Trackmen seek to vacate Big Ten cellar

The Penn State men's indoor track team will pack its bags for Purdue this weekend and attempt to climb out of the cellar of the Big Ten Championships.

Last year, the Lions finished with 29.3 points, 96.7 points behind first-place Wisconsin.

"We have been preparing all winter and fall," Lions coach Harry Groves said. "There are 10 good teams competing. The success will depend on who's sharp that day."

This is the first year the championships will include the 35-pound weight throw, and Penn State thrower Neal McNutt couldn't be more excited. Going into this weekend's competition, McNutt is ranked first among Big Ten throwers.

Coach Groves doesn't share the same excitement McNutt has about the 35-pound weight competition because the Big Ten decided to make the contest a non-scoring event.

"It is ridiculous," Groves said. "All of the other events added to the Big Tens in the past were automatically scoring events."

On the bright side, the Lions can look to receive points in the long jump. The Lion jumpers have been beating the competition throughout the season. Two athletes responsible for the jumpers' success are John Gorham and transfer George Audu.

Gorham and Audu have been battling it out in the long jump competition throughout the indoor season. Assistant coach Andrew Hardyk said he has confidence in both of his jumpers.

"John is ready," Hardyk said. "He's a strong mental competitor. I'm not worried with him at all."

Gorham has experience competing in Big Ten competition, both indoors and outdoors. In the indoor season last year, Gorham finished seventh. But in the outdoor championships, he finished third. Gorham is currently ranked fourth in the conference in the long jump but has high expectations.

"I know what it's like to compete there," Gorham said. "Physically, I am ready to go, I just have to keep my head in it."

Audu is going into the championships ranked second in the long jump. This is his first year competing in the Big Ten, but Hardyk is confident because of the way Audu performed at the Virginia Tech Invitational earlier this season. Audu finished second in the invitational, beating out strong competition, including Gorham.

"He's a bit unknown as far as big competition," Hardyk said. "It could help him because he has no conception of it."

Audu rested a season-long injury last weekend during the President's Invitational to make sure he is ready for the Big Tens.

"If I feel better," Audu said, "I am going to go out to try and win the Big Tens."

Audu and Gorham have tough competition in Iowa's Bashir Yamini, the defending indoor and outdoor long jump champion.

Joe Loner was the most successful Lion in last year's competition, winning the 800-meters with a time of 1 minute, 50.87 seconds. Loner, ranked 12th in the Big Ten, and teammate Joe Hubbard, ranked 6th, will try to run down Illinois' Bobby True, the top 800-meter runner in the conference.

"Loner is running about where he was last year," Groves said. "He is running against the same guys he beat last year."

Overall, members of the team have a positive outlook going into the championships.

"This year we have so much potential," Hubbard said. "We think we can do damage this year."

The Lions will need all that potential to move up in the championship.