UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: January 19, 2009 - Nittany Lion senior Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.) has been named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week on Monday, following his conference-leading performance in the triple jump at last weekend's Penn State Open. The award is the second in-a-row for the Nittany Lion men, as teammate Ryan Fritz (Parkesburg, Pa.) garnered the citation last week.
Smith - the defending conference triple jump champion - soared to an NCAA provisional-qualifying and indoor personal-best 52-4.50 (15.96) to win his signature event last Saturday, bettering the rest of the competition by nearly three feet. Smith's mark - which is within inches of the NCAA automatic standard - is currently ranked third in the NCAA, falling behind only Arkansas' Nkosinza Balumbu at 53-0.75 (16.17), and Boise State's Ryan Grinnell at 52-6 (16.00).
Along with Smith's effort, the Nittany Lions impressed amongst solid competition at the Penn State Open, including a dozen events wins and several meet records. Fritz also excelled in the field, clearing a season-best 7-2.25 (2.19) to win the high jump. Fritz's mark is currently tied for the top clearance in the NCAA.
The Lions will be back in action at the Penn State National on January 30-31, at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.