Gymwomen staying positive despite loss to Cornhuskers

By GWENN MILLER
Collegian Staff Writer

The completion of the Penn State women's gymnastics team's meet Sunday marked the end of the regular season but the beginning of something much bigger -- the postseason.

Although No. 8 Nebraska defeated the Lady Lions by a score of 196.25-195.80, Penn State was pleased with the score and also the entire regular season.

The Lions' record of 10-4 does not nearly reflect the successes that the season brought. In the world of collegiate gymnastics, average scores determine a good team, and Penn State has been consistent in its high marks.

Going into the Nebraska meet, the Lions were ranked No. 5 and had an average regional qualifying score of 195.8812. This number has kept them in the top 12 and, as a result, the team has met one of its goals for the season.

"It's great that we are getting upset over scoring 195s and 196s, where in previous years we would have been happy to score 194s," senior tri-captain Janae Whittaker said. She also explained that by being ranked in the top 12, the team has a better chance of winning the regional meet because it will be competing against lower-ranked teams.

But before the regional competition takes place in April, the Big Ten Championships loom in the near future. The Lions have been working toward winning the title since the beginning of the regular season, and the Nebraska meet was yet another opportunity to practice in a competitive setting.

"We treated this meet like a championship meet," Whittaker said. To further motivate the team, Whittaker, along with assistant coaches Tracey Rosenfeld and Jessica Bastardi, presented it with plastic replicas of championship rings in hopes they would be replaced with the real thing at the Big Ten meet.

The team knows there is only one way to accomplish its lofty goal. The Lions must continue to work hard in practice and stay focused.

Senior tri-captain Ellen Casey said with the big meets in front of them, the team is ready to work harder because it is extremely motivated for the most rewarding part of the season. As the workouts become more difficult, the team's determination also increases.

While the Lions are looking to the postseason with high expectations and much anticipation, they have not forgotten the tough but rewarding road they traveled to get to this point in the journey.

"I think overall it was definitely a successful season because we certainly stepped our program up a notch and have taken steps to get noticed," Casey said.

And there is no better place for this improvement to be noticed than in the postseason.