Bigger tracks plus faster tracks equal more IC4A and NCAA qualifiers.

And the answer to that track equation is exactly why Coach Harry Groves is taking a group of Penn State athletes to the "state of the art" facilities in South Bend, Ind., for the Notre Dame Invitational.

It has been proven that the size and the quality of the indoor track facilities give an athlete a better shot at achieving a certain time standard. For those members of the men's track team who haven't yet qualified, they will have one last chance this weekend to meet the IC4A and NCAA standards at the Invitational.

However, many athletes will also remain home for the Last Chance Invitational at the Greenberg Sports Complex and try to make IC4A qualifying standards.

"This weekend, our objctive is to qualify as many people as we can. But it depends on the facility. It is real hard to get an NCAA time here (in Greenberg)," Groves said. "That's why we send a few out to Notre Dame, where they have a fifth-of-a-mile track which is as big as most outdoor tracks."

And only top-caliber competition will run on this bigger track as athletes around the country use this meet as their last and best chance to meet the standards.

That is definitely true for milers Doug Walter and Aidan O'Reilly, who, as provisional NCAA qualifiers, now have their best chance to automatically qualify for the NCAAs in the mile.

O'Reilly's best run this season is a 4.04.32 while Walter's has been 4.05.78. They'll both have to run a 4.02 or less to get into the race.

"They have a better shot here than in the smaller indoor tracks," Groves said.

To round out the track events, Joe Stegbauer will try to qualify for the NCAAs in the 800, Jerry Robinson in the 55-meter hurdles, Jon Strange in the 500, Mike Adams in the 200.

All-American Phil Caraher, who's already qualified for the NCAAs in the shot put, will not have to compete at Notre Dame or at Greenberg.

Instead this weekend he will test his skill among the world's best throwers in the USA-Mobil Shot Put Championship in Princeton, N.J.

Also at Notre Dame, triple jumpers Ricardo Hall and Antonio Davis will look to nail jumps of over 51 feet, and Brian Kelley looks to high jump into the NCAAs.