STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State's Katie Rowland (Georgetown, Ontario) has been honored by the Big Ten Conference for the third time this season as she has been named Big Ten Co-Gymnast of the Week along with Michigan's Bridget Knaeble for the period ending March 18.

Rowland, who is ranked No. 1 nationally in the all-around, posted the Lions top all-around finish last weekend at the Penn State Quadrangular with a second-place showing and a score of 39.575. She also notched Penn State's top scores on the vault, beam and floor during the meet which featured No. 3 Alabama, Rutgers and Cornell..

Rowland, who also ranks among the top-25 nationally on the floor (T-25th), balance beam (12th and vault (T-16th), has posted Penn State's top seven scores in the all-around this season. In addition to breaking the school's all-around record earlier this season, she has also managed to equal the top score in Penn State annals on the uneven bars and vault.

Rowland, who was previously honored as conference gymnast of the week on Feb. 7 and Feb. 28, has finished among the top three in the all-around in 10-consecutive meets.

No. 10 Penn State (11-5) opens up postseason competition this weekend as it travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the 2001 Big Ten Conference Championships on March 24 at 6:00 p.m. (ET).