Feb. 23, 2011
Big Ten Women's Championship Central at Purdue
Big Ten Men's Championship Central at Illinois
More Big Ten Moments - Blake Eaton and Doris Anyanwu
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion track and field program will split its men's and women's squads this weekend, traveling to the Big Ten Men's Indoor Championships at the University of Illinois, and the Big Ten Women's Indoor Championships at Purdue University. The Nittany Lion men are currently ranked 10th in the country according to the latest United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) rankings, while the Penn State women are the defending Big Ten Indoor Champions, after capturing last year's Big Ten "Triple Crown" with wins in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. Competition is slated for Saturday and Sunday, February 26-27.
This video clip is the second in a series of four "Big Ten Moments," in which selected men's and women's team members will recall their most memorable moment from throughout their careers. Today's video features sophomore distance standout Brooklyne Ridder (Cincinnati, Ohio) and redshirt-sophomore triple jumper Hanif Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa.). Both will represent the Nittany Lions in conference competition this weekend. Log on to www.GoPSUsports.com throughout the week for more "Big Ten Moments" from Nittany Lion track and field.
Ridder enjoyed an outstanding first year in the Blue and White in 2009-10, kicking off the her Big Ten career with a 16th-place effort at the 2009 Big Ten Cross Country Championships, helping the Nittany Lions to the program's first-ever Big Ten Cross Country title. On the track, help her own in outstanding conference competition, placing 14th in the 3,000-meters at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, and following up with a 14th-place finish in the 5,000-meters at the outdoor conference meet. In postseason action, Ridder qualified for the USATF Junior Championships in the 5,000, where she would place third overall among U.S. athletes 19 and under. Ridder, who is already a two-time NCAA qualifier in cross country, has continued to improve as a sophomore placing ninth at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships to earn All-Big Ten honors. This season, Ridder has already run 16:25.97 in the 5K - the best time in the Big Ten this season.
Johnson has continued a strong tradition of Nittany Lion success in the horizontal jumps, placing second in the triple at the Big Ten Indoor Championships as a redshirt freshman in 2010. In fact, Johnson has scored a top-four finish in both career appearances at the conference meet, taking fourth in the triple jump as a true freshman at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in 2009. The redshirt sophomore has enjoyed an outstanding indoor season thus far, thanks to a personal-best 51-5.50 (15.68) at the Nittany Lion Challenge last month. The mark currently ranks 22nd nationally, and third among Big Ten competitors.