It was a combination of factors that made it seem inevitable. The last name. The nature of children.

When Lion gymnast Tony Pansy was growing up, sometimes he was the subject of jokes. But as children get tired of most things, they let him off the hook by the time he entered high school.

"Sometimes the guys will say something," Pansy said with a laugh. "Maybe when I was younger, on a team -- I remember (former Lion gymnast) Adam Carton picked on me for it and used to joke around and say stuff about it."

But Pansy has answered the comments with his performances. At the West Point Open last weekend, he came in second in the all-around (56.0), first on parallel bars (9.4), tied for fourth on rings (9.5) and fifth on pommel horse (8.6).

Pansy encourages his teammates to work as a unit. He has a great attitude which his teammates said they admire. His confidence serves as a model for other gymansts.

In and out of the gym, Pansy is quickly becoming a leader. It's all part of his plan for the Lions' success.

"I'm trying to be a little more of a team leader and trying to concentrate on getting everybody to work well together," he said. "I know if we do, with the potential that we have on the team, we could do really well this year."

Coach Randy Jepson expects Pansy to be equally as solid in the meet this weekend at the Navy Invitational in Annapolis, Md.

"This year, he is starting to see his potential," Jepson said. "He is more consistent and confident. We are depending on him to hit routines and be a leader for the team."

Roommate and teammate Brandy Wood said the Lions can count on Pansy to hit his routines because his goals in and out of the gym are very clear.

"This year, I noticed a big difference in Tony," Wood said. "He is more focused and more of a leader, with more dedication and confidence."

If Pansy's goals include placing high in the NCAA rankings, he is off to a good start. He holds the third spot nationally in the all-around (56.5) and parallel bars (9.6), is second on the pommel horse (9.65), horizontal bar (9.65) and vault (9.35) and seventh on the rings (9.5).

Pansy's road to becoming a top Penn State gymnast was a long one. As a 5-year-old, he took tumbling classes at the YMCA where his mother worked.

"It took a lot of dedication." Pansy said. "Even as a kid, I practiced every day. As I got older, it became twice a day. There wasn't time to play any other sport competitively. I never really did school functions. I was concentrating on going to nationals and USA Championships, not going to a school dance."

Instead, he practiced two times a day during his first two years of high school. But in his junior and senior years he had a tutor, which allowed him to train twice a day and lift weights as well.

"I really didn't have a lot of close friends in high school," Pansy said. "My closest friends all through my high school career were the guys on the team."

Not much has changed since then. Pansy lives with four of his teammates and enjoys spending free time in the gym or hanging out with his fellow gymnasts. He also likes to travel and lift weights. When he gets the chance, Pansy likes to play basketball or participate in water sports.

Pansy, an exercise and sport science major, said he hopes to attend chiropractic school in the future. But for now, his schedule is full with classes and practice.

Pansy starts at 6:45 a.m. with morning practice. He then goes to class and practices again in the afternoon. In the evenings, he likes to lift weights or relax, with occasional night classes.

Despite his busy schedule, Pansy still makes time for the team.

"He is a great guy who is willing to help anyone and helps a lot with getting classes in order," said sophomore J.M. Michel.

Jepson recalled recruiting Pansy. He learned of Pansy's dream of attending Penn State, a dream the gymnast had since he was in the eighth grade.

"It makes you feel good that something that someone wanted for so long has panned out," Jepson said.

Even though Pansy has been dedicated since he was a young child, he is not tired of gymnastics. He has high hopes for both the team and himself.

His goal is for everyone on the team to be more confident. If that happens, he sees no problem for Penn State in finishing in the top three at NCAAs.

"I hope to be All-American and qualify for the Winter National Championships in two weeks," Pansy said. "It will be a big goal for me to make the senior national team and get a national competition out of it."