May 6, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion track and field will host their final competition prior to the Big Ten Outdoor Championships this weekend, hosting the Penn State Open, Friday evening at Nittany Lion Track. Both track and field events are slated to get underway at 4 p.m., with the University of Pittsburgh and the Nittany Lions scheduled to compete.
Both Nittany Lion squads are coming off outstanding efforts a week ago, including an NCAA-leading 1:46.74 from freshman Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) - the current Big Ten Athlete of the Week - in the 800-meters at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at Stanford. Also running well in Palo Alto was senior Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio), who clocked a personal-best 15:46.08 for 5,000-meters - the third-fastest performance in the country this year.
Elsewhere, sprinters Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.) and Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) recorded two individual wins apiece at the Jesse Owens Classic at Ohio State. Greaves took titles in the 100- and 200-meters, while Dorr earned top honors in the 400- and 400-meter hurdles.
The Penn State Open will be the Lions' final tune up prior to the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, which are set for May 14-16, at the Indiana University. The Nittany Lion women have captured the last two Big Ten Outdoor crowns, and are coming off of conference victories during the 2010 indoor season, and 2009 cross country season.