"It was kind of nerve-wracking, but when I heard that I needed to fill in, I didn't get worried," Clark said. "I felt like what I did in practice is what I needed to do here, and it worked."
After the meet, Clark received the Ann Carr Award for the second week in a row. Clark's performance was a bright spot for the Nittany Lions on a night when they did not perform well.
The Lions found themselves down after an "OK" performance on the vault (48.175), but they quickly regained the lead on the bars. Freshman Kristal Uzelac won the event with a 9.900. She was followed by senior Cecile Allen (9.850) and junior Meredith Hoover (9.825). Penn State set its season-high in the event with a 49.150.
The beam proved damaging for Penn State, and it almost lost the lead to the Buckeyes just as quickly as it had gained it back in the previous event. Four Lions fell off the beam and Penn State scored a lowly 47.575. Clark took second place, followed by sophomore Genevieve Shingle (9.775) in third.
"It was an off night on the beam," Shephard said. "It's frustrating that they don't compete up to the level that they are capable of."
The floor was the final event for the Lions, and they came into it leading by just two-tenths of a point. They needed a strong score to maintain the lead, and that is exactly what they got. Led by Clark and senior Kate Stopper (9.900), who shared the floor crown, and junior Jennifer Orlando (9.825), who placed third, the Lions registered a 49.075 to win the event and the competition.
Despite needing to score big in order to hold the lead, Penn State was unfazed by the pressure.
"None of us should let any of that affect us in competition," Clark said. "We see it, but we can't let it affect us mentally. The most important thing is to just stay strong."
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