Although the women's gymnastics team did not top its highest score of the season, it captured its eighth consecutive Atlantic 10 title on Saturday with a 187.45 score. Coach Judi Avener called it the team's best meet of the season.

"All in all, it was our best performance across the board," Avener said. "It's hard to say which was our best event. The best thing to say was that we were consistent."

"It really was (our best event) in terms of hitting," Kira Rohm agreed.

Avener said the team had trouble with only one routine on each event.

"On vault, it wasn't much at all," Avener said. "Lisa Mallios took a step back."

On bars, Rohm, who is No. 2 in the Penn State record books on the event, was the only Lady Lion to fall off the event.

"I think it was a mental error," Rohm said. "I think I was really relaxed. I didn't follow my cues . . . Other than that, the team did great, we hit 21 of the 24 routines."

Although UMass' Tammy Marshall won the all-around with a 37.80, the team fell to the No. 2 spot overall with a 184.90. West Virginia followed with third place and a 183.10.

Since Penn State had not met any of its A-10 foes this season prior to the meet, all-arounder Allison Barber said she was not sure what to expect. She said there were more talented individuals at the meet as compared to the teams as a whole.

Kim Thrasher (37.75) and Barber (37.65) took second and third in the all-around.

"I was pretty much pleased," Barber said. "There are things that I need to improve on. Overall, for the team, we really went out there and enjoyed ourselves."

"We really got into the beam routines," Rohm said. She added that the team tried to have fun, even clapping to the music during the other teams' floor routines.

Barber earned scores of 9.65 on both the vault and balance beam, enough for second-place on vault and first on beam.

"It was a pretty solid routine," Barber said of her beam performance. "There were still things that weren't my best."

Thrasher placed in two of the four events. On bars, she took third with a 9.45, right behind Lynn Crane's second-place 9.50 performance.

Although she was pleased with her performance, Crane is looking to improve on bars in the next two weeks before the team's NCAA regionals on April 7.

"I think my bar routines have been pretty consistent all year," Crane said. "I'm just going to concentrate the next two weeks on (my) form."

In the absence of Paula Bright, a top competitor on the floor, Thrasher snagged the top spot with a 9.65. Bright, also a vaulter, injured her left leg in practice last week and will be out for the season.

"I think we're all taking it the best we can," Barber said. "I think we're . . . trying to fill in the places she's (missing from) and find places where she can help without actually competing."

"Her injury was a really hard blow for everybody," Rohm said. "I think everyone got over their fears. And Paula is just great about the whole thing. She's still giving a hundred percent."

"She's a big part of our floor lineup," Janice Rogers said. "But we had people to fill in."

Rogers contributed to the floor exercise, as she took second place (9.55).

"It was one of my better ones," Rogers said. "We were just having a good time. The energy carried over."

The high score on floor came after Rogers had some trouble on her beam routine. She broke in her beam mount, but was the only Lady Lion to have a fall in the event.

On vault, captain Carrie Arnesen came through for third place with a 9.60. Lisa Mallios, who holds the school record of 9.85 on vault, only managed a 9.50 for fifth place in the event.