April 7, 2010
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With one week of competition under their belts, the Nittany Lion track and field teams will continue their outdoor campaign this weekend, traveling to the Sun Angel Track Classic, hosted by Arizona State University. The Nittany Lions enjoyed outstanding success during their trip to the Florida Relays last weekend, where juniors Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.), and Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia) both clocked the second-ranked times in NCAA Division I in their respective events, while Foster, and teammates Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.), Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.), and Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) combined to win the 4x800-meter relay, setting new meet and stadium records in the process.
About the Sun Angel Classic ...
When: Saturday, April 10, 2010
Where: Sun Angel Stadium (Tempe, Ariz.)
Competing Teams: Air Force, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Boise State, Bradley, BYU, Central Arizona, Central Michigan, Colorado State, CS Northridge, DePaul, Georgetown, Hawaii (W), Houston, Illinois (W), Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Mesa CC, Michigan State, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Arizona, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Portland State (W), Rutgers (M), Syracuse, Texas Southern (M), UC Davis, UC Riverside, UNLV (W) and West Virginia (W)
Teams to Watch ...
The No. 6 Nittany Lion women are the topped ranked program heading into the weekend, but will be challenged by outstanding squads from Oklahoma (No. 9), BYU (No. 12), Auburn (No. 14) and Arizona (No. 17), while the Nittany Lion men will compete against the likes of No. 7 Auburn, No. 10 Arizona State, No. 13 Oklahoma, No. 20 BYU, Big Ten foe and No. 21 Minnesota and No. 22 Kansas State. Along with 21st-ranked Minnesota on the men's side, the Nittany Lions will get an early look at conference foes from Michigan State and Iowa, as well as very talented women's squads from Minnesota and Illinois.
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).
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).
Back in the Ring ...
Nittany Lion All-Americans Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) and Blake Eaton (Allegany, N.Y.) will step back into the shot put ring for the first time this outdoor season at the Sun Angel Classic this weekend. Kovacs posted a third-place effort in the event at the NCAA Indoor Championships last month, while Eaton also earned All-America status with an eighth-place effort. Both Nittany Lions will compete in the elite "Premiere Section" at Sun Angel, which is set to include defending NCAA Champion Ryan Whiting of Arizona State, also with a host of top competitors from around the country.
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.
Coming Up ...
Following Sun Angel, the Nittany Lions will stay close to home, heading down Route 45 for the Bucknell Team Challenge in Lewisburg, Pa., on April 17. The Lions will then close out the month of April with the historic Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania, scheduled for April 22-24 at Franklin Field, in Philadelphia, Pa.