Janice Rogers doesn't consider herself an elite gymnast.

She's happy to defer that designation to gymnasts from perennial powerhouses like Utah and Georgia, those that capture the attention of the national media.

That's why the senior tri-captain of the No. 8 women's gymnastics team (8-5) was so surprised to find out that she had been named a finalist for the 1992 American Award -- the Heisman Trophy of women's gymnastics.

"I'm basically a humble person about things that I've done," Rogers said. "And to think that people out there know about me really kind of shocks me. It makes me really happy."

The award takes into account community service, academic performance and athletic achievement. Other nominees include Missy Marlowe-Anglesey of Utah, Lisa Kay Arel of MIT, Gina Basile of Alabama, Tracy Butler of Arizona State and Wendy Weaver of Towson State.

Rogers, who carries a 3.36 GPA in labor and industrial relations, has competed in the all-around in every meet this season. She has been a major factor in the Lady Lions' resurgent program.

"This shows how the rest of the country feels about our return to the national forefront," Coach Judi Avener said. "We've had outstanding people but they haven't been recognized in this way."

The nomination comes just a few days before the team's final dual meet -- tomorrow night at 8 against No. 15 West Virginia, Massachussetts and New Hampshire in Rec Hall. The time of the meet was changed from 2 p.m. due to the women's basketball team's second-round NCAA game.

It won't really be the last chance for Penn State fans to see seniors Rogers, Laurie Russo and Jada Hiltabrand -- the team will host Northeast Regionals on April 11 -- but Rogers knows it will be an emotional meet.

"I'm excited but I'm sad because this year has been a great year," she said. "Our team has really come together, we're really unified, and it's a great bunch of girls, so it's kind of disheartening . . . this meet is kind of like saying goodbye."

Avener and Rogers hope the seniors don't bow out meekly in a meet with two unranked teams.

"UMass and New Hampshire (Penn State's Northeast Region opponents) are both really good teams," Avener said. "So in order to increase our chances of winning the regionals we have to win this one."

New Hampshire boasts one of the top all-arounders in the nation in Lori Brady. Brady scored a perfect 10 on the vault against Vermont -- however, she hasn't been able to propel her team into the Top 20.

Massachussetts (9-3) scored a 188.1 on Mar. 9 against Illinois-Chicago, and West Virginia has a regional qualifying average of 189.29.

"New Hampshire seems to be the most consistently high-scoring team of the three," Avener said. "They're the primary foe."

Avener has been shifting her lineup almost daily, and she's tickled pink with the team's newfound depth --the Lady Lions have five gymnasts who could compete in the all-around.

"It's very nice to go in and say, 'Well, we can take this person out and give them a rest,' " Rogers said. "And (we) have somebody else go in and really know that it's not going to affect our team score."

That depth will be tested tomorrow, for a number of reasons. Freshman all-arounder Tracy Kerner missed a week of practice due to a death in the family, and Allison Barber has been troubled by underconfidence. The junior ended a string of 30 consecutive all-around performances on Mar. 6 against Stanford.

"Allison is a real perfectionist," Avener said. "She's the kind of person who looks at the hole in the doughnut. She could go in the gym and do 15 bar routines and if she missed one, she'll be wondering why she missed the one."

Sophomore April Polito may compete in her first-ever all-around tomorrow night. Polito has made an astoundingly quick recovery from a foot injury sustained in the preseason.

"She's put in like eight and nine hour days getting ready," Avener said. "Only an exceptional athlete with extraordinary talent could do what April is doing."