Feb. 26, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: February 26, 2009 - The Nittany Lion men's track and field team is poised and ready to impress the hometown crowd this weekend, as it will play host to the Big Ten Men's Indoor Championships, Saturday and Sunday, at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. The Nittany Lions have been on a roll all season and will look to carry their outstanding performances into conference competition, led by two-time conference champion Ryan Fritz (Parkesburg, Pa.) and defending Big Ten triple jump champion Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.). Also looking to contend among the Big Ten's best are sophomores Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio), Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.), Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.), and Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia), along with freshman Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.), all of whom who have posted NCAA provisional-qualifying performances in 2009.
Fritz, who won back-to-back Big Ten high jump titles in 2007, and boasts the top seed in the event going into the weekend at 7-2.25 (2.19). Fritz has had an outstanding season thus far, including a third-place finish against an elite field at the Tyson Invitational.
Smith - a multiple-time Big Ten Athlete of the Week awardee this season - has been equally as successful, coming into the weekend with the top mark in the triple jump at 52-4.50 (15.96). The senior is likely to lead a solid effort from the Nittany Lion jumps squad, as teammates Jay Pagana (Danville, Pa.) and Ryan Taylor (Spanish Town, Jamaica) are also ranked among the top eight competitors in the triple jump.
Also in the field, senior John Vellenoweth (Wheeling, W.Va.) will look to build on the momentum of his school-record breaking performance in the pole vault at the Tyson Invitational, as he enters the weekend with a clearance of 17-0.75 (5.20) - the third-highest vault in the conference this season. Action in the field will also include throws standouts Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) and Blake Eaton (Allegeny, N.Y.), who will both compete in the shot put and weight throw.
Borchers - the 2008 Big Ten Champion at 1500-meters - headlines an outstanding group of Lions in the distances, along with senior Tim Johnson (New Cumberland, Pa.). Borchers, who has already posted an NCAA provisional-qualifying mark in the 800-meters, will play his cards in a sensational mile field this weekend, as will Johnson, who has clocked 4:05 on two occasions this winter. The Lions will also look to rack up the points in the 800, as provisional-qualifiers Foster and Owen Dawson will be among the top entrants in a stellar field. The Big Ten also features the rarely run 600 meters - an event in which the Lions will have a good chance of scoring considerable points with Williams - another provisional qualifier - leading the way.
Kyle Dawson will look to pace the Nittany Lions in the longer distance as he already has a provisional-qualifying performance in the 5,000-meters to his credit. Joining Dawson in the distance ranks will be seniors John Mahoney (Richboro, Pa.) and Dennis Pollow (Ransomville, N.Y.), and freshman Vince McNally (Smoketown, Pa.) - all of whom who have been within seconds of provisional status throughout the indoor season.
Junior Mike Cadau (Mahanoy City, Pa.) will be the Lions number-one athlete in the sprinting events, as he boasts top 10 seed times in both the 200- and 400-meters.
Log onto www.gopsusports.com for LIVE results during both days of competition at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.
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