With the Penn State double-dual men's and women's gymnastics meet occurring during the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon weekend, one knew that it had to be a special meet.

Special, in regards to who was in attendance.

The No. 18 Penn State women's gymnastics team welcomed back an array of Nittany Lion gymnastics alumni.

However, not all of the alumni were cheering for the hometown Lions. Recently added Ohio State assistant coach Carey Fagan was one of those alumni cheering for the Buckeyes.

Fagan, who is a native of North Canton, Ohio, graduated from Penn State in 1998.

She was a four-year member of the women's gymnastics team under current Penn State women's gymnastics coach Steve Shephard.

During her career at Penn State, she was a member of the NCAA Northeast regional championship team from 1995 to 1998, served as captain her senior year (1998) and was a three-year letterwinner.

"[Fagan] was a great kid," Shephard said. "She was a real team leader."

Although Fagan was a part of the red and silver team this time around, she was coaching her fellow Buckeyes on the principles she had learned while being a blue and white Lion on the Penn State team.

"It was great to look over from floor and see her coaching beam," Penn State women's gymnastics assistant coach Jessica Bastardi said.

"I used to coach her and I know she is a great coach and passionate about it."

The Buckeyes are currently the No. 15 team in the nation in competing on the balance beam, and much of that can be attributed to Fagan.

"I am confident that she will help Ohio State improve their program," Bastardi said.

"They have a great program right now, and she is a great addition."

Lions freshman Meredith Hoover, who hails from Dublin, Ohio, is just like Fagan in that she is attending Penn State and is from Ohio.

However, Hoover also has ties to the Buckeyes, making the Lions' victory Saturday night a special one for her.

Hoover's former club coach is currently helping out with the Buckeye team.

"It is fun to be able to say that I showed up my hometown," Hoover said.

Another of Penn State's alumni got his first chance to see the women's team compete this season.

Greg Weiss, a former Penn State 1961 NCAA all-around champion men's gymnast, was in the stands cheering on the Lions.

"I was surprised [by the women]," Weiss said. "Penn State had a better trained team [than the Buckeyes]."

Weiss, who was a member of the 1964 Olympic team that competed in Tokyo, Japan, is also the proud father of the current men's figure skating national champion, Michael Weiss.

"There are only two men doing quads in the country right now, Michael and [Timothy] Goebel." Weiss said.

"Michael has two bronze world medals already."

With the world figure skating championships a month away in Michael Weiss' hometown of Washington, D.C., his father wanted to share some words of advice to any athlete out there.

"Competitions are won in the years and months before in the gym or on the ice," Weiss said.

"You prepare as hard and as well as you possibly can, then go in and fight as hard as you can and let the chips fall where they may. You won. No matter which medal you get or no medal, you won. Nobody can ask more."

While Weiss looks forward to seeing his son competing and being a successful figure skater in the future, he still realizes that being a Penn State gymnast is a special treat to those selected few that make the team.

"Penn State always had the image of being a clean-cut place to be," Weiss said.

"Everybody aspired to be like a Penn State gymnast, and they still do in a lot of ways."