After looking at the score in the middle of the fourth rotation last Saturday, freshman Brandi Personett realized that she had to nail her floor exercise routine like a veteran in order to pull out a win for her Penn State women's gymnastic team.

As Personett's routine song, "Rollercoaster" by Keith Urban, began to play on the speakers throughout Rec Hall, her nerves were calmed with the help of her teammates and the fans.

She stuck her last landing and smiled, knowing that she had captured the floor exercise title and the win.

"Before my routine, I was a deer in headlights," Personett said. "As soon as the music started, I tried to smile and get into it, and it worked. It was definitely my best routine yet."

Although Personett is new to collegiate competition, the Junior Olympics Team member is already beginning to make an impact on Penn State gymnastics with her breakout performances. With four titles, a bronze medal effort at the Super Six Challenge and a Big Ten Athlete of the Week award under her belt, Personett is proving that age is only a number.

Eleven colleges recruited her, but she narrowed it down to Oklahoma, Utah, Michigan, Alabama and Penn State. The decision was difficult since she had such an odd array of choices, until she came to Penn State for her official visit, she said.

"You could tell that at other schools, that the girls on the team were forced to hang out with each other and the recruit, but at Penn State, it was different," Personett said. "I like that the girls here try to hang out in and outside the gym. I instantly fell in love with the team and the coaching staff, and that really helped me make my final decision."

In high school, Personett competed for Champion Gymnastics Academy in Katy, Texas, and excelled throughout in the all-around until she tore her Achilles tendon during her junior year. After a 10-month recovery, she returned to the gym eager to pick up where she left off.

With that in mind, she went on to win four state titles -- placing third in two events and seventh in another at nationals her senior year.

"When I heard the snap in my Achilles, I thought I was done my gymnastics career," Personett said. "Luckily, it's not an issue anymore and it doesn't bother me, but it made me a stronger athlete."

Even though Personett has already had an explosive beginning to her Penn State career, she wants to continue improving every day in her weaker events. She has all the requirements and a high difficulty level in the uneven bars, but needs to work on her form and style, she said. After having her first fall on the beam last weekend, she also wants to perfect her routine in order to avoid taking another spill.

"I'm usually pretty strong on the beam. I have no idea why I fell," she said. "It caught me really off guard. My dad and I watched it on tape over and over and just laughed at the horrible wipe out. Hopefully I got that one fall out of my system and it won't happen again."

Along with her individual goals, Personett also has goals for her team as a whole.

"This year, I think we want to win Big Tens and make it to nationals," she said. "We need to get out there and show everybody what we can do. We have a lot of talent and depth on this team and I believe that we can do it."

The competitive season starts heat up, this weekend, Personett and the team will hit the road for their first away meet against West Virginia. Both the coaches and the gymnasts hope a scenery change will benefit the results. For now, Personett is adapting to the both the unfamiliar cold weather and in-season practices.

"I miss Texas, my family and the warm weather, but I love it here and it is all worth it," she said.