Feb. 21, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After hosting four successful collegiate meets, the Nittany Lion track and field teams will now give the over 1,000 high school athletes a chance to compete at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track, hosting the Kevin Dare High School Invitational, on Saturday, February 23, 2008.
The meet has been named in memory of Kevin Dare, a standout athlete at both State College High School, and Penn State University. Dare was killed in a pole vaulting accident at the Big Ten Championships at the University of Minnesota in 2002.
With representatives from nearly 50 high schools, the Kevin Dare Invitational has been one of the best prep events in the Northeast over the past several years. Included on this year's competing roster are Altoona, Archbishop Carroll (DC), Avon Grove, Bradford, Cedar Cliff, Central Dauphin, Chesnut Ridge, Collinwood (OH), Conestoga, Cumberland Valley, Dallastown, DeMatha Catholic, Downingtown West, ELCO, Erie McDowell, Glen Mills, Great Valley, Greenwich Central (NY), Harrisburg, Hempfield, Hershey, Holy Ghost Prep, Indian Valley, JP McCaskey, Kane, Lewistown, Manheim Township, Mercersburg Acad., Methacton, Mt. Carmel, Neshaminy, New Rochelle (NY), Pearl River (NY), Penncrest, Pennridge, Shamokin, Springfield, St. Basil Academy, State College, Suffern (NY), The Hill School, Wyoming Valley West, and Wyomissing.
The meet will also feature Penn State signee Caitlin Lane, a standout distance runner from Greenwich, N.Y., who recently finished sixth in the mile at the prestigious Millrose Games.
After a weekend off, the Nittany Lions will be back in action at the Big Ten Championships on March 1-2. The eighth-ranked women travel to Minneapolis, Minn., while the men will compete in Madison, Wisc.