The Lady Lions will run on the fastest indoor college track in the country when they compete today and tomorrow in the Terrier Classic at Boston University.

Though it's early in the season, Coach Teri Jordan expects the runners to bring in some of the best times of the season because of the fast track and the competition that will be at the invitational.

Without a doubt, the competition will be abundant.

About 2,000 athletes are expected to compete at the Armory, home of Boston's lightning fast track, meet director Pete Schuder said.

Even with most Eastern schools in attendance, including Yale and New York Tech, Schuder believes Penn State will be a top competitor this weekend.

"(Penn State is) top in the East. It's a real honor that they're coming. They should have some top performances and it should be an excellent preparation for Easterns," he said.

Jordan hopes to see some runners who have been close qualify for nationals, including the mile relay team; she also wants to add more Lady Lions to the already considerable list of ECAC qualifiers. Most athletes will compete in their usual events this weekend.

Boston's own season has been low-key thus far; the Terrier Classic is its real opener, Schuder said. Still, the team has turned in some outstanding performances, including Karen Phillips's triple jump that qualified her for the NCAAs.

Senior jumping captain Carmen Mann, who qualified for the NCAAs in both the long and triple jump last Saturday at the Lady Lion Classic, might face her toughest competition of the season when she jumps the triple against Phillips.

But competition does not necessarily push Mann to excel.

Last week was a prime example. Mann jumped the two best jumps of her life, breaking school records in the triple and long jumps with relatively little competition from Georgetown and Lock Haven.

"It doesn't matter as much when you jump because everything's individual -- there is no competition except for yourself," Mann said.