The women's gymnastics team will host Pitt, one of its most prominent rivals, in its third home meet of the season at 8 tonight in Rec Hall.

"We are pretty much status quo and I hope we'll do better," Coach Judi Avener said. "We've worked very hard in practice this week and I hope it will show up at the meet."

Freshman Kim Thrasher led the Lady Lions in last weekend's Ohio State meet with the highest Penn State score in all four events and a first place finish in the all-around. Thrasher is ranked No. 5 in the Northeast Region all-around with a season average of 37.08. She has also been ranked fifth individually in vault and uneven bars with scores of 9.43 and 9.36, respectively.

Freshman Janice Rogers is ranked fifth on the beam in the Northeast Region with a 9.24.

Sophomore Lynn Crane, who has been injured since the Cat Classic in Missouri on Jan. 22, could be back in competition tonight on the beam, an area on which the Lady Lions need help. Last week, Penn State accumulated its lowest beam score of the season, a 43.15. Thrasher was the only Penn Sate performer who broke 9.0.

Crane, Penn State's leading all-arounder, is ranked No. 4 in the Northeast Region all-around. In individual events, Crane is ranked second on vault with a 9.50, fourth on uneven bars with a 9.40, and fourth on floor exercise with a 9.37.

Pittsburgh's Tina Taylor scored a school record 9.6 on the floor exercise last week at Temple. Jeannie Veccio is the leading scorer on the uneven bars (9.45) and Carrie Carnesale holds the high score on beam (9.3).

Last year, the Lady Lions outscored Pittsburgh, 181.20-176.45. They hold a 23-1 advantage in the series.