Penn State's Stephen Nedoroscik Qualifies for First Olympics

Nedoroscik, a two-time NCAA champ on the pommel horse, will compete for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

Stephen Nedoroscik competes on the pommel horse during the U.S. Olympic Team Gymnastics Trials at Target Center. / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State hasn't sent a gymnast to the Olympics since 2012. This year, two former Nittany Lions teammates will compete at the 2024 Summer Games.

Stephen Nedoroscik, a Penn State alum and the 2021 world pommel horse champion, qualified for the U.S. men's gymnastics team that will compete in Paris. Nedoroscik is a first-time Olympic qualifier and will join former Penn State teammate Sam Zakutney, who qualified for Team Canada.

Nedoroscik earned his spot on Team USA at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Minneapolis, where he placed second on the pommel hose with a two-day score of 29.300. Nedoroscik led the competition by scoring a 14.450 on the first day of competition. He completed the trials with a score of 14.850 on Day 2.

Nedoroscik, from Worcester, Mass., won NCAA pommel horse titles at Penn State in 2017 and 2018 and was a four-time All-American. In 2020, Nedoroscik became the first specialist to win the Nissen-Emery Award as the nation’s top senior gymnast. He was pursuing his third NCAA title on pommel horse when the championships were canceled.

As a senior in 2020, Nedoroscik scored the nation's highest qualifying average on pommel horse (15.217), the highest season average (14.571) and the highest single routine score (15.900). The 15,900 score, which Nedoroscik posted during a meet against Air Force, was the highest in college gymnastics in more tan seven years. Nedoroscik won five of the seven events in which he competed before the COVID pandemic ended the season.

Nedoroscik and Zakutney were part of the Penn State team that won the 2019 Big Ten championship. They are the first Penn State gymnasts to qualify for the Olympics since Felix Aronovich competed for Israel at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Sam Zakutney earns a spot on Team Canada

Zakutney placed fourth in the all-around at the recent Canadian Championships, earning a score of 163.446, to qualify for his first trip to the Olympics. According to a Team Canada news release, the 2024 Games will be the first in 16 years featuring a full Canadian men's team. Canada qualified for Paris by placing fourth in team event qualification at the 2023 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. At the event, team members said "Do it for Sam," who was injured at the time and unable to compete.

Nedoroscik and Zakutney are the 21st and 22nd Penn State men's gymnastics to compete at the Olympics. The men's gymnastics competition is scheduled for July 27-August 5 in Paris.

More Penn State News

Penn State's Joe Kovacs will make his third trip to the Olympics

Former Nittany Lion Haleigh Washington named to 2024 USA Volleyball Olympic Team

Playfly, Penn State's new multimedia rights partner, bringing new NIL initiative to Penn State

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.