The Lady Lion gymnastics team vaulted its season record over .500 Friday night, going 4-1 in the six-team Cat Classic in Columbia, Mo., and setting a season-high team score in the process.

The Lady Lions, now 5-4, topped their previous season-best, a 190.375 against Georgia, in the 191.100-190.600 loss to No. 20 Missouri. And Coach Steve Shephard said he thinks Friday's good showing is a sign of things to come.

"I think (the team) is capable of being (ranked) in the top five," Shephard said of his No. 11 team.

Saturday's individual competition was also kind to the Lady Lions. Junior Tracy Kerner finished second on bars with a 9.875 and a fourth on floor with a 9.775. Senior co-captain April Polito tied for third on vault with a 9.80. More good news for Shephard was the performance of freshman Leigh Cappello, of Millersville, Md., who tied for third on beam with a 9.675. The other Lady Lion to qualify for individual competition was sophomore Bridget Foley who captured fifth-place on floor with a 9.725.

Foley, out of Coraopolis, led the team in floor (9.725) and beam (9.675) Friday, and according to Shephard, she not only pleased her team but also the Show-Me-State crowd as well.

"The crowd really loved her floor (routine)," Shephard said, "Foley had a great meet. She was one of the stars of the show."

Also coming up big was all-arounder Kerry Slattery. The junior led the Lady Lions and placed 11th in Friday night's all-around with a 37.350.

The Lady Lions other all-arounder, senior co-captain April Polito, had a Jekyl-and-Hyde performance Friday, with big marks on vault (a team-leading 9.725) and bars (9.675), but falling on beam and floor. The Pittsburgh native, however, said the team was satisfied with its showing in Riverboat Country.

"We were happy with our performance (Friday night)." Polito said.

Shephard said he was particularly happy with his team's performance on vault, where the Lady Lions scored a season best 47.9250. He was also pleased with the team's confidence level in all events except beam where, he said, the Lady Lions were, "still a little tentative."

The star of Friday's show was Kentucky's Jenny Hansen who did her best Ernie Banks impression, winning the all-around with a 39.000 and scoring a perfect 10 on the vault for fifth-place Kentucky (1-6), whose 187.7250 edged only 0-10 Vermont's 179.8750.

Rounding out Friday's team scores was third-place and No. 10 Auburn's (3-4), 190.5250, and fourth-place and No. 18 Arizona's (6-3) 187.9500.

Hansen was also Saturday's star, when she posted her second 10 in as many days on the vault and won the floor with a meet record 9.925. Auburn's Becky Erwin -- a meet record 9.900 on beam -- and Arizona's Becky Bowers -- a meet record-tying 9.900 -- also shone Saturday.