The Olympian efforts of world-class Georgetown sprinter Nikole Mitchell were not enough to lift the Hoyas (0-1) over Penn State (1-0), as the Lady Lions secured a 77-45 victory at the women's indoor track meet on Saturday.

Mitchell, a member of Jamaica's 100-meter relay team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, packs a world of experience into each race she runs. She was also the 1992 World Junior Champion in the 100-meter dash.

"A lot of reactions were, 'Wow,' " said Penn State Assistant Coach Carmen Mann, who works with the sprinters. "To have somebody running at that level really inspired them, particularly the freshmen."

After Barcelona, Mitchell traveled to Germany for the 1993 World Championships. She returned to her hometown of St. Mary's, Jamaica, with a bronze medal in the relay and a ninth place in the 100 meters.

She also brought home a desire to pursue a college degree at a university that could serve both her mind and body. She is now a finance major and her first meet as a Hoya was in the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex on Saturday.

But the sophomore could not run last year -- she had to establish residency before she could work out with the team.

Georgetown Coach Ron Helmer describes Mitchell as very unassuming and a good leader who thrives on the concept of the team.

Mitchell enjoys the rapport she has with her teammates.

"I think they respect me for what I've done so far, not that I'm better than anybody else," she said.

All humility aside, her performance Saturday surpassed any 55-meter dash ever run in the indoor sports complex. She set a track record in the event with her time of 6.8 seconds, shaving .31 seconds off the five-year-old record.

Mitchell also contributed to a Georgetown win in the mile relay. But it wasn't enough.

Penn State's depth pulled the point total in favor of the Lady Lions. In addition to some first places -- like those by NCAA high jump qualifier Holly Jones and double-winner Caryn Benjamin (long jump, hurdles) -- crucial second- and third-place finishes overwhelmed the Hoyas.

Jones followed a second-place finish in the shot put with a NCAA qualifying performance in the high jump. Her jump of 5 feet, 9.25 inches will send her to Indianapolis on March 10-11.

Lady Lion captain Sue Huelster said the dual meet offered a much better comparison of the two teams' talents than last week's Cornell Invitational, where Georgetown topped Penn State by three points.

On Saturday, Huelster was edged out for first in the 800 meters by Georgetown's Bridget Johnson. After allowing Huelster to lead most of the race, Johnson came on in the last stretch. It was already too late for Huelster to change gears, and Johnson's time showed up one-tenth of a second better.