For full results from the NCAA Northeast Regionals click here.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 12, 2003 - The Penn State women's gymnastics team finished fourth with a score of 196.175 at the NCAA Northeast Regionals in Ann Arbor, Mich. Senior Katie McAvoy (Winnipeg, Manitoba) finished fourth in the all-around with a 39.425 while senior Katie Rowland (Georgetown, Ontario) took home the individual vault (9.950) and floor (9.950) titles. Both gymnasts will represent the Nittany Lions at the NCAA Championships on April 24-26, hosted by the University of Nebraska.

"Our team fought hard," said head coach Steve Shephard. "It was a very intense and pressure-filled meet and I am very proud of this team. I'm disappointed we didn't qualify for NCAAs as a team, but I have to give credit to the other teams, as the competition was very stiff."

Both Michigan (196.825) and Arizona State (196.725) qualify for the NCAA Championships as a team, as do the top two teams from each of the six regionals around the country. Iowa State finished third, scoring a 196.525, with New Hampshire (195.400) and Pittsburgh (194.500) placing fifth and sixth, respectively.

McAvoy finished with scores of 9.800 on the vault, 9.875 on the bars, 9.850 on the beam and a career-high-tying 9.900 on the floor. She qualifies for the NCAA Championships as one of two top finishers in the all-around not on a qualifying team.

Rowland qualifies for the NCAA Championships as the top individual event winner not on a qualifying team. She placed first on both the vault and the floor.

As a team, Penn State posted scores of 49.125 on the vault, 48.950 on the bars, 48.650 on the beam and a season-high 49.450 on the floor.

Behind Rowland's first-place 9.950 on the vault, senior Nikki Bongiovanni (Meriden, Conn.) finished tied for fourth with a 9.825 with McAvoy placing tied for eighth win a 9.800. Freshman Jennifer Orlando (Herndon, Va.) and sophomore Kate Stopper (Reinholds, Pa.) both tied for 17th, scoring a 9.775 while freshman Michelle Ilg (Colonia, N.J.) placed 28th with a 9.700.

McAvoy was Penn State's top finisher on the bars, placing tied for fifth while Rowland placed 12th with a 9.800. Senior Dana Cuomo (Robbinsville, N.J.) scored a 9.775 for 18th place while Bongiovanni and junior Kelly Streicher (Colorado Springs, Colo.) both scored a 9.750 to tie for 23rd. Senior Leslie Bair (Lancaster, Pa.) posted a 9.625 to finish 32nd.

Freshman Meredith Hoover (Dublin, Ohio) scored a career-high 9.900 on the beam to place second while McAvoy tied for ninth. Bongiovanni (9.775)and Stopper (9.750) placed 26th and 27th, respectively, with Rowland (9.375) and Bair (9.325) rounding out the Penn State gymnasts, placing 35th and 37th.

Behind Rowland on the floor, Stopper placed fourth, scoring a career-high-tying 9.925. McAvoy placed eighth and Hoover scored a 9.850 to place 20th. Bair placed a 9.825 to place 25th while Ilg scored a 9.775 to place 35th.

Please visit Penn State's official athletics website, www.GoPSUsports.com for more information on the Penn State women's gymnastics team.