The men's track and field team headed south to Charlottesville, Va. to start its outdoor season, and for once this spring, the grass was green but the team was not. The Nittany Lions won the five-team Milton Abramson Memorial Invitational on Saturday with a score of 99 points.

Liberty finished second (86), Virginia and Virginia Military Institute tied for third (42) and Maryland came in last with 33 points.

The Nittany Lions were led by double-event winners Antonio Davis and Bob Hamer, both seniors. Davis won the long jump (24-7), triple jump (51 feet) placed fifth in the 100-meter dash (10.85 seconds), and also competed in the 4x100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash.

"I felt like if I would've taken more jumps in the long jump I would've qualified for nationals," Davis said. "But I did have a full day. So (Coach Harry Groves) wanted me to take just as many jumps as it took to win."

Said Groves: "We figured (Davis) could win them, but we didn't know how far he could jump. They were two very controlled jumps. He's good at that."

Hamer won the 800- and 1,500-meter runs to lead the runners. He ran the 800 in 1:52.02 and the 1,500 in 3:52.46.

"It's been a gradual thing, over four years, so it's about time," said Groves of the senior who is coming into his own this season. "The time is now, it's that simple. He's making the direction you hope most guys do."

Four other Nittany Lions won first place in their respective events: Mark Wimmer in the 5,000 (14:42.03), Bill McGinley in the discus (144-6), Rob Austin in the javelin (216 feet) and Dave Kriz in the high jump (6-9).

But Groves credited the Nittany Lion members who placed in their events for putting up the necessary points to win the meet. Penn State won the first four places in the 800- and 5,000-meter runs, took three of the five places in the 1,500 and steeplechase, and first and second in the javelin.

"That made up for places we didn't score," Groves said. "We were able to do that better than anybody."