Jan. 7, 2011
Heat Sheets | FINAL Time Schedule |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With both its men's and women's squads ranked in the national top 20, the Nittany Lion track and field program will kick of the 2011 indoor campaign on Saturday, hosting the Penn State Relays at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. Competition is slated for a 10:00 a.m. start time. Both Nittany Lion squads were recently recognized in the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason Rankings, with the men opening strong at No. 8, and the women scoring a top-20 rating at No. 19. The Nittany Lions have also proved to be one of the top track and field schools in the country, as one of just 12 programs to be represented in both the men's and women's standings in the latest USTFCCCA rankings. Both Lion squads are also the top-ranked team from the Big Ten Conference.
Penn State, which returns many of its top athletes from its 2010 squads, turned in a pair of top 15 finishes at the NCAA Indoor Championships a year ago, with the women in 13th, and the men finishing in a tie for 14th. Boasting a roster chalked full of experienced upperclassman, the Nittany Lions return a grand total of six 2010 NCAA Indoor All-Americans, in senior middle-distance specialists Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia), Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) and Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.), along with standout-senior throwers Blake Eaton (Allegany, N.Y.), and Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.), as well as senior and sprint-star Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.).
About the Penn State Relays
Where: Ashenfelter III Indoor Track
When: Saturday, January 8
Start Times: 10:00 a.m. (Field Events); 11:00 a.m. (Track Events)
Competing Teams:
Duquesne
Hampton
Lock Haven
Penn State
Rider
Robert Morris
St. Francis (PA)
St. Joseph's
West Virginia
The Lions got off on the right foot in December at the Blue/White Instrasquad Meet, with Greaves and highly touted freshman Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.) setting facility records in the 300-meter dash. Greaves clocked 37.13 to set new facility and school records, while Gehret went 33.77 to better the previous Ashenfelter Track best. Also turning in promising efforts at the Blue/White Meet were sophomore Hanif Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa.) and junior Jane Swenson (Brandon, S.D.). Johnson captured victories in both horizontal jumps, posting an impressive leap of 50-10.75 (15.51). Swenson double up in the women's throws, taking the shot put in 46-7.25 (14.20), and winning the 20-pound weight with a toss of 51-0.25 (15.55).
The Penn State Relays will mark the beginning of a month-long homestand, with the Nittany Lion Challenge set to January 15. The outstanding Challenge field is set to include the Florida Gators - the defending NCAA Indoor Champions on the men's side.