The Daily Collegian Women gymnasts preparing Members of the Penn State women's gymnastics team look on during a meet last season. The Lions will open vain No. 2 Alabama on jan. 7. Men looking to establish identity in Army openci By Dan Norton FOR THE COtLEGI-’. With three weeks ol winter break separating No. 7 Penn State from its first meet against No. 15 Army, head coach Randy Jepson is concerned. "You take a week off in gym '• i nasties, it's like GYYtN season in other sports." he said. "All the work they do can go down the drain if they don’t stay at it." The Nittany Lions are expected to check into their home gyms to stay physically fit during their brief time off. Practice resumes Dec. 27, leaving them some time to shake off any rust picked up over break. But the rust may span further back than that. The last time many of the gym nasts competed was at the NCAA championships last year. Senior Warren Yang and sophomore Felix Arnovich are exceptions, competing over the summer at the Canadian National Championships and the World Congratulations, Graduates from The Daily Collegian Staff “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." "I'm not going to jeopardize our season because someone didn't do their job.” ('hamnionshio' 'vsneetiveiv Nojisfheu-- Ar:.iv Sii 'ir annual matchups b< an hi 21m. the Lions hav;• never ima t> me Black iviiiki;!.--. "Wo usum:; dm; have a lot of irouble agmnM them" junior Mistid Hned:. •-aid ' I i s more just getting into uv minci.'el of going !ueri r it am and getting tile lea in pride yima.' The openii >i*ft of any team's season doe-siri hold much infiir ence over its standing in the con ference. The biggest meets for Penn Slate will be against Big Ten rivals. However, gymnastics is a sport iought on two fronts for the gymnast and for the team and {his is the biggest opportunity for freshmen to prove themselves. “I know Ranch looks at putting in a lot ot new people into the early meets to try' and get them expert- Ben Gasbarre Daniel Bott Steph Witt Jenna Ekdahl Penn State women’s gymnas tics coach Jeff Thompson is preparing to lead his team against some familiar foes when the team opens its WOMEN’S season Jan. 7at GYMNASTICS No. 2-ranked Thompson, in his first year as coach of the No. 14-ranked Nittany Lions, spent 11 seasons coaching Auburn, Alabama’s in state and SEC rival, and is very familiar with the Crimson Tide program. Thompson’s Auburn squad started its season each of the last two years against Alabama, just as the Nittany Lions will do in 2011. For the gymnasts, on the other hand, the atmosphere and intensi ty of the Alabama crowd will be something new. Thompson expects a crowd of 14,000 at Alabama, and for the sev eral freshmen on the squad expected to contribute, it will be ence,” sophomore Matt Chelberg said. i Vim Mate seems For aspiring underclassmen, the window of opportunity couldn't be more open. into its meet This Saturday marks Penn State's last intrasquad meet, and its lineup for Army is anything but set. After graduating several key contributors from last season, there are holes to fill in the floor routine and in the vault. Furthermore, most of the gym nasts have been badgered by poor dismounts of late. Before the Lions take on anoth er school, they'll have to take on themselves. "They’re going to split us up into two groups this year," Pineda said. "It’s kind of a little more competition in between the team." Jepson hopes this competition will bring out the best in his gym nasts. By pinning them against each other, he seeks to light a fire -Aristotle Collegian SPORTS By Matt Howland FOR THE COLLEGIAN Randy Jepson men's gymnastics coach for Alabama meet an entirely new challenge. “The first meet is just gonna be a matter of handling the jitters, handling the crowd,” Thompson said. 'And we’ll do our best to limit our mistakes." Thompson is looking to use this first meet as a way to see who on the team will be able to excel under the pressure of a big meet, as he hasn't coached any of the gymnasts through a season yet. "This year we have 14 kids and they're all freshmen (to me I," Thompson said. Training is intensifying with the first meet less than a month away-, and Thompson is happy with the team's progress. "We re right where we need to be, maybe a little ahead." Thompson said. In practice Thursday, the team had to hit six attempts in a row on each of their three passes on floor routine in order to advance, and it was the first day that they landed without padding on their third pass. underneath his team and see what its capable of under the spotlight He has been the team s greatest critic throughout the offseason, and hopes it proves him wrong. But if the Lions' results don't reach his expectations, he is pre pared to act accordingly. "The thing I worn- about is guys coming back and really not being in good shape and hying to go in a meet. And w-e’re just not going to do that." Jepson said. "Were going to put guys in there ready. I'm not going to jeopardize our season because someone didn't do their job. If they're not ready, tiny won't compete, and we'll go with fewer guys in the lineup." Jepson said one ,gymnast has mononucleosis, but declined to specify- which one of his gymnasts is sick. Penn State's quest to prove that last season's losing record was a fluke begins in less than a month. Jepson may be worried about winter break, but he can only train them so hard. The off-time may be beneficial. "Physically, we re prepared. Pineda said. "Mentally, we re get ting there." Friday, Dec. 10,2010 : 11 Partially as a result of the inten sified training, some minor injuries have begun to mount. Freshman Cassidy Bogar land ed badly on a floor routine past last week and sustained a concus sion, and is still out of training. Sophomore Madison Merriam injured her foot on balance beam and is only able to do some work on uneven bars as she recovers. Thompson said he has at; idea of which gymnasts he plans to start on each event in the meet, but it will depend on who is healthv. Thompson is hoping ins tea will be able to go in and porfot w-ell, but most importantly, re; to adversitv "It's possible we cored there and have a meet v.h don't fall, but what's nor ~, taut is if we do bas e a fob - do in the next rounrw rebound from the Thompson said. "Thai's what's best indicator oi a. gonna be this yea Felix Aronovich pa; wo pommel noise lost seas- & l -