Looking Forward To 2015 With Pickin' Nits

I try to think about different ways this time of year to improve my well being like everyone else. The thoughts of joining a gym, picking up a new hobby or running every day aren't on the top on my list of things I desperately want to accomplish right now. I'll save that for after this whole 'college' thing is over with and I have more free time for appropriate recreational activities.

Take last year for instance. I walked into a Barnes & Noble on Christmas Eve for the first time in probably seven years. I take that as accomplishing a resolution of mine even though it wasn't necessarily thought about until a week before we flipped the calendar to 2015. I've never felt better about myself for thinking about sitting in a chair and reading a book cover to cover.

I accomplished something that made me feel like a better person. As for 2015, hopefully I'm not waiting that long to achieve something so rewarding, but let's make the best of it. The Nits are ready for some new thrills this year as well.

Gymnastics

It's game week finally for the flippers and cart wheel enthusiasts after a long hiatus. Do they call it a game? A match? An invitational? How should we refer to these meetings of two gymnastics teams, America? Feel free to comment your best opinion below.

I for one am absolutely enticed by the "Winter Cup" in Las Vegas later in February that Penn State will partake in. All the balance beams and Bellagio babes that anyone can ever ask for will be in the middle of one place.

This Week Ahead: The Cadets from West Point make their way to Rec Hall to open up the 2015 campaign. I would think the gymnasts at Army are in top notch shape, but we've seen before that just because these brave men and women work their butts off more than anyone else their age, it necessarily doesn't translate to the athletic events. No matter how important the event may be.

Swimming and Diving

I'm currently on one of my last trips to Illinois for the foreseeable future and it's suppose to be pushing a high of 0 on Wednesday. Excuse me for not being so particularly enticed about talking about a sport that consists of jumping into a pool of water and having about 2-4 percent of your body covered up.

I'm already counting the days down to when I can wear shorts and sweat outside again. :(

Women's Ice Hockey

Things got off to a little icy start for the women in their first action since knocking off Mercyhurst. See what I did there. Penn State was outscored 9-1 in the two losses to Ohio State last week at Pegula.

Junior Hannah Bramm had the lone goal for the Nittany Lions that came in the third period of a 3-1 loss on Saturday with a 6-0 loss on Sunday to finish up the series.

It just happened to be Ohio State's week across the entire sports landscape apparently.

This Week Ahead: It's an off week for the Nittany Lions before another home series against RIT starting on Jan. 17.