Jan. 13, 2011
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: January 12, 2011 - Following a successful season-opening weekend of action, the Nittany Lion track and field teams will be at home again this Saturday, welcoming talented men's and women's squads from Florida, Albany, Cornell, and Maryland, for the the Nittany Lion Challenge at Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. The competition, which is set to feature a bevy of accomplished professionals, along with some of the nation's top collegians, is set for an 11:00 a.m., start time on Saturday morning. Florida enters the weekend as the top-ranked team in the NCAA in the USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings, while the Nittany Lion men's squad is also rated in the top 10, at No. 8. The Nittany Lion women's squad currently stands 19th nationally.
About the Nittany Lion Challenge
Where: Ashenfelter III Indoor Track
When: Saturday, January 15
Start Times: 11:00 a.m. (Field Events); 12:00 p.m. (Track Events)
Competing Teams: Albany Cornell Florida Maryland Penn State
Highlight a full slate of exciting action will be the men's shot put competition, which is set to feature four of the top eight finishers at last year's NCAA Indoor Championships, including six-time NCAA Champion and former Arizona State Sun Devil Ryan Whiting, who now competes professionally for Nike. Whiting won the NCAA indoor title a year ago, followed by Florida's Kemal Mesic, who is also entered this weekend, in second. Also competing will be Nittany Lion seniors Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) and Blake Eaton (Allegany, N.Y.), who finished third and eighth, respectively, at NCAA Indoor in 2010. Eaton recorded a toss of 60-0.50 (18.30) - the third-best mark in the country - to open the season last weekend, while Kovacs, who competed unattached a week ago, earned a Penn State Relays victory with a throw of 60-6.50 (18.45). The meet will be the season opener for both Whiting and Mesic.
The meet won't be lacking in athletes with NCAA credentials throughout all event areas, as the competition stands to include Nittany Lion senior Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.) - last year's NCAA bronze medalist at 200-meters - as well as two-time NCAA triple jump champion Christian Taylor of Florida.
Greaves posted a solid opener at last weekend's Penn State Relays, winning the 60 dash in 7.44, and coming back to assist on the winning 4x400-meter, which including teammates Doris Anyanwu (Beltsville, Md.), Mahagony Jones (Cleveland, Ohio), and Ije Iheoma (Holland, Pa.). The team combined to run a meet-record 3:36.66, which currently stands as the fourth-best mark in the country this season.
The Lions enjoyed outstanding results a week ago, with sophomore Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) leading the way with a school-record setting performance in the 500-meter dash (1:01.28). Overall, Penn State posted a total of 12 event victories, including an outstanding high jump clearance of 7-1.50 (2.17) by senior Bryson Hartzler (Belleville, Pa.) Hartzler's mark currently ranks fourth in the NCAA. Loxsom also ran a leg of winning and meet-record setting men's 4x400, along with Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.), Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.), and Mark Filandro (Oakland, N.J.). The squad's 3:11.83 is currently ranked third in Division I. Gehret - a highly touted freshman - also got his name in the record books individually, running 21.41 for 200 - also a new Penn State Relays record, and the third-fastest time of 2011.
Following the Nittany Lion Challenge, the Nittany Lions will take a week off, before hosting the high-powered Penn State National on January 28-29.