The Penn State men's and women's gymnastics teams had to deal with major tests on Saturday night at Rec Hall.

To say they simply passed wouldn't be enough credit.

Both the men and women competed in a double-dual meet, meaning both teams compete simultaneously.

The No. 2 men's team and the No. 16 women's team met two ranked Ohio State teams on Saturday. That meant one meet with one large crowd.

And two Nittany Lion victories.

But Rec Hall certainly looked different for each team.

The men competed in six events and the women in four. The rings, parallel bars, and the pommel horse aren't part of the women's routines, while the women's side has the balance beam and the uneven parallel bars.

The makeup of the meet did present a new challenge, but the performances showed that it didn't matter too much.

In fact, the women's team total was a season high 196.450.

"The competing itself is a disadvantage -- it's a distraction," Penn State women's coach Steve Shephard said. "But it's a good learning experience."

Instead of talking about the unique setup, both sides were instead excited about the large contingent at Rec Hall.

So, if anything, the fast-paced evening and the loud crowd actually benefited the teams, both short and long term.

"It was a preview of the NCAAs. It was so loud," Penn State men's coach Randy Jepson said. "5,000 people will be cheering for each team. This will help in the end."

The Penn State women were all excited after the meet, with huge smiles across their faces.

After all, they just put up their best showing of the season against a ranked conference rival in front of a championship-sized crowd.

"We definitely thrived off [the crowd]," senior Ashley Mehrer said. "It was more exciting. It was great."

Championship prospects aside, Saturday also gave each squad a special opportunity.

Usually, the men and women compete at home on different weekends. When the men are off or on the road, the women get to play at Rec Hall, and vice-versa.

But this double-dual meet allowed the men and women to see each other in action, a rare chance for the squads. It also gave each team the chance to cheer on the other.

"It's always fun to see the girl counterparts do well," junior Derek Helsby said. "It's great to have a win on both sides."