The Daily Collegian Hull to bring intensity By Andrew J. Cassavell collegian staff writer Mike Hull didn't need his high school wrestling coach to ask. Nor did the highly touted linebacker recruit need his wrestling ______ teammates to even turn rnnTDAii and look down the bench rUUIbALL. for him in the season's biggest moment With the WPIAL Class AAA team title coming down to one heavyweight match, Hull knew he would have to wrestle even with a separated left shoulder and a 57- pound weight disadvantage to lead Canon-McMillan High School to the title. Despite warnings from his father and coach, Hull wrestled what he called a “smart match" and won, securing the title. Hull s wrestling coach, Chris Mary, said gritty, team oriented performances like that will likely define Hull's football career at Penn State, which begins this August. “His mat awareness is the same as being on the football field he's just one of the best all-around athletes that ever came through Canon-McMillan," Mary said. “Mike was a warrior, and he knew that he wasn't gonna let his teammates down.” A five-star recruit from Canonsburg, Hull was ranked the best middle linebacker recruit by Scout.com and the 26th overall prospect in the nation. But Hull's football coach, Guy Montecalvo. said his talents shouldn’t be pinpointed to rankings and specific accom plishments, instead pointing to moments like the wrestling title. Nigel Graham/Collegian Brandi Personett (right) practices a full twisting double layout Friday. Lecturer Elizabeth Catlos { ni\ cr>!ty of Texas at Austin Lulhneli! I eeturer Award Recipient Smithsonian Maea/me's Young Innovator MtUED OUT ON DORMS? %, c Downtown an “That’s the kind of selfless individual he is,” Montecalvo said. “He is so team orient ed. He is so humble.” Montecalvo played alongside Hull’s father, Tom Hull, at Penn State in the early ’7os, and Hull had the opportunity to see the Penn State tradition firsthand. He attended games since he was 4 years old, and said since then, the tradition of Linebacker U never escaped him. But because Hull chose to attend sum mer football workouts instead of taking community college classes for high school credit last summer, he was unable to enroll early for spring practice and play in this Saturday’s Blue-White game, which kicks off at 2 p.m. Instead, for one last time before he takes on the task of helping to replace Sean Lee, Josh Hull and Navorro Bowman, Mike Hull will take a seat on the Beaver Stadium bleachers. That didn’t stop him from look ing forward. “It’ll be really exciting,” Mike Hull said of being on the other side of the stadium par tition this fall. “I’ve dreamed for a long time to wear a Penn State uniform. To finally get the opportunity ..." He then hesitated and sighed anxiously before speaking again. “It’ll be great. I just want to get up there." But had Hull graduated in the winter, he Senior to try unique ski By Jake Kaplan COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Brandi Personett has a weapon, and she is going to unleash it at nationals. As part of her floor exercise, U miiariu-c the senior on WOMEN S the Penn State GYMNASTICS women’s gym- = m ~' nasties team performs a full twisting double layout that only a handful of gymnasts have ever competed. Personett is one of two Nittany Lions who qualified for the NCAA championships as an individual, and she has been preparing to perform the skill at the competition, which begins Thursday in Gainesville, Fla. The full twisting double layout is more difficult than Personett’s normal floor routine, which she performed in each of the 13 meets leading up to nationals. Personett finished the season No. 2 in the nation in the event. Personett said she first prac ticed the skill as an Elite gym nast in high school but never competed it before her sopho more year at Penn State. Her experience freshman year as the lone Penn State individual to qualify for nationals was an eye opener for the gymnast. Monday, April 26 th at 7:00 PM 220 Hammond Buiding (across from Dunkin’ Donuts) Dessert Reception following lecture /' Check out Parkway Plaza I today, where all utilities ■ are included in your rent! S P o Courtesy of The Obseaer Repcrte* Incoming Penn State freshman Mike Hull (49) breaks a tackle in a high school game. wouldn't have played the role he did in v. li ning the wrestling crown. Now. Hull is i im ning track - switching from baseball ader earning letters in his first three years because Montecalvo advised him to do so as training for football. After track season, the two will continue their workouts. Hull said. Montecalvo supports high school football players staying in high school for the full four years, noting the translation of calis thenics from sport to sport. For Hull, that spanned four sports in high school and e\ on “If I’m going by myself, I’m going to have to do something impressive.” Brandi Farsonett senior gymnast “I went to nationals freshman year by myself and basically got screwed over by the judges because I was there by myself so they assumed I was bad I think,” Personett said. “So I realized sophomore year if I’m going by myself. I'm going to have do something impres sive.” Before nationals her sopho more year, again as the lone Lion to qualify. Personett said she trained the full twisting dou ble layout about a week before the competition. “I told them I was going to do it, and [Penn Shite coach Steve Shephard] like freaked out and made me take all the mats out of the pit," Personett said. “And then when I did it he was like, ‘Oh, you can do it. huh?' And I was like, ‘Yeah, that's what I was trying to explain to you.' " However, in the actual compe- 11 at nationals tition. Personett fell performing the skill in the preliminaiy stage, failing to qualify for the finals. The next year, when the entire Penn State team advanced to nationals, the rarity of the skill made it the talk of Hie 2009 national meet The I lien-junior gymnast made the crowd wait, however, as she decided to do her regular routine in the preliminary round and save the full twisting double layout for the final stage. She landed the skill but faltered on her last pass, scoring her a 9.8875, good enough for fourth in the meet. "My parents said that when I landed it. no time riming the entire meet did the audience get that loud." Personett said. "Just because people were waiting for that one skill all night.'' Sophomore All-American Whitney Bencsko said it was cool to see the skill in competi tion. She joked it would be hauler for Benc-ko M poll <'fl the skill with her 5 too 1 6 frame than it is for Personett, who ; - just 4-foot -11. Shephard conic! only reel off the names of a couple of women gymnasts lie knew who have performed the skill, one of whom was former U<’l.\ gymnast <J \J PARKWAY PLAZA A P A RT M E NT S vvvvvv.pcirkwayplcizci.com (814) 238 3432 FEATURES INCLUDE: Private Outdoor Pool - Complete Fitness Center On-site Laundry Facilities Free Internet Access Optional Luxury Furniture Package Wednesday, April 21, 2010 I 9 a nuddle school basketball career that impressed the high school's athletic depart - ment before he made the switch to wrestling. It is that type of athleticism mixed with intensity and smarts that Mary says typifies bis game. "If be played tennis he'd probably be a tennis state champion, too" Maty said. "He's just that well rounded of an athlete. There's nothing he couldn't do." To e-mail reporter: ajcs23B@psu.edu «To see Brandi Personett practice the full twisting double layout: f psucollegian.com Kristen Maloney, a member of the United States team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. However, Personett said no one else cur rently in collegiate gymnastics performs it. “She doesn't do an archetypi cal one." said assistant coach Jessica Bastardi, who spots Personett in the floor exercise. 'She does it better than an archetypical one because most people do it in a rounded body shape, and she does it really opened and arched, which is a lot prettier." As for whether her full twist ing double layout, along with the rest of her routine, can help earn her first-ever perfect 10 in the event. Personett said she knows it will be difficult. The score in event finals is made up of the average score of four judges. T have to get four 10s, which is kind of difficult," she joked. "I doubt it will be a 10, but I'm hop ing for a national champi onship." To e-mail reporter: jyksl42@psu.edu
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