Greaves, Foster, Williams Earn Top Five Finishes on Day One at Florida Relays

April 2, 2010

Live Results | Penn State Video Interviews | Coverage at FloTrack.org

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Led by top five finishes from juniors Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.), Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia) and Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.), the Nittany Lion track and field teams got the outdoor season underway, Friday at the Pepsi Florida Relays at James G. Pressly Stadium. Greaves turned in a pair of runner-up finishes in the sprints, while Foster clocked the second-fastest time in the NCAA at 1500-meters.

Greaves would notch the highest Nittany Lion finish of the afternoon session on the women's side, earning second-place status in the 100. The junior sprinted to a finishing time of 11.33 (+3.1w) to finish second-to-only Florida State's Marecia Pemberton, and bettering U.S. elites Natasha Hastings of Nike, and Rachelle Boone-Smith of World Express AC. Pemberton and Greaves are now ranked Junior Caitlin Defusco (Schwenksville, Pa.) would also run well, clocking a career-best 11.85, good for 18th-place overall. Both Lion performances are among the 48-best in the NCAA Eastern Rankings. With the new system of NCAA qualifying, athletes with performances in the top 48 in the NCAA Eastern Standings, will advance to the NCAA First Round, set for May 27-29, in Greensboro, N.C.

Greaves continued to be on her game in the 200-meters, sprinting to a career-low 23.07 - the second-fastest performance in the Penn State record books, the second-best time in the NCAA this year and good for second on the afternoon. The junior was also second among collegiate, following Hampton's Francena McCorory - the American Indoor record holder at 400-meters - who clocked 22.92 for the win. DeFusco placed 17th overall in the elite invitational 200 field, dipping under the 24-second barrier with a 23.99 PR. DeFusco's mark is also the 10th fastest in school history.

Foster - already a two-time All-American at 800-meters, clocked a personal-best 3:41.26 in the 1500 - 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). Also running a new career-best was junior Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.), who placed sixth overall in 3:45.42. The Lions were well represented in the event overall, as sophomore Vince McNally (Smoketown, Pa.) would turn in a 12th-place effort in 3:49.61.

Williams turned in a fourth-place finish in the half mile, posting a season-best time of 1:49.07, just off his personal-outdoor best 1:48.99. Junior Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio) also finished well, taking 22nd overall with a time of 1:51.75. Both performances are among the top 48 in the event in the NCAA Eastern standings.

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. Also racing for the Nittany Lions was freshman Evonne Britton (El Paso, Texas), who clocked an outdoor collegiate-best 14.28 to win her heat and finish 22nd overall.

The Lions would also fair well in the throws with redshirt sophomore Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) leading the way with a seventh-place finish in the discus, thanks to a personal-best toss of 166-2 (50.66). Teammates Blake Eaton (Allegeny, N.Y.) and Cory Eck (State College, Pa.) would place 11th and 12th, respectively, in the event. Eck was the top finisher for the Lions in the men's hammer, recording a personal-best toss of 188-3 (57.39).

Also in the field, senior Caitlin Fairbairn (Coatesville, Pa.) cleared 12-0 (3.66) in the women's pole vault, good for ninth-place overall, while sophomore Jocelyn Witmer (Lancaster, Pa.) tied for 10th with an identical clearance.

Former Nittany Lion great Shana Cox, now competing for Adidas, also excelled in the Florida sun, taking the women's 400-meter title in 51.42 - the fastest mark in the world in 2010. Barber would double back in the quarter, going 54.29 for 11th overall. Freshman Doris Anyanwu (Beltsville, Md.) placed 34th in the 400 standings, clocking 56.54. On the men's side, freshman Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.), typically an 800-meter specialist, dropped down in distance to compete in the 400, posting a personal-collegiate best 47.97 to take 22nd-place overall.

The Lions ended the evening with a pair of personal bests in the 5000-meters, coming from junior Paige Anderson (Carlisle, Pa.) and redshirt freshman Chris Cipro (Harmony, Pa.). Cipro would place sixth in the men's 5K, going 14:34.32, while Anderson clocked a career-best 17:24.51 for ninth in the women's heat.

Competition at the 2010 Pepsi Florida Relays gets back underway Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m.

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Shavon Greaves
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Ryan Foster