Feb. 7, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Senior Blake Eaton (Allegany, N.Y.) made good on his final appearance at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track last weekend, winning the men's shot put at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge Cup, which was also worthy of Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors, announced by conference offices on Monday. Eaton is the first Nittany Lion to win the accolade on the men's side this season, and the first Penn State male to earn conference recognition since Ryan Fritz on May 12, 2010.
Eaton, who was behind going into his final attempt, tossed a personal-indoor best 62-01.25 (18.93) - the fourth-best effort in the Penn State indoor record book - to win the Sykes-Sabock title for the second year in a row. Eaton's performance is also one of the top marks in the country this year, standing among the top 10 best puts in Division I. Teammate Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) also fared well, taking third overall with a throw of 60-8.75 (18.51).
Eaton - the 2010 Big Ten Outdoor Champion in the event - currently ranks eighth nationally, and second in the Big Ten for the 2011 campaign. Eaton earned a pair of All-America finishes in the shot as a junior, placing eighth indoors, and third outdoors.
The Nittany Lions will split their squads three ways this weekend, traveling to the Flotrack Husky Classic at the University of Washington, Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas, and Akron Invitational at the University of Akron. All three competitions are slated for February 11-12.