April 4, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After completing one of the most successful indoor campaigns in program history, the Nittany Lions will look to carry the momentum outside this spring, traveling to historic Hayward Field for the Pepsi Team Challenge at the University of Oregon. Several Lions will also hope this is the first of a pair of trips to Eugene, as the city will also play host to the 2008 US Olympic Trials in June. The Lions will begin this season with a bang this weekend, competing in a four-team field including Penn State, Washington, Minnesota, and Oregon.
The Nittany Lion women, who were slated eighth in the USTFCCCA preseason rankings, will be up against No. 18 Oregon, and No. 23, and indoor Big Ten Champions Minnesota, while the toughest competition on the men's side will likely come from No. 10 Washington, along with an always powerful Duck contingent.
Leading the sprint crew in her final season in the Blue and White is nine-time All-American Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.), who finished the 2007 outdoor season with a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships. Cox will be joined by fellow speedsters Dominique Blake (Bronx, N.Y.), a two-time NCAA All-American, and Shavon GReaves (Lakewood, N.J.), the Big Ten Freshman of the Year during the indoor season.
Coming off an eighth-place finish in the 60-meters hurdles indoors, redshirt sophomore Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.) will look to continue her successful 2008 outside, as she is the defending Big Ten champion in the 400-meter hurdles, as well as an NCAA All-American in the event. Barber, Cox, Blake, and sophomore Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.), who was the 2007 Division III national champ in the quarter hurdles, posted a fifth-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay at the recent NCAA indoor championships.
The Penn State men are also looking good in the hurdles this spring, as senior Ron Jules (Tom's River, N.J.) took runner-up honors in the 60-meter hurdles at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, and classmate Adam Stanowick (Solon, Ohio) also recorded a scoring finish. Both Jules and Stanowick are also standout 400 hurdlers, as well as key legs on the Nittany Lion 4x100-meter relay.
Opening up for the first time in 2008 will be the Nittany Lion javelin throwers, which is typically one of Penn State's strongest events of the outdoor season. Representing the men will NCAA finalist and Big Ten runner-up Tanner Evak (State College, Pa.) as well as 2007 NCAA regional qualifier Harold Dunn (Butler, Pa.). On the women's side, NCAA finalist Heidi Nadeau (North Hampton, N.H.) will make her first appearance of 2008, alongside highly touted freshman Karlee McQuillen (Johnstown, Pa.) - the Nike National High School champion in the event in 2007.
The Lions will also get their first chance to compete in the 3,000-meters steeplechase, another of Penn State's signature events outdoors. Sophomore Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio), an NCAA qualifier in the event, will look to dip under the regional qualifying standard on the weekend, as will 2007 regional qualifiers Claire Percival (Sarnia, Ontario), and Sonja Hinish (Williamsburg, Pa.).
Juniors Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.), the Big Ten triple jump champ indoors, and Ryan Taylor (Spanish Town, Jamaica) will look to pick off where they left off indoors in the horizontal jumps, as both athletes ended the season with PRs and provisional-qualifying marks in the triple jump. Senior Lena Bettis (Riverside, Calif.) will lead the jumpers on the women's side, after posting provisional performances in the long and triple jumps inside.
Senior Mark Miller (Shillington, Pa.) will lead the Lion middle distances after a Big Ten championship finish in the 800-meters indoors. Also running the half mile will be standout freshman Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio), who set Penn State indoo records in the 1,000-meters and mile.
Action begins Saturday at 12:30 p.m. P, with the women's javelin. The women's steeplechase will kick off the day on the track, starting at 12:50 p.m. For full results and a complete recap of Saturday's events, go to www.GoPSUSports.com.