The Lady Lions are flying into Saturday's Big Ten Women's Gymnastics Championship (7 p.m., Rec Hall), thanks in no small part to a bird. A bird without wings or feathers, but who sails through the air nonetheless. Penn State's bird is Bridget "Bird" Foley, who has emerged this year as one of the team's top underclassmen -- a leader both on and off the mats.

"She's definitely a consistent performer," Lady Lion Assistant Coach Jessica Bastardi said, "and she'll speak her mind and is willing to be tough on her teammates."

Foley agreed with Bastardi's assessment of her, saying that on more than one occasion this season, she and some of the upperclassmen have gone to the coaches -- or teammates -- to express concerns.

"Sometimes I feel if I don't say something no one will," Foley warbled, quickly adding that the upperclassmen are doing a great job leading the team.

While many gymnastics fans may not realize Foley's impact off the mats, her contribution on the scoreboard cannot be missed.

The 5-foot-4 native of the Pittsburgh suburb Moon who got the nickname "Bird," when she was a youngster because she was, "really tiny and weak," is currently ranked No. 19 nationally and No. 2 regionally on bars with a 9.8 average. She is also first on the team and No. 2 in the region on beam ("I like beam, but I get really nervous on it," Foley said), and her 9.65 on floor is good for second on the team ("My favorite event -- definitely it's floor in Rec Hall," "Bird" called).

But Foley's rise to the upper limits of Penn State gymnastics did not come without hard work, Foleu and those around her chirped.

"When we recruited her," Lady Lion Coach Steve Shephard said, "she had a high level of skill, but problems with her form. She's much cleaner now, she was sloppy then."

An improvement also noted by senior co-captain April Polito, who was a high school teammate of Foley's. Polito said Foley has always performed a lot of eye-opening moves, but that it was not until college that she has had top form.

"She would have tons of tricks (in her routine)," Polito said, "but they were just sloppy, and they would cost her points." So Polito said the upperclassmen last year did what any upperclassmen would do to a freshman like Foley: "We were on her back so much." But, Foley's childhood friend added, "She's improved a lot."

The 19-year-old Foley said her motivation to improve comes from within, "I'm really self-motivated, I don't need someone pushing me."

Foley said some of that motivation came from a high school career in which she rarely finished first.

"I would never win," the exercise and sport science major said, "I would always take second or third. That kept me motivated."

Foley, who said she is considering a career as a physical therapist, plans on living next year with her current roomate, sophomore gymnast Michelle Manzolillo and Polito, about whom she said: "April's probably my closest friend (on the team) because I grew up with her. I'm not not-friends with anyone on the team."

Team unity is something Foley said is one of her favorite characteristics of the Lady Lion program.

"I love it here," Foley said of her nest in Happy Valley, "I hated it in high school, it was too every-man-for-himself."

But not in college, where the Lady Lions go flying into the Big Tens on a wing and a prayer.