Illinois senior Lauren Newcomb won the all-around competition Saturday night in Rec Hall, with a score of 38.675. The Nittany Lions' Lindsay Borkan and Meredith Hoover finished second and third, respectively.
"It's an advantage being at home, you're nervous but not the extra little bit," junior Lisa Clark said.
The Lions began the night on the vault, scoring a 48.8. Senior Kate Stopper won the event with a 9.825. Borkan (9.8) finished second overall. Clark and Hoover (9.775) tied for fourth. Junior Jennifer Orlando (9.625) rounded out scoring for the Lions, finishing 10th.
Penn State moved to the uneven bars during the second rotation and scored a 48.675. Freshman Kristal Uzelac (9.8) placed second followed by Hoover (9.775). Cecile Allen, Clark and Michelle Ilg all had a hand in the uneven bar score.
During the third rotation the team found itself on the balance beam. This was the low point for Penn State. The Lions improved on their score from the Super Six Challenge, but still had some shakiness. Borkan fell off the beam early in her routine, Gena Shingle almost fell a few times, and Uzelac had a tough landing. Stopper had some issues during practice Friday, falling off twice, but put together a solid routine for Saturday night's competition.
Sophomore Corissa Pirkl (9.8) placed first overall and Uzelac (9.775) had a good routine despite the landing and finished third.
"We still have a little nerves on the beam, so we have room to improve," Hoover said.
Finishing on floor exercise, Penn State had the top four finishers in the event. Shephard was visibly excited with the floor exercise routines of Pirkl and Hoover. Clark finished first, followed by Orlando, Hoover and Pirkl.
Uzelac was given the Ann Carr Award, for perseverance and the most inspiring performance of the night.
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