No. 16 trackmen head to Virgina Tech for tune up

By MATT WONG
Collegian Staff Writer

As the season draws closer to an end, the real pressure is just beginning.

The Penn State men's track and field team will tune up today and tomorrow at the Virginia Tech Invitational with the added pressure of qualifying for nationals looming on the horizon.

The Nittany Lions (11-2), ranked No. 16 in the nation according to NCAA dual power team rankings, will compete in Blacksburg, Va., one final time before heading into big-time competition -- the Big Ten Championships, IC4A Championships and the NCAA Championships.

But this non-scored meet is no slouch as some of the stiffest individual competition in the nation will be present.

Penn State coach Harry Groves said that with the motivation of competing against top athletes and a scientifically advanced track designed to run faster, the Lions' situation should be helped as they look to earn high scores and NCAA bids.

"We certainly have the manpower to get nationals," Groves said.

Three Lions have already shown their qualifying power this season by placing provisional marks for nationals. George Audu's long jump of 25-7¾ at West Virginia Jan. 9 currently ranks him first in the nation.

Also, Jan. 23 at Army, fellow long jumper John Gorham and high jumper Ryan Olkowski provisionally qualified. Gorham is ranked 14th in the country with a leap of 24-11 and Olkowski cleared the bar at 7-2 5/8, ranking him 12th in the nation.

The Lions are hoping to improve on those and other marks this weekend.

The whole team, however, will not make the trip to the invitational as Groves looks to rest his team for the Big Ten Championships next weekend. Groves is readying his team now for good reason, as the Big Ten has proven to be a powerful conference in men's track and field this season, placing eight schools in the top 25. The Lions are ranked sixth in the Big Ten.

But before looking to Big Tens, Audu sees this meet as an important opportunity to compete against top competition as well as to prepare himself.

"There's going to be a lot of great jumpers and athletes," Audu said. "I want to get used to the atmosphere of competing under pressure."

His adjustment time is running out.