Olympic athletes and Penn State — the idea isn't totally foreign. Former Penn State athletes have traveled to the Olympics, and now one will be attending Penn State for the next four years of her life to compete on the women's gymnastics team.

Emilie Fournier, a member of the 2000 Canadian Olympic team, signed with Penn State after being highly recruited by No. 5 Utah, No. 2 Georgia, and Penn State, among other schools.

But school ranking wasn't the most important thing to Fournier while choosing a university.

"Utah was too far from home," Fournier said. "Penn State was closer, and I really liked the girls and the coaches. The balance between gymnastics and academics was perfect for me."

And the fact that Fournier knows four other Penn State gymnasts also helped her decision process. Katie Rowland, Katie McAvoy, Richelle Simpson and Lisa Campagnolo also share a Canadian background with Fournier and competed with and against her in competitions in Canada. She competed with Rowland at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and with Simpson at the Olympic Trials in 2000.

The Penn State campus also impressed Fournier in her one visit to Happy Valley on March 17, to watch the team compete against Alabama.

"I think I really liked the fact that the dorms are really close to the gym," Fournier said. Most of the women's gymnastics team lives in Atherton Hall, which is directly beside the newly renovated White Building where the team practices. The new facilities are bigger than the past and include enough room for both the men's and women's team to practice at the same time.

"It's a big school and I like it that way," Fournier said. "Montreal's a big city where you can meet different people every day. And I love the gym. It's wonderful. I really like the fact they have a guy's team as well and that they train with them."

Fournier's coach, Francine Bouffard of Club Gymnix where Fournier trains, said she tried to stay out of Fournier's college decision, recognizing that it was the gymnast's ultimate choice as to what school she wanted to attend. However, she did meet with several coaches when they came to Montreal and she did talk with Fournier after she returned from each college visit.

Bouffard said after every visit Fournier would come back to the gym telling her coach that she wanted to attend that particular school, but when she talked about Penn State her eyes lit up.

"I think the way the coaches were with the athletes and among themselves, she found that it was enjoyable," Bouffard said about Fournier's opinion of Penn State. "A social life was also present. She likes the social life. (Penn State) would be able to fill more of her needs."

Although Penn State will satisfy Fournier's needs, Fournier will also be helping Penn State out as well. The Nittany Lions are losing two key contributors in senior all-arounder Gemma Cuff and senior Maria Taylor who was a key part of the Lions team on both bars and beam.

"I've watched them only in a meet once, so I can't really say anything about it," Bouffard said about the Penn State team. "They have really good girls on each event, but they need all-arounders and I'm really strong on each event."

And that's what Penn State coach Steve Shephard likes to hear.

"She's going to make an immediate impact," Shephard said. "She's going to elevate our program to the next level."