When the Lady Lion gymnasts and the Lady Bulldogs walked on the floor in Rec Hall on Sunday night, it was obvious that the two teams were different. Before the gymnasts even put a foot on the vaulting runway or grasped the uneven bars, there was one very noticable contrast -- height.

Five Penn State gymasts are over 5-foot-5, whereas the Bulldogs only have two gymnasts over 5-foot-2. The large number of taller girls is unusual.

"We are taller than the average team," junior Tracy Kerner said. "It's coincidence we ended up together."

Being taller can be a disavantage on the vault because it makes quick completion of skill more difficult. The slower the execution, the more time a judge has to watch for mistakes.

Taller gymnasts have more difficulty "on vault because (they) have more mass to get around," the 5-foot-5 Kerner said.

A gymnast can adjust by moving the springboard further from the vaulting horse, giving her more time to get over, Kerner added.

On uneven bars, additional height can be a mixed blessing. Because the apparatus is designed for smaller women, taller gymnast have to make adjustments to keep form.

"I have to reset the bars so my toes won't drag," 5-foot-8 freshman Erin Hayde said. "But it also looks better because you have better lines."

Height also plays a large role in body awareness. Because taller gymnasts are simply dealing with more mass, corrections or adjustments in skills are even more important. Since Hayde's legs are longer, there is more room for mistakes.

"If you're tall, you can notice bent legs more," Hayde said.

During training and meets, height isn't even a consideration for the freshmen. Height hasn't effected the Lady Lions performance except for in the vault. The Lady Bulldogs' total score was over a point higher than Penn State's score.

Although it has had difficulties in the vault, the team has strong performances in the other events.

"It hasn't been a problem for us," Kerner said about the team's overall height.