UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; December 19, 2006 - Penn State has been voted as the preseason Big Ten favorite in 2007 by the conference coaches, the league office announced on Tuesday. The Nittany Lions are ranked fifth in the national GymInfo Preseason Coaches Poll but are the only team other than No. 1 Oklahoma to receive multiple first place votes.

Two-time defending Big Ten champion Ohio State was chosen to place second followed by Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa.

Penn State won its only Big Ten Championship in 2003. The 2007 Big Ten Championships will be hosted by the University of Minnesota at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis, Minn.

Entering his 16th season at the helm of the Penn State program, head coach Randy Jepson returns all but one competitor from a team that placed fourth at the 2006 NCAA Championships, including three All-Americans in juniors Derek Helsby (Orlando, Fla.), Tommy Ramos (Guaynabo, P.R.) and Santiago Lopez (Cibola del Mar, Mexico).

The conference coaches also selected Derek Helsby and Casey Sandy (Brampton, Ont.) to the 12-member Preseason All-Big Ten team. Helsby blossomed into the Nittany Lions most consistent performer and one of the nation's finest gymnasts in 2006, earning All-America status in the all-around, pommel horse, rings and parallel bars. As a freshman, Sandy took the world of collegiate gymnastics by storm through the first month of the 2006 season, collecting 21 top three finishes through his first five collegiate meets. His brilliant rookie campaign was ended, however, by an arm injury in February but not before he earned the No. 1 ranking in the nation on the pommel horse and the No. 3 ranking in the nation in the all-around.

The Nittany Lions begin their quest for an NCAA-record 12th national championship when they open the 2007 season on Jan. 13 by hosting a dual meet with Army at Rec Hall. Penn State will host the 2007 NCAA Championships at Rec Hall for the seventh time from April 12-14.