This is it.

Today begins the Penn State women's gymnastics team's attempt to capture the national championship.

It all begins at 2 p.m. at Auburn University, when the Nittany Lions will start on the beam. The top three teams from the afternoon session and top three from the evening session will combine to form the Super Six tomorrow, to determine the national champion.

Penn State's competition in the afternoon session will include Nebraska, Michigan, LSU, Oklahoma and Utah. All five teams were ranked in the top 10 of the last GymInfo poll, released Mar. 28. Penn State is ranked just below them at 11.

The Lions are coming off of two consecutive second-place finishes. They finished behind Michigan at the Big Ten Championships and finished behind UCLA in the West Regional, which guaranteed Penn State the spot, it holds currently.

Junior Lisa Clark is returning to the championships this year after qualifying last year as an individual in the vault and floor exercise. The rest of the team has no experience with NCAAs, as the last appearance for the Lions was in 2000.

"Practice went well [yesterday], everyone is ready," Penn State coach Steve Shephard said.

The Lions will continue with the lineup they used during the Big Ten championship and the West Regional meets.

So far the trip has been pleasant for Penn State and they have adjusted to everything just fine.

Michigan

Michigan once again finished first in the Big Ten, for the seventh consecutive time. The Wolverines defeated the Lions by the smallest margin in Big Ten championship history, .125 points. They also defeated the Lions back in a late January dual meet by more than a point. The Wolverines took first place in the South Central Regional with a 196.600. They scored a season high on floor exercise and uneven bars during the meet.

Nebraska

Nebraska finished .300 points behind Michigan while hosting the South Central Regional. The Cornhuskers are making their seventh straight trip to the NCAA Championships. Freshman Emily Parsons won her first all-around title in the regional meet and was named newcomer of the year in the Big 12. Nebraska also lost to Michigan in January. The 'Huskers defeated conference opponent Oklahoma twice during the season as well, once on their way to the Big 12 championship.

LSU

LSU won its regional meet by defeating Oklahoma, the second time that happened this season. Junior April Burkholder claimed the all-around title for the Tigers at the meet. LSU swept its regional awards as coach D.D. Breaux was named coach of the year and her assistants, Bob Moore and Phillip Ogletree, were named co-assistant coaches of the year. Burkholder was tabbed gymnast of the year. The second-place finish at the SEC Championships was the Tigers' best since 1995.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma finished second at the Northeast Regional meet with a team score of 195.550. The Sooners will be making a second consecutive trip to the championships, the first time that has happened in school history. They defeated Ohio State in January, a team the Lions also beat during the regular season. The Sooners finished third in the Big 12. Iowa State, which finished second, will be in the evening session.

Utah

Utah was ranked No. 1 in the last poll and will be making its 24th straight stop at the NCAA Championships. The Utes have won at total of 10 team titles and haven't lost this season since mid-February. Utah finished the season first overall on beam, the only event it has counted a fall on this year. The Utes beat Michigan and lost to Nebraska during the regular season.

"I think its going to be a very exciting meet," Shephard said. "We feel confident in our team and we can compete with anyone in the country."