Gymnastics: Women's
Lions prep for meet against UIC on Saturday
The women's gymnastics team will look for its first win of the season when it travels to the University of Illinois at Chicago on Saturday for its second meet of the season.
The team finished second in Denver last weekend, but the gymnasts have felt a change in perspective this week at practice.
“We’re working on our confidence,” Savannah Soares said. “Our strength has gotten better, both physically and mentally.”
One thing the team has focused on this week has been balance beams, where Penn State lost its lead to Denver in the last meet.
“Balance beam is just as good this week as it was last week," head coach Jeff Thompson said. “We had two kids fall off with the beam being four inches wide; that happens.”
Among the changes this week, Thompson and senior Madison Merriam said they think “there will be lineup changes” at UIC.
“Either with the order or swapping gymnasts themselves,” Thompson said. “Some gymnasts like to go right away after warming up, others like to wait longer and catch their breath.
The meet at UCI will also be the last before Penn State sees its first Big Ten opponent when it takes on Iowa on Jan. 19.