A crown made of feathers and pearls sits atop one of four balance beams placed side-by-side in the gym where the No. 18 Penn State women's gymnastics team practices. It has come down to freshman Brandi Personett, and senior Stephanie Sullivan. But in the end, only one can be crowned the champion.

In the week leading up to the meet against intra-state rival Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Rec Hall, the focus has been on continuous improvement. This improvement, however, has been coming in a fairly laid-back atmosphere, with the faux beam competition being an example.

"This week in practice we did a simulation of the national championship qualifiers on beam," coach Steve Shephard said. "We followed the same procedure that we will go through as a team, and today we'll crown the winner."

The Nittany Lions are coming off of their highest scoring team performance thus far this year, after scoring a 195.625 last weekend at West Virginia University.

The Lions are looking to keep the momentum going as they head into the heart of their schedule.

The match up between Penn State and Pittsburgh spans over 40 years, dating back to 1966.

The Lions have dominated the series, leading 38-2 all-time.

This would be considered a rivalry by any standards, however, according to Penn State's coach, the rivalry may mean more to Pittsburgh than it does to his own squad.

"We went down to Pittsburgh a couple years ago, and they beat us," Shephard said. "They were absolutely beside themselves, because they don't usually beat us."

Shephard did however acknowledge the importance of the meeting of the two clubs, especially with both schools calling the state of Pennsylvania their homes.

"They've got a lot of Pittsburgh native kids, and in Pittsburgh, they have a lot of pride in what they do," Shephard said. "They always love beating Penn State."

Injuries have marred Penn State's ability to put together consistently team efforts.

But this week against Pittsburgh, the Lions are going to get at least one key gymnast back in the lineup.

Junior Aslynn Satterfield has been out since the beginning on the season, injuring her wrist before the first meet.

"It's just really nice to finally be able to help out the team on the scoreboard," Satterfield said. "I just love competing."

Earlier in the week, Shephard had mentioned that he felt his team was missing the "fire" that they need to become a top-flight team.

He knew that as they climbed up the ladder, the competition that his team would face would only become stronger. With a team comprised of some much young talent, growing pains are nearly inevitable.

But as the season has moved along, the gymnasts have stepped into their new, and perhaps unfamiliar roles that will allow them to lead a team who looks as if it's on the way to the top.

"The younger kids are making an adjustment to what college gymnastics is all about," Shephard said.

"As a part of Penn State University, you're representing everyone who came here before you. We have a tradition to uphold, and they have a responsibility to be the best that they can be."

Both Personett and fellow freshman Alex Brockway seem to be stepping into those new roles, and taking everything that comes with them in stride.

"Some of them have really taken it to heart," Shephard said.

"They've stepped it up in their work ethic, and they've been able to handle things mentally and physically."

It looks as though the "fire" that coach Shephard was looking to find amongst his gymnasts is finally starting to ignite.