For most competitive teams, being ranked No. 5 in the country would result in a large confidence boost and high hopes for the upcoming season.

However, for the Penn State men's gymnastics team (19-2), being ranked fifth in the pre-season coaches poll produced the exact opposite result after they claimed the 2003 Big Ten title -- a feeling of disrespect and a desire to show just how tough this "dark horse" could be.

On Saturday night at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill., at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships, the squad threw aside the role of the underdog and became the top dog.

With a season-high score of 223.350, the Nittany Lions claimed their first national championship since 2000 and the second under coach Randy Jepson's guidance.

To make matters even sweeter for the team, sophomore Luis Vargas claimed the all-around title with a career-high 56.475. The all-around crown was the first by a Lions player since Marshall Avener in 1973.

Senior Kevin Tan added to the Lions' medal haul yesterday by claiming his second straight NCAA Championship on the still rings.

"This was a hard-fought victory for us," Jepson said. "I knew we could be contenders, but I was a bit skeptical with the loss of so many routines from last year. The guys got better and better all year, and things fell into place for us, and the staff told the guys they could be there. I told them this weekend that they had to be relentless, and they were, and they hit 33 out of 36 routines, which is the best all year."

In addition to his all-around victory, Vargas placed second on pommel horse and earned All-American status on parallel bars and high bar in event finals.

"I knew Luis [Vargas] had it in him to win, but I think he surprised a lot of people with his victory," Jepson said. "He rose to the occasion and really showed his competitive side. Kevin [Tan] also put out a great effort. He knew he had to be perfect to win after the guy before him put out a great routine, and I'm thrilled he's bringing another title back to Penn State."

Friday night was the start of the NCAA Championships, and Penn State earned a victory in session one of the team preliminaries, as they scored a 218.700 for an early lead over two-time and defending national champion Oklahoma.

On Saturday, in team finals, the battle for the title quickly narrowed from six teams to two with the Lions and the Sooners jumping out to early leads.

With season-high scores on four events, including a 38.225 on pommel horse and 36.850 on parallel bars, the Lions kept the pressure on the Sooners all evening but trailed by 0.150 going into the final event.

However, with a 37.200 on vault, the tide shifted, and the Lions found themselves on the top step of the podium for the 11th time in Penn State history.

While Vargas' accolades were impressive, the night was ultimately a team effort with Jepson using a complete lineup for the first time all season and each squad member performing to his highest level.

At the head of the pack were seniors Nat Eng, Zach Roeder, Tan and Duke Van Vleet, all competing in their final collegiate meet. Eng tied for eighth in the pommel horse with a career-high 9.400, while Roeder tallied a 9.700 in the pommel horse and a career-high 9.375 on the floor exercise.

"This was a bittersweet victory for us," Jepson said. "The seniors really led by example and gave the rest of the team a lot to shoot for next year. They left a really solid legacy for the team to follow up on."