the season.
In the classroom, Groden is a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar for holding a GPA of at least a 3.7. The visual arts major has also merited NACGC/W Scholastic All-America the last three years and is currently a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Shank returns with 27 career meets as a Scarlet Knight and has competed in all four events. In 2017, she led the team with an RQS of 9.840 on balance beam and 9.780 on uneven bars. Her consistent performance on balance beam netted a 9.800 or higher eight times, including a 9.850 at the Big Ten Championships to tie for first in the session to earn a spot on the All-Championships Team, with a season-high of 9.900. Shank's best outing on uneven bars last year was a 9.875 among eight scores of 9.750 or better, while also impressing as high as 9.800 on floor exercise.
Shank has also excelled academically by securing Academic All-Big Ten and NACGC/W Scholastic All-America accolades as a journalism & media studies major.
Click here for the full Big Ten preseason release.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding women's gymnastics, follow the program on Twitter (@RUGymnastics), Facebook (/RUGymnastics), Instagram (@rutgersgymnastics) and Snapchat (rutgersgym).
The Scarlet Knights open the campaign on Jan. 6 at Arizona in a quad meet before heading back to the Livingston Gym on Jan. 13 to take on Illinois, Yale and Southern Connecticut. RU will host four meets overall, including the Big Five Meet at the RAC on March 17. Season tickets can be purchased for $25 by calling 1-866-445-GORU (4678) or by clicking here.
A three-time NCAA Regional qualifier, Groden has been a consistent presence in the Rutgers lineups, competing in 39 career meets with 33 all-around performances. She became the first Scarlet Knight to garner All-Big Ten recognition last season with a Second Team appearance, while also being honored with the program's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The Pennsylvania native notched a 38.940 all-around Regional Qualifying Score (RQS) with four outings totaling at least 39.000. That included a 39.050 at NCAA Regionals at West Virginia. Overall, Groden scored as high as 9.850 on balance beam (9.780 RQS), 9.825 on floor exercise (9.800 RQS), 9.800 on uneven bars (9.735 RQS) and 9.750 on vault (9.725 RQS), picking up at least a 9.700 in 41-of-52 routines during the season.
In the classroom, Groden is a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar for holding a GPA of at least a 3.7. The visual arts major has also merited NACGC/W Scholastic All-America the last three years and is currently a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Shank returns with 27 career meets as a Scarlet Knight and has competed in all four events. In 2017, she led the team with an RQS of 9.840 on balance beam and 9.780 on uneven bars. Her consistent performance on balance beam netted a 9.800 or higher eight times, including a 9.850 at the Big Ten Championships to tie for first in the session to earn a spot on the All-Championships Team, with a season-high of 9.900. Shank's best outing on uneven bars last year was a 9.875 among eight scores of 9.750 or better, while also impressing as high as 9.800 on floor exercise.
Shank has also excelled academically by securing Academic All-Big Ten and NACGC/W Scholastic All-America accolades as a journalism & media studies major.
Click here for the full Big Ten preseason release.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding women's gymnastics, follow the program on Twitter (@RUGymnastics), Facebook (/RUGymnastics), Instagram (@rutgersgymnastics) and Snapchat (rutgersgym).
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Gymnastics
/ Women's Gymnastics
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