ANN ARBOR, Mich.; January 23, 2004- Penn State's men's gymnastics team, ranked No. 1 nationally by average score this week, dropped a 215.725-212.000 decision Friday night to conference-rival Michigan. Penn State falls to 3-1 (1-1 Big Ten) on the season losing its first meet in two years.

Friday night's performances were highlighted by senior Kevin Tan (Fremont, Calif.), who won both the still rings and the high bar for Penn State. The defending NCAA and Big Ten champion on the apparatus, Tan notched a 9.9 on the rings. Added to his 9.750 on the high bar, Tan earned the Newt Loken Award, given to the top competitor at each of Michigan's meet and named for a past Wolverine head coach.

Although only a point behind heading into the last rotation, the sluggish Lions slipped on their final event and returned home with the steep loss. Head coach Randy Jepson sighted a light week of practice as the likely culprit of the Lions' demise, but promised the bounce-back of the team beginning next weekend at the West Point Open on Jan. 30-31 at Army. The Lions return home on Valentine's Day for a double dual meet with the women's team. That meet will begin at 7 p.m. at Rec Hall.