The setup was perfect for the NCAA Championship, and the Penn State men's gymnastics team delivered.

By posting a season-high team score of 221.000, the Nittany Lions won their 12th national title in a hotly contested team final last night in Rec Hall.

The win also knocked off two-time defending national champion Oklahoma off its perch and gave Penn State and its first title in front of the home fans since 1960. The Sooners wound up finishing right behind with a 220.200. Stanford (218.450) took third place.

For the Lions, winning in front of the home crowd made the win even sweeter.

"It was a dream of mine to win a national championship at home," Penn State head coach Randy Jepson said. "I'm so thrilled for my guys. They came through with flying colors."

But for a little while, Penn State's chances to win looked less than a certainty. Going into the final routine of the evening, the Lions trailed the Sooners by more than 1.5 points. It wasn't until a season-high score of 38.450 on the still rings that Penn State clinched the team championship.

But the team's best event for the night was on the pommel horse, with a team total of 36.150. Sophomore Casey Sandy took first overall individually with a 9.300 in the event.

The meet also marked the last time Nissen-Emery Award winner Matt Cohen will compete in his collegiate career. Cohen delivered a 9.550 in his final event, his second highest score of the season, and was able to end his time at Penn State the same way it began — winning the national championship.

"I'm unbelievably happy to close out my career with a national championship," Cohen said. "We are overjoyed to be national champions."

As for Oklahoma, while it saw its two-year reign end, the Sooners were able to salvage another title, with junior Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons taking home the All-Around Championship.

The winning could continue for the Lions tonight, with five gymnasts in the running for individual glory in the event finals. Junior Tommy Ramos leads the way, competing on the parallel bars, the high bar and the still rings. Fellow junior Vladi Klurman joins Ramos on the still rings. Sandy and junior Derek Helsby represent the Lions on the pommel horse, and freshman Nick Virbitsky will challenge for the floor exercise title.