Dec. 2, 2010
Track and Field Season Preview - Throws
Assistant Coach T.J. Crater talks about the goals of the Nittany Lion throws contingent in 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: December 2, 2010 - The Nittany Lion Track and Field squads are just over a week out from opening the 2010-11 campaign, with the annual Blue-White Intrasquad Meet on Saturday, Dec. 11. Last year, the Penn State program engineered outstanding indoor and outdoor efforts, highlighted by Top 25 standings from both the men's and women's squads at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, including a fourth-place "Trophy Team" finish by the women's squad outdoors. All told, the Nittany Lions collected 22 NCAA All-America finishes, 12 individual Big Ten titles, three relay conference wins, and seven Penn State records in 2010, and are poised for even more successes in 2011.
This release is the first of a series of interviews with each event coach recapping their group's fall training, and preview the upcoming indoor and outdoor seasons.
Penn State Throws Preview
Coming off the 2010 campaign with a trio of bronze-medal finishes at the NCAA Championships, the Nittany Lion throws squad will bring a mix of youth and experience to the ring in 2011, led by senior trio Blake Eaton (Allegany, N.Y.), Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.), and Karlee McQuillen (Johnstown, Pa.). The Penn State throws contingent is guided by third-year assistant coach T.J. Crater.
Kovacs and Eaton both proved to be two of the top shot putters on the national scene a year ago, with Kovacs taking third place in the event at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships, with Eaton matching the performance with a bronze-medal effort at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Both were also outstanding at the conference level, with Kovacs claiming second place in the shot indoors, and second in the discus outside. Eaton was also at the top of his game, winning his first-ever Big Ten title at the outdoor conference meet, becoming the first Nittany Lion to take the event on the men's side since Penn State joined the conference. McQuillen - already a three-time All-American - claimed her highest-career NCAA finish in 2010 with a third-place standing, while also earning her first collegiate title at the prestigious Penn Relays, and claiming her second-straight runner-up finish in the javelin at the Big Ten Championships.
Along with a wealth of experienced athletes, the Lions will also welcome a bevy of newcomers this season, including highly touted standouts Taylor McNally (Ennis, Mt.), and Jane Swenson (Brandon, S.D.), who both have the credentials to make an immediate impact in the conference ranks. Also joining the Nittany Lion roster in 2011 will be rookies Laura Loht (McClure, Pa.) andKaitchen Dearborn (New Milford, Pa.) - two of the top javelin throwers in Pennsylvania throughout their high school careers.
Also back in 2011 are junior team captain Anna Muzio (Harrisburg, Pa.) on the women's side, as well junior Jeff Wisinski (Erie, Pa.), sophomores Logan Caldwell (Ebensburg, Pa.), and Nabil Muburak (Loganville, Ga.), and redshirt freshman Will Barr (Urbana, Ohio), who will all add depth to an stellar men's throws roster. The Lions' also have a healthy javelin regiment ready to take the runway in the spring in seniors Harold Dunn (Butler, Pa.), and Duri Greene (Wyndmoor, Pa.), sophomore Eli Skinner (Salladasburg, Pa.) and freshman Justin Nykeil (Marlton, N.J.).
The Blue-White Meet is scheduled for Saturday, December 11, beginning at 2 p.m. The Nittany Lions are also set to host a USATF Officials' Clinic in conjunction with the event. To sign up, or for more information on the clinic, contact Director of Track and Field Operations Jess Riden at jnr126@psu.edu