April 22, 2009
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.- Already off to an outstanding 2009 campaign, the Nittany Lion track and field teams will look to bring home some hardware at the 115th running of the Penn Relays, this weekend at the University of Pennsylvania. Last year's Penn Relays were an historic one for the Nittany Lion women, who captured their first Penn Relays wheel in the NCAA era, winning the 4x400-meter relay on their way to an NCAA title in the event. This year looks to be no different, as several Nittany Lion relays are entered in the elite Championship of America sections, and are on pace to hold their own with some of the nation's top athletes.
With three athletes already under the NCAA regional standard in the 800-meters, the Nittany Lion men's 4x800-meter relay looks to be a formidable contender in the event, led by standouts Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia), Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) and Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.). All three half milers are ranked among to top eight in the Big Ten and the top 10 in the East Region. Foster, who has clocked 1:48.79 this season, is tops in the region and the conference and currently stands seventh nationally. Sophomore Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio) is another potential leg on the relay, after running 1:48.90 during the indoor season. The Lions finished fifth in the Championship of America section last year, and will bring even more fire power to the table in 2009.
The Nittany Lions will also hope to contend in the men's distance medley relay and the 4xMile competition, bolstered by a trio of NCAA qualifiers at 1500-meters, including Tim Johnson (New Cumberland, Pa.), Brian Fuller (Camp Hill, Pa.) and Vince McNally (Smoketown, Pa.). All three Lions dipped under the NCAA qualifier at the War Eagle Invitational last weekend, and are ranked among the top eight performances in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions more than proved to be national caliber competitors this past indoor season, as the team of Borchers, Mike Cadau (Mahanoy City, Pa.), Foster and Johnson sped to a school-record and NCAA automatic-qualifying 9:32.94 in the DMR. The team would go onto to place ninth at the NCAA Championships, barely a tenth of a second shy of an All-America finish.
On the women's side, the Nittany Lions will also be among the teams to watch in the DMR, with regional qualifiers Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) and Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) among to options for the 1200- and 1600-meter legs. The Lions also have some outstanding potential athletes for the 400-meter leg including Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) - a member of last year's NCAA Champion 4x400 - and All Americans Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) and Shavon GReaves (Lakewood, N.J.). The Nittany Lion sprint contingent also looks to field a stellar squad in the sprint medley relay, after setting a school record with a second-place finish at the Relays in 2007.
Hunter, Dorr, and Greaves will all also give it a go in the individual events, with Hunter entered in the 100-meter hurdles, Dorr in the 400-meter hurdles, and Greaves in the 100-meter dash. Dorr caught fire at the War Eagle Invitational last weekend, going 58.38 in the quarter hurdles - the leading time in the conference and the seventh-fastest nationally. Greaves and Hunter will also be in contention for high finishes individually, as both already have multiple NCAA qualifiers to their credit.
As always, Hunter will be one of the busier Lions, as she will also compete in the "Championship" section of the long jump. Hunter finished fifth at the NCAA Championships in the event last year, posting a PR leap of 21-4.75 (6.52). The senior broke the school record in the event indoors, going 20-11.25 (6.38) during the NCAA pentathlon.
Senior Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.) will lead the Lion men in the horizontals, after winning the Eastern Division of the Penn Relays triple jump in 2008. Smith, who captured All-America honors in the event last outdoor season, will compete in the Championship flight this year, coming off a Big Ten triple jump title indoors. Smith is already on the NCAA list in 2009 and holds the top rated mark in the conference. Last season, Smith led a 1-2-3 sweep of the eastern triple jump at the Relays, along with teammates Jay Pagana (Selinsgrove, Pa.) and Ryan Taylor (Spanish Town, Jamaica).
Javelin specialists Karlee McQuillen (Johnstown, Pa.) and Tanner Evak (State College, Pa.) will also be in the running for top finishes, as both are entered in the championship javelin sections. McQuillen is no stranger to Penn as she took top honors as a high school senior in 2007, and posted an impressive second-place finish as a college freshman in 2008. Evak tallied a second-place finish at the Relays in 2007, and is currently tops in the Big Ten and among the top 10 nationally. Senior Emma Schmelzer (Bloomington, Ill.) - an NCAA participant last outdoor season - will also get the chance to show her stuff among the nation's best, as she will be competing in the championship discus competition. Schmelzer is currently ranked second in the conference in the event.
The pole vault should also be a hot event for the Lions, with John Vellenoweth (Wheeling, W.Va.) skying to a regional-qualifying 17-0.75 (5.20) at Auburn last weekend. The Lions also have a pair of ladies on the regional list in the event, including Jocelyn Witmer (Lancaster, Pa.) and Caitlin Fairbairn (Coatesville, Pa.), who have both cleared 12-7.50 (3.85) this season.
Also on the individual stage, a slew of Nittany Lion distance athletes will look for top finishes during Thursday's Distance Carnival, including Big Ten Cross Country Freshman of the Year Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.). Dawson, along with twin brother and Lion middle distance standout, Owen, already have a Penn Relays title to their credit after winning the high school boys' DMR for Coatesville High School in 2007. Dawson will be joined by teammates Dennis Pollow (Ransomville, N.Y.) and Tyler McCandless (Bath, Pa.) in the 5000-meters with all three athletes having Big Ten scoring performances on their resumes. The Nittany Lions will also be well represented in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with NCAA regional qualifier Michael Syrnick (Philadelphia), hoping for a big finish in front of a hometown crowd.
For the women, Cheryl Spring (The Woodlands, Texas) will pace the Lions in the 5,000, after running an NCAA regional qualifier in the steeplechase two weeks ago. Spring was a NCAA provisional qualifier in the 5K indoors with an impressive 16:39.53.
Action in Philadelphia begins on Thursday at 10 a.m. Log onto www.GoPSUsports.com for full Nittany Lion recaps following each day of competition.