But now it has a much larger task at hand: Winning on the road in its first away meet of the season -- without one of its captains.

At 7 p.m. tomorrow, the No. 4 Lady Lions will travel to No. 27 North Carolina State to face the Wolfpack. It will be the first time the team has traveled this season and for the freshmen, it will be their first time traveling in their collegiate career.

"I'm really excited," said freshman Jennifer Drilling. "It will be a great experience being with the team and it should be fun."

According to the captains, travelling should not be a problem for the Lions.

"It's a lot of fun and it's a good bonding experience," said Ellen Casey, a senior tri-captain.

And at this point in the season, the team members need to stay supportive of each other. Especially considering that despite the big win last Saturday, Penn State was dealt a serious blow.

Senior tri-captain Janae Whittaker severely injured her knee on a dismount from the uneven bars at last Saturday's meet. She underwent surgery yesterday to repair minor ligament damage. Within the next few months, she will again have surgery in order to repair her torn anterior cruciate ligament, and her injuries will keep her out of action for the remainder of the season.

But the Lions' injury problems do not stop there. Junior Nikki Smith hit her foot on the balance beam during a dismount at practice earlier in the week and suffered a bruise.

"There is a large bruise on the top of her foot between her big toe and the second toe," said Tracy Rosenfeld, a coaching assistant. Because the bruise is on the foot of her landing leg, Smith will only be able to perform on the uneven bars.

Even though Whittaker's injury was difficult for the team, the Lions are handling the problems well.

"The team morale is much improved," said head coach Steve Shephard. "I think it's because Janae handled it so well."

The Lions, however, will not have an easy task handling the Wolfpack, who have momentum on their side. The 1998 season marked the team's first-ever trip to the NCAA Championships. Additionally, coming into this weekend's meet, the team's record is 1-0 and sophomore Amy Langendorf was already named the East Atlantic Gymnastics League's Gymnast of the Week.

Penn State may have obstacles to overcome, but even without Whittaker, it still believes its goal of winning the Big Ten Championships is possible.

"We just have to keep our eyes on our goal," said senior tri-captain Missy Leopoldus.

And if the Lions continue to keep their positive outlook, the championship may not be out of reach.