Lucky seven is the number the women's gymnastics team will be shooting for at this weekend's Atlantic 10 Conference Championships.

The Lady Lions have won the previous six championships, but this weekend's meet at George Washington University will be a little tougher than the past six.

Coach Judi Avener will take a young team into the meet, a team just getting back into a good rhythm after early-season injuries, a team that has not tasted victory since a win over Pittsburgh in mid-February.

The team is coming off its second loss of the season to Ohio State, 186.90-185.15, but it was its best performance since January's Cat Classic.

Attitude and practice is the formula the Lady Lions are using once again to reach the point of success they know they can achieve.

"It (team's attitude) was excellent in the meet last weekend and I think it's just as good, if not better, for this weekend," Assistant Coach Tricia Hunt said.

It has been the Lady Lions' attitude that has allowed them to overcome the injuries, and allow them to have a chance at winning the A-10 championship as well as the Northeast Regionals.

"We're coming on strong at the end and I believe we can add one-and-a-half points (to the team's most recent score)," Avener said.

Practice has again been tough for the team this week, and that is where the team's closeness helps the most.

"We had a really hard week of practice," captain Debbie O'Brien said. "Just getting through practice we need each other."

And for the first time since January, the Lady Lions will have their top six in the same meet with everyone reasonably healthy. That should help their confidence even more.

"They always knew they could be doing better but because of the circumstances they weren't . . . and I think it's (having everyone back) a big plus for them," Hunt said.

The biggest boost for the team last weekend was the return of top all-around performer Lynn Crane, who had missed all-around competition for almost six weeks with a bruised heel. Crane finished third in the Ohio State meet and showed no effects of the injured heel.

Crane will be defending the all-around title this weekend along with her balance beam title from a year ago. Kira Rohm will defend her title on the uneven bars.

The team's stiffest competition will likely come from West Virginia University, a team the Lady Lions defeated in their first meet of the season, 185.80-175.75. The Lady Mountaineers recently scored a team record 185.65 against Louisiana State.

After this weekend, the team will have two weeks to prepare for the Northeast Regionals in Rec Hall and a third crack at the Lady Buckeyes of Ohio State.

The regionals are what the Lady Lions are looking toward because the winner goes to the NCAA Championships at Georgia on April 14-15. The Lady Lions are confident they have a shot.

"Every single one of us knew we could win regionals after last weekend," O'Brien said, referring to the performance the team put on against Ohio State.