Penn State gymnast Dave Riordan was not shocked after his team's performance on the pommel horse at the U.S. Naval Academy Invitational on Saturday.

But he wasn't happy, either.

"We started off with the same old problems," said the Lions' captain. "Everyone but Lee (Ricketts) and Tony (Pansy) fell off the horse."

No. 2 Penn State defeated Navy 224.75-216.7, the closest competition the Lions have faced so far. Pitt placed third (213.45) in the field of seven in Annapolis, Md.

Lion Coach Randy Jepson agreed that the pommel horse was anything but an ally to his team. But Jepson was able to salvage something out of Penn State's meager scores of 7.05, 7.8 and 8.0 on the horse.

"I was glad to see us fall early," Jepson said. "It was an excellent experience for them to have under their belts."

Under the strong leadership of junior Tony Pansy, who topped the all-around competition with an impressive 57.0, the team was able to turn its momentum around in the second half of the meet.

"Tony's stability is very valuable to this team," Jepson said. "He has provided a good anchor for the rest of the guys to follow."

Pansy credited his strong performance to a confident attitude he maintains from the moment he enters the gym. He said the rest of his team could benefit from a little more confidence upon arriving in any gym.

"The meet didn't look anything like what we practiced all week," Pansy said. "We looked really good during the week. It's just a matter of doing that when you get to the meet."

Despite the squad's lack of strength in the beginning of the meet, sophomore Tom Ellefson and senior Mark Cooper posted individual performances on the high bar that gave the day a happier ending for the Lions.

Ellefson recorded a career-high 9.9 on high bar, while Cooper landed a 9.75 on floor exercise and a 9.8 on high bar. Cooper's performances were made sweeter by a surprise visit from his parents, who traveled from Texas to watch him compete.

"I felt that everything came together for us at the end," he said. "We know now that we have to concentrate more on the horse and the parallels. We'll have to work together and do some work for Nebraska."