The Lady Lion gymnastics team roasted the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday night, capturing their second conference win of the season and in the process vaulting their season record to over .500.

The Lady Lions, 6-5, outdistanced Ohio State (4-4) by a comfortable 191.550-188.200 margin, but Coach Steve Shephard still viewed the meet with a coach's critical eye.

"(We) still have some work to do on beam," Shephard said. "They're not confident (on beam) in meets, because they're not hitting it in practice."

Despite Shephard's worries about his beam team, the Lady Lions did outscore the Buckeyes in that event, by a 47.425-47.350 tally. In fact, Penn State outdueled the Ohio Staters in all four events Saturday, with beam being the closest competition.

There was, however, one beamer that made Shephard ecstatic Saturday, and it was not the 325i. It was junior Tracy Kerner, who smashed her previous season-best beam score of 9.625 with a 9.800 against Ohio State.

"She seems to be getting better every meet," her coach said. "We're pacing her to be (healthy) for Big Tens."

Kerner, who missed the entire 1993 season with a severe knee injury, was also healthy on her two other events versus the 'Eyes, tying her season bars best with a 9.875 and flooring Ohio State with a big 9.700 on floor. Shephard said she has been vaulting (the one event she does not compete in) in practice and should be ready to do it in competition by the Big Ten Tournament. But despite her big numbers Saturday, Kerner she said she was most happy that the team put up a win for the Rec Hall crowd of 3,770.

"It was a really great meet for us, especailly coming off the last home meet (a third-place finish in a quad meet)," Kerner said, adding, "It was my best meet of the year."

Another gymnast who had a good Saturday was senior co-captain and team lynchpin April Polito, who led the meet's three all-arounders with a 38.500. Polito also set her season best on vault with a 9.850 and tied her season best on bars with a 9.675.

While the Lady Lions are once again over the break-even mark for the season, a good win-loss record is not vital in college gymnastics. The 12 teams selected for the year-end NCAA Championships are selected based on their showing at their respective regional tournaments, of which there are five. This year, the Northeast Regional, in which both Penn State and Ohio State will compete, is being held at Rhode Island.