April 15, 2010
Bucknell Meet Info | Penn State Interviews | Penn State Meet Notes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: April 14, 2010 - After road trips to the University of Florida, and Arizona State University, the Nittany Lion track and field teams will stay close to home this weekend, making the short trip to the Bucknell Team Challenge, set for Saturday, April 17, at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium. The trip to Lewisburg will serve as the Nittany Lions' final tune-up before competing at the prestigious Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania on April 22-24. The Nittany Lions have enjoyed outstanding success at Bucknell over the years, as Penn State athletes hold a grand total of 15 facility records.
About the Bucknell Team Challenge:
When: Saturday, April 17, 2010
Where: Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Competing Teams: Penn State, Bucknell, Binghamton Duquesne, Lock Haven
Last Time Out ...
Senior Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) reset her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles, while senior Ryan Fritz (Parkesburg, Pa.) claimed an individual victory in the high jump to lead the Nittany Lion effort, Saturday at the Sun Angel Track Classic at Arizona State University. The Nittany Lions produced strong performances across the board, including a pair of second-place finishes from junior Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.). Freshman Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) and junior Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) led the Lion middle distance contingent, placing fourth and sixth, respectively in the premiere section. Loxsom was the top collegian to cross the finish line, running a personal-outdoor best 1:48.41, while Dawson also recorded an outdoor PR, going 1:48.85. Both performances are among the top 10 efforts in the Nittany Lion record books.
School-Record Run ...
In her 2010 debut, senior Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) shattered her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles at the Sun Angel Classic, running 56.65, to better her previous best - 56.91. Dorr, who was the top collegiate finisher, placed second overall, thanks to the fifth-fastest performance in the country this year. Dorr's time is also tops in the Big Ten.
Two Numbers Twos ...
Greaves and Foster both posted the second-fastest performances in the country in their respective events at the Florida Relays, with Greaves clocking a personal outdoor-best 23.07 for 200-meters, and Foster turning in an effort of 3:41.26 for 1500-meters. Greaves would finish second-to-only Hampton's Francena McCorory, who clocked a world-leading 22.92 at in Gainesville. Greaves' performance is the third fastest in the world this year, according to the IAAF. Foster - already a two-time All-American at 800-meters, finished just off Alabama's Julius Bor, who finished in 3:41.11. The pair are now ranked first and second among NCAA Division I competitors. Foster's outstanding run also ranks third in the Nittany Lion record books behind only Steve Balkey (3:38.99), and Larry Mangan (3:39.25). After another weekend of action, Foster is now ranked third in the 1500, while Greaves has the fourth-best time in the nation in the 200.
Back in the Ring ...
Throws duo Blake Eaton (Allegany, N.Y.) and Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) also recorded solid outings in the field, with Eaton finishing third in the elite "premiere" section of the shot put with a toss of 58-10.75 (17.94), and Kovacs following in fourth with a mark of 57-2.25 (17.43). Kovacs would also turn in a top five finish in the hammer throw, posting a personal-best throw of 189-7 (57.79) for fourth.
Dynamite Debuts ...
The Florida Relays marked the 2010 debuts for two of the Nittany Lions most highly decorated athletes in seniors Ryan Fritz (Parkesburg, Pa.), and Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.) - both in their final season of outdoor eligibility. In her first appearance in a Penn State uniform since last June, Barber held her own in one of the hottest heats of the 100-meter hurdles so far this outdoor season. The senior clocked a season-best 13.37 over 10 hurdles, good for sixth in a race that included a world-leading 12.65 from Virginia Tech's Queen Harrison, followed by a sizzling 12.66 from U.S. Olympian Damu Cherry. The senior would go on to finish 11th in the 400-meters in a personal-outdoor best 54.29. Fritz also enjoyed a top 10 finish in his first go-around of the 2010 season, finishing eighth in the high jump with a clearance of 6-10.75 (2.10). Junior javelin thrower Karlee McQuillen (Johnstown, Pa.) also competed for the first time in 2010, taking second in her signature event with a toss of 161-0 (49.32).
Relay Running ...
Led by the victory in the men's 4x800, the Nittany Lion excelled in the relay events at Florida Relays, including top five finishes in the women's sprint and distance medleys and the men's DMR, as well as top 10 efforts from the women's 4x100-meter relay, and the men's SMR. The women's 4x100 (45.65) and 4x400 (3:41.78) are also among the top 24 performances in the NCAA East standings, and in position for advancement to the NCAA First Round.
In the Record Books ...
A trio of Nittany Lion men have already broken into the Penn State Top Ten lists this spring, led by Foster's 3:41.26 in the 1500-meters - the third-fastest effort in school history. Also earning a spot in the Nittany Lion archives are senior Tyler McCandless (Bath, Pa.), who is now ranked sixth in the 10,000-meters after running 29:22.35 at the Stanford Invitational, and classmate Cory Eck (State College, Pa.), who recorded a toss of 188-3 (57.39) in the hammer at Florida Relays - the eighth-best throw in the Penn State record books. The 4x800 quartet of Foster, Casimir Loxsom, Lionel Williams, and Owen Dawson have also made their mark on in the lists, as their 7:18.72 at Florida Relays is No. 7 all time.
On the women's side, senior Cheryl Spring's (The Woodlands, Texas) 34:31.75 10K at Stanford is good for seventh all time, while Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.), who is already a top 10 member in the 100, 100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, and the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays, broke into the 400-meter standings with a PR 54.29, which ranks seventh. A pair of Nittany Lions snuck into 10th place on the lists, as Caitlin Defusco (Schwenksville, Pa.) clocked a PR 23.99 for 10th in the 200-meters, and freshman Evonne Britton (El Paso, Texas) is now 10th in the 400-meter hurdles at 1:00.56
Most recently, Cas Loxsom and Owen Dawson moved into sixth and 10th, respectively, in the all-time 800-meter rankings with efforts of 1:47.41, and 1:47.85 at the Sun Angel Classic. Franek's 4:20.28 PB in the 1500-meters is good for fifth all-time, while Evonne Britton (El Paso, Texas) is now ranked seventh in the 400-meter hurdles, after clocking 59.30 in Tempe.
Big Ten Honors ...
After recording the second-fastest times in the country in their respective events at the Florida Relays, juniors Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia) and Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.) have been named Big Ten Track Athletes of the Week. Both Nittany Lions remain at the top of the rankings in the conference in their events, with Foster topping at the 1500-meter standings, and Greaves leading the way in the 200-meters.
Penn Relays Up Next ...
Both Nittany Lion squads in position to make a splash on the track and in the field at the Relays, which are set for April 22-24, at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Penn State has enjoyed outstanding success at the Relay over the years, with its last Championship of America victory coming during the 2008 season, when the women's 4x400-meter relay (Dominique Blake, Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.), Gayle Hunter, and Shana Cox) captured the prestigious Penn Relays Wheel. The same foursome would go on to win the NCAA title in the event during the same season. On the men's side, the Nittany Lions have won an impressive total of 23 Championship of America crowns. The Nittany Lion men also hold the All-Time Relays Record in the 4x800-meter relay at 7:11.17, run by Vance Watson, Steve Shisler, Chris Mills, and Randy Moore in 1985. In 2009, Nittany Lions Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) and Tanner Evak turned in a pair of individual wins, with Dorr taking top honors in the 400-meter hurdles, and Evak claiming first place in the javelin.