The Penn State men's track and field team, along with 25,000 other athletes, head to the Penn Relays for three days of stiff competition.

"The competition does not get any better than at Penn," Penn State men's track and field coach Harry Groves said. "The only place to find better competition than there is at the Olympic games."

The Penn Relays span a three-day period, which begins today and ends Saturday night. In addition to the college events, there are also high school events taking place this weekend.

All of the teams are going after the same goal, and that's to win a championship from Penn Relays. Penn State ranks fifth with 24.5 championships at the relays. Including having won four straight 4 x 800-meter relay championships. Penn and Villanova are one and two respectively in titles won.

"You don't win a title every year," Groves said. "If you win one every five or 10 years, you are doing very well."

The crowds at Penn often play a role in the weekend's festivities. There is on average 40,000 fans, which definitely spur on the athletes.

"I have run a number of years there and the fan always get me pumped up," senior miler Steve Walsh said. "They're a positive, and enable me to pop a good run."

The Nittany Lions are taking aim this year at winning a championship. After last year's good performance and returning most of the runners from those relays, the Lions will be in the hunt. Penn State's 4 x mile relay team finished a respectable seventh last year, and should do even better this year.

"I know we can improve on last year's finish," Walsh said. "We have more experience, our times are faster, and we are returning three of the four legs from our relay. I know we can crack the top five this year."

The Lions 4 x 400-meter relay as aspirations of qualifying for the College of America championship after a third place finish last year in the IC4A. Penn State will return with Duane Reeves, Steve Janci and Ben Karcz. Brian Derby will be he fourth member of the squad.

"I definitely know we can improve and qualify for the College of America Championship," senior captain Karcz said. "We have a very strong team, and have been very fast since the indoor season."

The Lions will also be competing in the distance medley and 4 x 100-meter relay. Besides relays Penn State will compete in the steeplechase, 5,000-meter run, 10,000-meter run the 110-meter high hurdles and 400-meter immediate hurdles.

The meet is stacked with a lot of athletes from all across the country. The Lions will be focusing their attention on winning a championship.

"The meet is filled with good athletes, but we are a very deep team," Karcz said. "We just need to hang in there with them, and we have a very legitimate chance to win a championship."