As many times as she has been through the bittersweet excitement of seeing her seniors graduate, women's gymnastics coach Judy Avener still cries after the last home meet of their college careers.

"I cry every time, especially when they made as much contribution to the team as they have," said Avener, who has coached the Lady Lions for 17 years.

Paula Bright, Lynn Crane and Kira Rohm competed in the last home meet of their college careers at Penn State Saturday night in Rec Hall.

Each was given a blanket by the coaches because they completed all four years of their eligibility and they were given bouquets by their parents in a pre-game ceremony.

Before the meet, Crane also received the first Lynn Crane Attitude Award. The award, like others that Avener has created, honors "personal qualities that make an athlete successful," Avener said.

"I've only seen her in a bad mood twice; once when she was hurt and once when she was in a car accident," Avener said.

"No matter what she did, she did it with a smile. Forever more we'll be looking for that kind of person."

Avener said she won't give the award every year. She will only give the award when an athlete exemplifies the same personal qualities Crane has.

After the meet Rohm won the Anne Carr Award, given to the female gymnast with the most inspirational performance of the meet.

Besides the awards, Saturday's final home meet had special meaning for the three Lady Lions.

"It felt great. It's always been my dream to first compete in Rec Hall and second to make it four years and get the blanket," said Bright, who grew up in the area.

Bright might not have been there, though, because she considered retiring from competition after suffering a knee injury last March. She has been wearing a knee brace for the entire season.

But it hasn't affected her performances. Saturday she won the floor exercise, which she considers her best event, with a 9.75, her personal best.

"Judy sat down with me and made me believe I could get back," Bright said. "Knowing someone believed in me helped boost my confidence. If I would have quit, I would have felt like I gave up."

Crane said she tried not to think about the meet being her last in Rec Hall.

"I tried not to put extra pressure on myself," Crane said. "I was more excited to do well for the crowd because they support us so well. There was a little extra fire in my blood."

But the season still isn't over for Penn State. They still have the Atlantic 10 Tournament, the Northeast Regionals and, they hope, the NCAA Championships.

"If we perform the way we did tonight we should win regionals," Rohm said.