April 30, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: April 29, 2009 - After completing another successful campaign at the Penn Relays and just two weeks out from the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, the Nittany Lion track and field teams will get a taste of what is to come at the conference meet, facing several Big Ten foes this weekend at the Jesse Owens Track Classic at Ohio State. Among the entrants in this weekend's competition will be conference rivals from Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, and Indiana, along with other top programs from Kentucky and Oklahoma.
With the rest of the Nittany Lion contingent in Columbus, junior Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) will test her skills against the best distance running has to offer at the Payton Jordan Invitational, in Palo Alto, Calif., on Saturday. Franek, who leads the NCAA in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a sizzling 9:53.95, will get a chance to race against a world-class field in the event this weekend with the likes of 2008 Olympian Lindsey Anderson and Big Ten rival Nicole Bush of Michigan State entered in the race.
Back in Ohio, junior Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) will look to continue her recent hot streak in the sprints and hurdles, coming off a victory in the 400-meter hurdles at Penn Relays in a personal-best 57.78. Dorr's PR is ranked sixth nationally and first in the Big Ten. Dorr had a solid weekend overall at Penn, running on the fourth-place distance medley relay, the third-place sprint medley, and the 4x400-meter relay that took top honors in the ECAC Championship section.
Dorr's sprint counterparts have also been on top of their game throughout the outdoor season, as sophomore Shavon GReaves (Lakewood, N.J.) is already an NCAA regional qualifier in the 100- and 200-meters, while sprint/multi-events specialist Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) is a three-event qualifier in the 200, 100-meter hurdles and long jump. Hunter has also claimed a spot in the NCAA heptathlon thanks to an NCAA automatic qualifying performance earlier this month.
The Nittany Lion men have been on fire in the middle distances, with three qualifying marks on the board in the 800-meters, and another three at 1500-meters. Seniors Tim Johnson (New Cumberland, Pa.) and Brian Fuller (Camp Hill, Pa.) - both qualifiers in the 1500 - will drop down to 800-meters this weekend, while regional half milers Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) and Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.) will also be in action. Freshman Vince McNally (Smoketown, Pa.) - already a regional qualifier in the 1500 - will give it another go in the event, while sophomore Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio) - the 2008 Big Ten Champion at the distance - will run in hopes of getting his name on the NCAA list for the first time this season. On the women's side, freshman Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) - another NCAA qualifier in the 1500 - will be in action in the half mile.
Redshirt freshman Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) is coming off of a lifetime-best heave of 60-9.50 (18.53) in the shot put at Penn Relays will compete in a stacked field in the event this weekend - including many of the Big Ten's top throws standouts. Kovacs' mark is currently ranked 11th in the NCAA standings. Sophomore Blake Eaton (Allegeny, N.Y.) - another regional qualifier in the shot - will compete along side Kovacs in both the shot put and the discus.
Also coming off a season best at Penn is Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.), who posted a leap of 52-6.75 (16.02) in the triple jump. Smith, who has bettered the regional standard on three occasions already this year, is currently ranked first in the event in the conference and stands among the top 12 nationally.
Action in Columbus begins on Friday at 2 p.m., while Franek is scheduled to compete on Saturday evening at Stanford.
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