The Big Ten Outdoor Championships are still two and a half weeks away, but for the Penn State women's outdoor track team, it might as well be tomorrow. As a team, there is no bigger event in the season. It defines where the Nittany Lions stand in the conference and can have a large influence on recruiting.

There's reason for optimism on this year's Nittany Lion squad, even after finishing eighth out of 10 at last year's outdoor championships. A third-place finish at this year's indoor championships -- the best in team history -- and a stable of NCAA regional qualifiers suggests that the Lions will turn around their performance.

Penn State women's track and field coach Beth Alford-Sullivan is confident that her team can duplicate the success it earned at the indoor championships.

"We won't settle for anything less than third place," Alford-Sullivan said. "We feel that we're geared toward a top-three finish. We definitely have the potential for big things for outdoor."

One of the biggest assets for the Lions heading into the conference championships is the team's strong group of throwers. The indoor season features only two throwing events -- the shot put and 20-pound weight throw -- whereas the outdoor season has four events. This has allowed the Lions to showcase their depth at the position, particularly in the exclusively outdoor events such as the javelin.

All-America senior Brianne Johnson and sophomore Ashley Colley are examples of athletes who compete almost entirely during the outdoor season, giving the team some much-needed depth.

The team is optimistic that this depth will help earn one of the top spots that Alford-Sullivan is expecting.

"I think [the throwers] will make a definite impact ... more than we've ever done," sophomore Kate Johnston said. "We're going to show some people."

The Lions will need as many points as they can get because they still have to deal with some of the top teams in the country, namely Michigan and Indiana. The Wolverines sport one of the most well-rounded rosters in the conference and have carried their strong mid-distance performances over from the indoor season.

"The cream of the crop is Michigan and Indiana," Alford-Sullivan said. "Michigan is still strong and Indiana will be hungry after finishing just short of winning [in the indoor season]."

The rest of the Big Ten will be happy that one of the races that Michigan has dominated -- the 600-meter run -- won't be run at the championships, something that Alford-Sullivan believes will help level the playing field a bit.

Other teams in the conference have a few individual superstars that won't necessarily lead their team to a Big Ten title, but could still steal enough points to be dangerous. Illinois is an example of this, a team that is very strong in the sprints and jumps but not great across the board. Minnesota also falls into this category, as does Ohio State, another team with a solid group of throwers.

As the end of the school year and the end of the track season approach, the Lions hope to continue to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the conference.