Gymwomen starting to make noise

It is too early to say how the Penn State women's gymnastics team will fare this season, but if their first meet was any indication, the Lady Lions have the potential to make some major noise in the Big Ten and the national rankings.

With a mixture of proven veterans and a few new faces, the No. 15 Lions defeated New Hampshire, 193.475-189.025 Sunday. The victory was also historic in that it was the highest opening meet score in Penn State women's gymnastics history.

"I was pretty pleased. I thought they did real well," Penn State coach Steve Shephard said. "I think we have the makings of a good team."

Whittaker was third in the all-around (38.225) while Casey, competing with a herniated disc in her back, tied Leopoldus on bars and placed fifth on floor (9.65).

"She (Casey) did extremely well," Shephard said. "She did a good job considering what she's been through the past few weeks."

While the juniors were starting the season where they left off, freshmen Gemma Cuff and Maria Taylor began their collegiate gymnastics careers with a bang. Cuff earned second-place honors in the all-around (38.7) while placing second on vault (9.775). Taylor took third on bars with a 9.75 and registered a 9.225 on beam.

"They seemed to have fun during the competition and they are pleased at how things went," Casey said.

Although both freshmen did not hit all their routines cleanly, they still received solid scores. Shephard said he foresees better results in the future for Cuff and Taylor.

"They did a great job. Maria fell on beam and still went 9.225. She has the potential to go 9.8 or 9.9," he said. "Gemma did really well. She had a little trouble on bars and still got a 9.55. She is capable of 9.8, 9.9, 10.0 range. She is a great athlete."

In addition to the success of the juniors and freshmen, the sophomore duo of Ashley Wilson and Nikki Smith and seniors Joanna Knox and Christi Huch made solid contributions to the Lion victory. Knox received a 9.65 on vault while Huch had a 9.4 on the same event.

Shephard said Wilson had a good day in her events, turning in a 9.625 performance on beam, a 9.6 on floor and a 9.375 on vault. Wilson said she has some work to do on her vault and beam routines.

"I think there is room for improvement, but for the first meet I think that I did really well," she said.

With a successful opening meet behind them, the Lions are ready for a couple weekends at Rec Hall. With a fairly healthy squad Shephard said the team is primed for a great season.

"I think (the meet) was a confidence booster for them," he said. "They're looking forward to competing at home the next two weeks. One of our goals was to hit the ground running and build from there, and I think we're on the right track."