Six balance beam routines stood between the women's gymnastics team and its first Big Ten Championship.

But for the second time in the past three meets, the four-inch wide apparatus proved to be Penn State's nemesis.

Three Lady Lions fell off the beam, lifting No. 15 Michigan (20-3) to its first Big Ten title since 1982 with a 191.7 -- and relegating No.9 Penn State (16-6) to second place with a 190.9.

"We had a good meet, but the two falls on beam (that counted in the team score) overshadowed (that)," said senior tri-captain Janice Rogers, one of the Lady Lions who fell off the beam. "It's a kick in the butt for us to have more confidence in ourselves."

The Lady Lions fared better in Saturday night's individual competition, with junior Rene Lyst capturing the Big Ten co-championship -- ironically -- on balance beam. In addition, Allison Barber finished second in the vault, Tracy Kerner was second in the uneven bars and April Polito was the runner-up in the floor exercise.

"We had trouble on beam, and we didn't handle it well," Coach Judi Avener said of Friday night. "The beam was our nemesis."

The team's uneven bar and floor exercise performances were as good as they have been all season, the coach added.

Michigan freshman Beth Wymer -- the Big Ten freshman of the year and gymnast of the year -- won Friday's all-around title with a 39, and Kelly Carfora (38.4) and Ali Winski (38.25) were second and third. Barber scored a 38.1 to finish fifth, and Polito's 38 was good for sixth place.

"Looking back on it, we thought it was going to be an easier meet than it was," Avener said. "I think we choked a little bit."

"There were times during the meet when we were aggressive," Rogers added, "(but) I don't think we were confident in our abilities."

Rogers struggled in the individual competition Saturday night, with a 9.2 on the uneven bars and a 9.3 on the floor exercise.

"She started to doubt herself and felt like she let the team down," Avener said. "She's had a great season, she just had an off meet."

Rogers' roommate Lyst, who didn't even compete in last weekend's quadrangular meet, brought home the team's only Big Ten trophy.

"I think a couple weeks out of the lineup helped her attitude," Avener said of Lyst. "It's good to have her back in there."

Lyst, Barber and Polito were named to the All-Big Ten team, along with the three Michigan all-arounders, Ruth Aguayo of Michigan State and Emily Arnold of Ohio State.

"I think the Big Ten was a great competitive experience for us," Avener said. "We would've won the Atlantic 10 with that score."