The Penn State women's gymnastics team is looking to knock off its fifth straight opponent and pick up its first road win of the season at the State Farm CAT Classic.
The squad will open competition today in Columbia, Mo., at the two-day tournament hosted by the University of Missouri.
"We have a great chance of winning and it will be a lot of fun," Meredith Hoover said. "We will be really focused because we are doing really well as a team right now."
No. 21 Penn State returns to the CAT Classic for the first time in 10 years.
While the Nittany Lions like to put their skills to the test at a tournament each season, they've substituted the CAT Classic with the Super Six, among other events, in previous years.
Today, Penn State will compete in a quad meet with No. 12 Missouri, Kentucky and BYU. The Lions lead the series with Kentucky 7-1 and hold a 5-1 all-time record against the Cougars.
Penn State leads the series with Missouri 13-2. The Lions aren't overlooking their unranked opponents, but the Tigers are the team to beat.
"I think we are the favorite, although Missouri is ranked higher than us," Hoover said. "But I know we've got a lot of talent."
Tomorrow, the top 10 individuals from each of today's events will compete in the individual championships.
The Lions are coming off a clean sweep at last weekend's quad meet at Rec Hall. Penn State's score of 195.675 was enough to beat West Virginia, Rhode Island and Yale.
With the quad meet win, the Lions improved to 4-1 this season.
The squad showcased an impressive performance on the uneven bars after struggling with the event thus far this season.
This week in practice, Penn State has been strengthening its skills on the bars and perfecting its routines on the balance beam.
Through the early season, the Lions have proven that the balance beam is where they can make up points on the competition.
"We have to do what we are capable of doing, which is more than a 195.675," Penn State women's gymnastics coach Steve Shephard said. "I think our team is capable of a 197, so that's what we're looking for."
This weekend wouldn't be a bad time to find it.
-- By Tricia Lafferty
