While Penn State students were enjoying their winter break, the Penn State women's gymnastics team was fine-tuning its skills to prepare themselves for a long season that would produce multiple highs and a few heartbreaking lows.

After coming off of a 7-20 season in 2002 that was riddled with injuries, the Nittany Lions looked to improve. Fifth-year senior Nikki Bongiovanni returned to the line up after suffering a shoulder injury that forced her to sit out the entire 2002 season. With Bongiovanni returning, the Lions looked to be a competitor with their multi-talented senior class. However, senior co-captain Leslie Bair would suffer a partially torn lateral collateral ligament [LCL] early in the season that would hinder her abilities to compete in the all-around.

"Compared to last year we have a ton of new skills and a ton of new difficulty," Bair said in the beginning of the season. "We have a huge senior class and we have been wanting to make it to Nationals for three years now and this is our last shot at it."

With that in mind, the team embarked on a mission.

The season spanned three months, extended through 12 meets and included pit stops in Oklahoma and Michigan. It also consisted of fortune and famine, of 16 wins and 13 defeats.

The women's gymnastics team was unable to maintain perfect balance, but it remained poised and self-confident throughout a successful 2003 season.

"We came close, but we fell a little short in terms of the ultimate goal of making the NCAA's and the Super Six," Penn State women's gymnastics coach Steve Shephard said. "Overall, I think the season was successful."

With hopes of a Big Ten Championship serving as motivation, Penn State opened its season at the Super Six Challenge on Jan. 11, finishing fifth out of six teams. Disappointed by its poor showing, the Lions bounced back a week later in its season home opener against New Hampshire by scoring a 193.800 in the victory.

In traveling to the Rocky Mountain region on Jan. 25, the Lions participated in a tri-meet against higher-ranked Denver and Iowa State squads. The meet resulted in an upset triggered by freshman Meredith Hoover's first event title on the beam. The upset also inspired the Lions to begin its steady improvement.

After scoring a win and a 195.425 against intrastate rival Pittsburgh on Feb. 1, the Lions traveled to Oklahoma on Feb. 7 and posted a 195.450 in the loss. The Lions ended up posting the same score the following week in snowy West Virginia, however this time the score resulted in a victory. Penn State recorded its season highs on vault (49.500) and floor exercise (49.350), plus senior Katie Rowland recorded her first career 10.0 on vault.

The Ohio State meet on Feb. 22 would see the team improve again, scoring a victory and a 195.875. However, the following week saw the Lions struggle against the then No. 3 Nebraska by posting a 194.900--although, the Lions did set a season high on bars with a 49.425 led by senior Katie McAvoy's career high and school record of a 9.950 in the event.

The loss to Minnesota on March 8, saw the Lions post a season high on beam with a 49.275 led by McAvoy's 9.900 and Bair's season high of a 9.875.

During spring break, the Lions capped off their senior night with a second place finish (195.500) in a quad meet that featured the University of Florida, Temple, and Yale. Rowland garnered the spotlight by posting a 10.0 on beam and setting a career high and school record in the all-around with a 39.775.

The Big Ten Championships in Illinois proved to be a highlight of the season.

"The Big Ten Championship was a high, we finally hit as a team and finished third in the conference," Shephard said. Penn State scored a 196.650, the highest of the season, led by Rowland's 10.0 on vault and a 39.650 in capturing the all-around title. She would also go on to earn all conference first team and Big Ten Gymnast of the Year honors. After a fruitful showing at Big Ten's the Lions suffered uncharacteristic falls at the Northeast Regional Championships in Michigan that ended the team's hopes of returning to the national championships.

"We did not live up to our potential this year," Penn State women's gymnastics assistant coach Jessica Bastardi said. "Hopefully our returning gymnasts will take this season to heart and realize that you have to hit. You have to step up to the plate and when you are called upon you have to be there in the clutch and put up a solid routine."

With a strong returning nucleus of talent in co-captains Kelly Streicher and Hoover, Kate Stopper, Jennifer Orlando, Michelle Ilg and Erin Clayton, the team looks to climb atop the Big Ten conference and compete for a national championship. Penn State's incoming recruits, who have qualified for the Junior Olympics, will also play a large role in the team's success.

"We're looking forward to next year," Shephard said. "We have the potential to be very good."

With that in mind, the team has already begun working on perfecting its routines for the upcoming 2004 season.