For the fans and members of the No. 12 Penn State women's gymnastics team, the storyline -- and ending -- were painfully familiar.

At the end of another Big Ten championship meet, the Nittany Lions were left looking up to the first place podium, a place where the No. 13 Michigan Wolverines have often celebrated, as they were Saturday night, hoisting the trophy above their heads. Michigan has loudly established itself as the team to beat in the conference, evidenced by its 14 Big Ten championships in 16 years.

And with their second-place finish this weekend, the Lions have now placed second nine times since entering the Big Ten in 1992 and still have not captured their first Big Ten title. Penn State finished with a score of 196.475, just .100 behind No. 13 Michigan's 196.575.

"I have mixed feelings," Penn State coach Steve Shephard said. "When the meet is that close, it's easy to look back and identify the little mistakes."

The Lions stumbled on a few dismounts and had a few falls during their routines. Those small mistakes added up and made the difference between the gold and silver medals.

What was billed as the most highly competitive Big Ten Championships in recent history, with six of the seven teams coming in ranked in the top 25, the teams did not disappoint.

"After this meet, everyone now understands the intensity that comes with a championship meet," Shephard said. "When we practice, we have to keep that same pressure level to keep us sharp."

Despite finishing second, many gymnasts did earn individual honors.

Penn State freshman Brandi Personett claimed two individual Big Ten titles with career highs on both vault and in the all-around competition. Personett also became only the second Penn State gymnast to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the Lions' first since 1999.

"It's an awesome feeling to know that I was that well-prepared," Personett said. "But being with all your teammates is the great part of it; awards and attention just make it all even better."

The Lions attention now shifts to preparation for NCAA regionals, which will be held in two weeks at a site still to be determined tomorrow when the selections are announced. Performance at regionals is crucial for national title hopes. The top-16 teams will advance to Salt Lake City, Utah, in the last weekend in April to compete at the NCAA nationals.

Shephard said he looks forward to the next two weeks of practice, as he pointed out that, given the competitive nature of the sport, the slightest miscue could cost the team, as it did this weekend in Big Tens.

"Everyone on the team needs to get .100 better," Shephard said. "It's not just about going out and doing the routine, it's really about doing it perfectly."

With the Big Ten championships now completed, the championship season has just begun, as regionals begin April 14 and the NCAA championships will be held April 26 through 28.

"This was a great learning experience for this team going into regionals and then nationals," Shephard said. "It's just going to add fuel to the fire and push us to be the team that we all dream of being."