Walker leads trackwomen to win over Hoyas

Lady Lion track coach Teri Jordan said at spring media day that she was looking forward to hosting Georgetown on Jan. 18.

Penn State defeated the Hoyas, 109-31, at the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex Saturday. Shakeema Walker led the Lady Lions by winning the long jump and triple jump, with the latter coming on an NCAA qualifying leap of 18 feet, 8 1/2 inches.

"The meet lived up to, and surpassed, my expectations," Jordan said. "It was great to be at home."

The victory came easily for Penn State, as it generally outnumbered Georgetown in terms of athletes, which was evident early in the meet. The Hoyas were not represented in certain field events, such as the 20-pound weight and shot put. Penn State took advantage, with Mary Jo Faust winning both events.

"She has shown a gigantic improvement," Jordan said of Faust.

Regardless of being shorthanded, Georgetown showed well in track events, despite leaving home some distance runners. Voneka Bennett led the Hoyas by winning the 400 meters and placing third in the 55 meters, while Autumn Fogg won the 3,000 meters. The team also won the mile relay.

Penn State, however, proved to be too much for the Hoyas. Some winners for Penn State included Kim McGreevy in the mile and freshman Felicia Cooksey in the 55-meter hurdles and the pentathlon. Cooksey was competing in the pentathlon for the first time. Jordan was impressed with the team's overall effort.

"We have lots of bright stars," she said. "I'm not totally surprised by this, more like excited."

The only event Penn State did not place in the top three was the 5,000 meters, which was won by Hoya Kathleen Linck.

The Lady Lions swept seven total events.

The victory was significant for the team, as it defeated the 1996 Big East and ECAC champions. Georgetown also finished seventh overall at the NCAA Indoor Championships last year.

The team next competes in the Boston Terrier Classic, beginning Saturday at Boston University. It is a vital meet for the Lady Lions, being one of two times athletes can qualify for individual events at the NCAA championships.