The Lady Lions wrapped up the indoor track season two weeks ago with the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Indoor Championships. While most of the team is preparing for the transfer outdoors, Pam Connell is already competing.

Connell traveled to the University of Arizona in Tuscon and yesterday qualified for NCAA Outdoor Championships in the heptathlon by winning the event with a lifetime-best 5,524 points.

After Connell's first day of competition on Wednesday, she had scored 3277 points and led the field by 150. She won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.3 seconds, placed fourth in the shot put, throwing 32'9¾", took second in the high jump with a lifetime-best 5'10", and won the 200 meters in 24.94 seconds.

Connell won the long jump yesterday with a 18'6" mark. She also won the 800-meter run with 2:13, and she threw 114' to take third in the javelin event.

Weather permitting, the outdoor season should start March 23 with the Lady Lion Invitational at the Nittany Lion Track.

"We were hoping to do some practicing out on the (outdoor) track, but I guess now we won't," assistant coach Jeri Daniels-Elder said, refering to yesterday's snow. She said the track drains well enough not to worry about delaying the invitational.

Some outdoor events cannot be practiced indoors. Lady Lion Jennifer Crouch said there are several ways to simulate outdoor throwing events; for example, discuses and old javelins can be thrown into a heavy curtain or net to work on form.

No meets have been scheduled for this weekend to allow for the team's transition to outside events.

Daniels-Elder said the team is focusing more on the Carolina Relays at N.C. State on March 30. As usual, the season-opening home meet is used to "test the waters," she said.

In outdoor track, the running events basically get longer. The shortest and longest indoor running events are the 50-yard dash and the 5,000-meter run, respectively. Their outdoor counterparts are the 100- and 10,000-meter runs. The javelin, discus and the hammer events replace the 20-pound weight throw. The heptathlon and the 2,000-meter steeplechase are added to the group.