Jan. 14, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: January 14, 2009 - The Nittany Lion track and field teams a host of top competition for the second weekend in-a-row this Saturday, hosting the PSU Northeast Challenge, set for Saturday, at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. Along with the Lions' 10th-ranked women's team, the list of teams in attendance will include many of the top programs from the Northeast region, including Cornell, Georgetown, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Albany, and the No. 22 West Virginia women's team, as well as Big Ten foe Michigan, which is scheduled travel its women's squad to Happy Valley.
Attending Teams
Albany
Colgate
Cornell
Delaware
Georgetown
Morgan State
Michigan
Penn State
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh
Rutgers
Seton Hall
St. Francis (Pa.)
West Virginia
The Nittany Lions got the season off to an outstanding start last weekend, highlighted by NCAA-provisional qualifying performances from senior Brittany Maun (Greensburg, Pa.) in the high jump, junior Shavon GReaves (Lakewood, N.J.) in the 60- and 200-meters, and juniors Blake Eaton (Allegeny, N.Y.), and Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) in the shot put. In fact, Greaves' personal-best performances of 7.30, and 23.22 in the short sprints are the top marks in the NCAA in 2010, as is Maun's PR clearance of 5-10.50 (1.79).
Also running well last week were sprint standouts Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) and Doris Anyanwu (Beltsville, Md.), who finished first and third, respectively in the 500-meters. Dorr would also take runner-up honors behind Greaves in the 200. Greaves, Anyanwu, Dorr, and teammate Caitlin Defusco (Schwenksville, Pa.), who took second in the 60, would also combine to win the 4x400-meter relay, which finished just shy of provisional-qualifying status.
Ryan Foster |
After running mostly relays a week ago, several Nittany Lion tracksters will get the opportunity to race individually this weekend, including defending Big Ten Champion Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia), who will likely race the 1000-meters. Fellow middle-distance standouts Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.), and Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.) are also slated to make their 2010 debuts individually this weekend, as is highly touted rookie Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.), who impressed the Penn State crowd last weekend with an exciting anchor leg on the winning 4x400.
Several of the Nittany Lions top distance athletes, including NCAA cross country qualifier Vince McNally (Smoketown, Pa.) are poised to make their first appearance on the track this season, as well as sophomore Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.), and promising recruit Natalie Bower (Pleasant Unity, Pa.). Both Lane and Bower were members of the Lions' Big Ten Cross Country Champion and NCAA-qualifying squad this fall.
Jumpers Hanif Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa.) and Tanaya Lloyd (Philadelphia, Pa.) will both look to build on triple jumps victories at the Penn State Relays, as will senior Brad Lawrence (Voorhees, N.J.), who captured top honors in the pole vault a week ago. Throwers Anna Muzio (Harrisburg, Pa.) and Evelyn Britton (El Paso, Texas) also had a solid opening weekend at the Relays, posting a two-three finish in the women's 20-lb weight throw.
The event will also feature some top professionals, including Nittany Lion alum and former NCAA Champion Shana Cox, who now competes for Adidas.
Both track and field events are scheduled to get underway at 11 a.m. The Lions will take a weekend off before heading into the high-caliber Penn State National, set for Jan. 29-30, at Ashenfelter Track.