"Homeward bound -- I'm comin' home. Home -- where your thoughts are driftin'. Home -- where your love lies waitin'."

Paul Simon's "Homeward Bound" would have provided an apropos soundtrack to the goings on during and after the No. 12 Lady Lions (13-8) emotional 193.95-193 loss to No. 6 Florida (8-4) Saturday. That night witnessed the return of former long-time Penn State coach -- and current Florida coach -- Judi Avener.

After the meet, the Lady Lions held a tearful senior night ceremony honoring Penn State's Coby Silver and April Polito, as well as 1993 graduate Allison Barber. The big picture of Saturday night, Lady Lion Coach Steve Shephard said, is that once a Lady Lion gymnast, always a Lady Lion gymnast.

"Judi was worried that she would be perceived as an enemy," Shephard said. "I told her, 'You will never, ever, be treated as an enemy' --Judi Avener is Penn State gymnastics.

"And both April and Coby are very special people," Shephard added. "(The three of us) are very close."

That was more than just hyperbole by Shephard. Avener, who coached the Lady Lions for 18 years, during which she compiled 284 wins and two national titles, left Happy Valley for the land of Mickey Mouse and Burt Reynolds in the summer of 1992. She said her emotions Saturday were almost too great for words.

"I don't think I can describe (my emotions)," Avener said. "I was bouncing off the walls I was so nervous (before the meet). When I left here my heart was broken. But I was really proud of my team."

And she had good reason to be proud. The Gators performed brilliantly, besting a Lady Lion club that topped its previous season high (a 192.275 Feb. 11 at Alabama) by almost three-quarters of a point. The Gators beat the Lady Lions on all four events -- save the bars, where the two squads tied.

The Rec Hall crowd of 2,746 was also treated to a record-setting performance, and not the record Avener set for becoming the first opposing coach to wear orange shoes in Rec Hall. Instead, the school record Florida sophomore Kristen Guise set in the all-around. Guise posted a remarkable 39.375, not scoring lower than 9.8 on any event.

The Lady Lions also had some things to roar about. In the team's final regular season meet of the season, juniors Tracy Kerner (a 9.825 in floor) and Kerry Slattery (9.7 beam) set season bests. But the most satisfying season best set Saturday may have been Polito's 9.9 in floor, which came in her and roommate Silver's final regular season meet.

Despite the emotion of the night, Silver cautioned that the Lady Lions still have work to do.

"(The meet) was really exciting and really emotional, but we have more really important meets," she said.

Silver was not kidding. Her Lady Lions will host the Big Ten Championships this weekend. After that, it is off to the NCAA Regional Championships, April 9 at Rhode Island, and hopefully for Penn State, a bid in the 12-team field at the NCAA Championships April 23 at Utah.