Everyone in the track and field circle has heard of the prestigious Penn Relays, but they may not have heard of the Penn Invitational.

Three weeks before the Grandaddy of collegiate track and field, Franklin Field plays host to a more low-key track and field event.

The Penn State women's track team only had 31 athletes competing in yesterday's meet because of the lighter competition.

Penn, the meet's home team, and visitors Villanova, Temple and Syracuse are all teams the Nittany Lions had seen before.

Even with only 31 athletes in action and with the biggest names staying in State College, the Lions managed to nab some of the top spots in the unscored meet.

Turning in the only first-place finish for the Lions was high jumper Amber Strouse, who won with a jump of 1.68 meters. Just a freshman, Strouse certainly made a name for herself in the absence of the usual litany of Nittany Lions.

Penn State also managed two second-place finishes.

Junior Lexi Benamati was the runner-up in the hammer throw with a top effort of 45.57 meters, and freshman Kara Dickman was the runner-up in the long jump with a leap of 5.58 meters.

Neither mark was good enough for an NCAA regional qualification, but to have two athletes, who primarily provide depth, finish as well as they did is a good sign for the squad's future.

Yesterday's meet was used foremost to establish the Lions' overall depth, according to Penn State women's track and field coach Beth Alford-Sullivan.

Alford-Sullivan was not with the team in Philadelphia because she is currently overseeing the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis, which is part of her coaching duties as a member of the Olympic team's staff.

Assistant coaches Jeff McAuley and Dayna Holston were in charge of Alford-Sullivan's talented squad.

"This is just a quick, painless meet," Alford-Sullivan said prior to the weekend.

"Connie Moore, Chi Chi [Aduba], Sara Dougherty... we're giving those seniors a rest to see how our underclassmen are doing."

Those underclassmen performed well, but the meet was, as Alford-Sullivan predicted, extremely low-key.

For most of these athletes, yesterday's meet was a first, and maybe only, chance to run at famed Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

The full Penn State squad returns to action next weekend when it competes at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn.