Momentum can sometimes substitute for talent, but when there are both, it's a combination nearly impossible to stop.

The Penn State women's indoor track team played host to representatives from 48 different teams this weekend, and staying true to form, turned in 12 top five finishes and three NCAA provisional qualifying marks.

The Nittany Lions, riding a wave of confidence from their 2-0 record, continued their excellent play at the individually scored Penn State National Open on Friday and Saturday. The team was led by familiar performances out of Connie Moore and Ja'Nai O'Conner, who each grabbed provisional qualifying marks.

Moore, who competed on both days of competition, provisionally qualified for the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash, continuing her dominance of those events this season.

Moore attributes her success to good coaching, motivation to make it to nationals and being driven by her teammates to excel.

The team has found balance in all events, both on and off the track. In the throwing competitions, O'Conner and freshman Kate Johnston have been unstoppable, a trend that extended throughout the weekend. O'Conner finished third in the weight throw, and provisionally qualified for the shotput with a throw of 49-feet 7.75-inches. Johnston won the weight throw for the second straight week, hurling it 54-feet 6.25-inches.

Sophomores Maureen Thomas and Chi-Chi Aduba turned in strong performances as well. Thomas took third place in the 5,000-meters, while Aduba finished first in the long jump with a leap of 19-feet 10.25-inches. It has been the accomplishments of young athletes like Thomas and Aduba that has allowed the team to be so successful. Head coach Mary Alford-Sullivan realizes the importance of having her young athletes perform.

"It's been very important because our freshman and sophomore classes are our impact athletes," coach Alford-Sullivan said. "To see our young people winning events and scoring high in them shows great potential."

Other highlights of the two-day competition were the high jump competition as well as the 4x800-meter relay. Jen Aylward, Kathy Messner and Heather Yedinak finished third, fifth, and sixth respectively in the high jump. The Lions took second in the 4x800-meter relay with the team of Jen Maline, Chloe Murdock, Lizzie Gati and Shauna Koenig, who finished in a time of 9:25.77.

Perhaps the largest benefactor of this weekend's meet is the team's confidence. Opening the season 2-0 and having a great showing in the face of some of the best individual talent at the Penn State National Open, the Lions are positioning themselves for a run in the Big Ten Championships in early March. On Saturday, the Lions host Ivy League foes Princeton and Pennsylvania at the Horace Ashenfelter III track.

"We're at a really high confidence level now," senior Connie Moore said. "We just have to keep that confidence and never let anything blind us. As long as we keep that goal in mind of what we want to do, we'll make it happen."