When the Penn State women's gymnastics team placed sixth out of six teams at the SEC Challenge Friday night, one might think they would have felt a slight twinge of disappointment.
However, after a tumultuous pre-season filled with injuries, withdrawals and lineup changes, the squad was filled with tremendous pride and happiness at their accomplishments.
"I am very proud of all of the girls," coach Steve Shephard said. "There is obviously always room for improvement, and despite a fall on bars, we performed solid and showed a lot of character and heart. Katie Rowland had a fantastic meet, and was our top performer on all four events. Katie McAvoy also did well, hitting four for four, along with Lisa Campagnolo and Leslie Bair. Julie Stoloski did outstanding on floor, beam and vault, really stepping up her level, and becoming a hero in my eyes."
As soon as the team entered the Stephen O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla., they immediately felt confident and focused; a moral victory of sorts when faced with many of the top teams in the nation, including No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Georgia, No.4 Alabama, and No. 7 Florida. In fact, before a record crowd of 6,185, the squad showed their ability to hang with the top contenders and, in addition, came close to defeating them in a category or two.
"This was a tremendous atmosphere, and allowed the team to feel like this was a national championship," Shephard said. "You cannot substitute that learning experience for anything."
With a final score of 193.375, almost three points behind winner Georgia's 196.625, the team was still upbeat for the season ahead due to the various heroics of several squad members, including junior Rowland's second place all-around performance with a score of 39.350.
"In the first meet, you always are concentrated on getting the jitters out," Rowland stated. "I felt very confident overall and I really wanted to go out and show what I can do. Overall, it really was a great feeling and meet for me."
In addition to Rowland's feat, the team also placed four other members in the top 20, including fellow juniors Katie McAvoy in 10th, Lisa Campagnolo in 12th and Leslie Bair in 13th, followed by sophomore Kelly Streicher in 17th.
Rowland's and Bair's contributions to the team Friday night could not be discounted. Rowland led the team on all four apparatus', including placing fourth on the balance beam and sixth on bars. Meanwhile, in the absence of fellow team captain Nikki Bongiovanni due to shoulder surgery, Bair showed her leadership with constant motivation and encouragement of the girls.
"Leslie did a great job tonight, and really leads both vocally and by example," Shephard said. "She hit all four events very consistently, and really took one for the team by leading off on three events, which makes it very hard to score high. But, that is just the kind of kid she is, a team player who will do what it takes to help the team the most."
However, in spite of their positive attitudes, the team does recognize that there is still plenty of work to be done.
"We gave many 10ths away on our landings, and we need to work on going on the event to not just stay on but to hit it," Bair said. "But, this gives us room to improve for next weekend."
Overall, however, the SEC Challenge proved to be a rewarding trip for the team.
"I think that now, more than ever, we are well on track for the rest of the season," Shephard said. "We hung in there with the top teams in the country, and that really shows a lot about our strength and character right there."
