McNutt hoping to throw his weight around at Terrier Classic

Just a few weeks ago, Neal McNutt was ringing in the New Year in Florida, facing the Florida Gators in the Citrus Bowl.

But instead of hitting the hot tub or relaxing and recovering from one season, McNutt has thrown himself into another -- and thrown the 35-pound weight for first-place finishes in all three meets this season for the track and field team.

This weekend he will be the sole Nittany Lion to compete in the Terrier Classic in Boston. The event was listed on the Penn State men's track and field schedule as a meet in which the entire team would participate individually, but coach Harry Groves decided to withdraw the team from competition, sending only McNutt and assistant coach Andrew Hardyk to represent Penn State.

"We've been working pretty hard and getting weary, so we're gonna have some of our guys rest up," Groves said. "It's a case of . . . if you get somebody rip-roaring to get qualified we're gonna send him, and Neal's at that point."

McNutt expressed his enthusiasm about the confidence Groves is expressing in him.

"I'm excited about this weekend," McNutt said. "A thousand athletes will be competing under one roof, and that's just awesome. I think that the adrenaline that'll be running through my body will be higher than at any other meet.

"With me personally, aside from the team aspect, I'm trying to get a qualifying mark for the NCAA, and if they're willing to send me, I'm thankful for the opportunity. Some of the others have really proven themselves worthy, so I feel honored to be chosen."

In order to qualify for the NCAA Championships, track and field requires athletes to compete for the best individual times, heights, or in McNutt's case, distances throughout the season.

"In a word, it's asinine," said Groves of the current system. According to Groves, the time, distance and height requirements encourage teams to compete in the fieldhouses and buildings with faster tracks and to avoid meets in which athletes have to deal with structural hazards. Some have speculated that these requirements give a distinct advantage in the outdoor season to southern teams where the weather is better, or even to teams in windy areas.

"Everybody from the country is allowed to pop in there (to compete in the Terrier Classic)," Groves said. "And they will. Boston's short track attracts a lot of runners who want to qualify. But since there is no team-point scoring at the Terrier Classic, and it's too early for most of our guys to go for qualifying, especially our runners, it really is a good opportunity for us to rest up."

McNutt, on the other hand, is tackling an event that is new for Penn State this season. The 6-foot-5 senior from Womelsdorf, Pa., threw the 35-pound weight 61-4¼, breaking both the meet and fieldhouse record at the Bucknell-Hershey relays.

"Neal's a senior, and he's more ready to throw in this type of setting," Groves said. "Also, (McNutt's) event isn't one which requires much recovery time. Comparatively, our runners really need three days before a big meet like Princeton."

"The level of intensity is going to be higher, and I feel like I can really maximize the opportunity," McNutt said. "As for the team as a whole, this is a good chance to really prepare for the Princeton meet."

The Lions will travel to Princeton, N.J., as a team for the Feb. 7 meet.

"We want to get a hunk of Princeton and Connecticut because they're really good," Groves said. "It's a matter of bragging rights."

So for now, the Lions will rest. McNutt will test the water and scan the competition like a predator in a skewed world of track and field which is governed by time, distance and height.

It's a jungle out there.