Usually, coaches watch their athletes compete.

But Friday at the Terrier Classic at Boston University, the Lady Lions watched assistant coach Robyne Johnson win the triple jump with a 42'8", a new meet record and also a personal best.

Johnson's jump is even more impressive because she hasn't competed since last year's Olympic trials.

Johnson hopes she sets a good example for the Penn State jumpers and gives them experience jumping against people who aren't a part of the NCAA. Senior jumping captain Carmen Mann finished third in the triple with a 40'11".

Johnson wasn't the only one who shined in Boston. Senior distance captain Stacy Prey took second overall and first among college runners in the 5,000-meter run in 16:36.49. This time provisionally qualified her for NCAAs.

"I know Stacy kind of surprised herself. We hoped she'd run 16:40, but that's a pretty big jump from 17:06, and she ran even faster than we hoped," Coach Teri Jordan said.

After the 5,000, Prey ran the mile just to work on speed and ended up with another second place overall and first place among college runners. She ran one of her best times at 4:55.74.

The team of Mann, junior Leslie Hummer, senior Pam Connell and sophomore Jackie Brown easily won the 1,600-meter relay by about 50 yards with a season best of 3:50.62. They just missed a provisional NCAA qualifying mark.

"We hoped there would be competition to pull them along, but unfortunately they led from the start and really didn't feel pushed at all," Jordan said.

"There was absolutely no one to run with," Mann agreed.

Though Penn State didn't win any other events, it had a strong impact on the meet with a host of second places.

Boston University just barely won the 3,200-meter relay ahead of Penn State's senior middle distance captain Teressa Diperna, sophomore Jen Prutzman, sophomore Mary Beth Powers and sophomore Laurie Morrow.

"We actually led except for the last leg where the anchor was just a little too strong for Laurie Morrow to hold on," Jordan said.

Morrow placed second in the 1,000-meters with a 2:56.42. Brown also had two second places, one in the 55-meter and the other in the 200-meter.

Sophomore Kim Kessell put the shot 44'¼" for second place and sophomore Stacy Frank turned in a personal best in the 20-pound weight throw for third place and qualified for the TAC indoor nationals.