On Sunday, high jumper Amber Strouse left the Penn Invitational with her first-ever first-place finish in a meet as a member of the Penn State women's track team. But the freshman's memorable win almost didn't happen.

The starting height for the high jump was 5-feet, 2-inches, and on her first two attempts Strouse couldn't get over the bar.

On her third and final attempt at 5-feet, 2-inches Strouse barely cleared the bar, brushing it with her hand on the way over.

She blamed the bus ride and the cold weather for the slow start.

"I was exhausted from the trip," Strouse said. "It took me forever to really, actually warm up."

That rainy, miserable weather throughout the Northeast this past weekend forced much of the Penn Invitational competition to move inside, including the high jump.

After her slow start, Strouse literally took off.

"I was mad at myself after almost not hitting that first jump," she said. "I knew that, for the competition I was up against, I could compete. Now I was just going to pound these last jumps out to make up for my first two jumps."

Strouse had no problem clearing the next few levels, and by the time she made it to 5-feet, 6 1/4-inches most of the competition was already gone. All Strouse had to do was clear the bar quickly and walk away a winner.

Mission accomplished.

On this deep Nittany Lions squad, freshmen like Strouse have been receiving a lot of attention all year long for their outstanding and surprising performances. Even in a more low-key meet like the Penn Invitational -- only 31 Lions competed -- freshmen continue to step up.

Like many of the younger athletes, Strouse is a walk-on who knew Penn State was the place she wanted to be.

"I looked at a few other schools, but the coaching staff here is really just on another level," Strouse said. "A lot of the smaller programs that I was looking at really had good things to say, but Penn State was different. I knew that I could really develop much better here because of the coaches."

The coaching staff obviously made a huge impact on Strouse about Penn State, but being from State College didn't exactly hurt either.

Now that Strouse is a part of the program, she cites the competitive practice atmosphere as one of the reasons she will continue to develop as a high jumper in the future. In practice, this team does not appear to be particularly cutthroat, but Strouse says the competitive spirit is always around.

"Sometimes it looks like we're goofing around or laughing, but that's just how laid back this team is and how well we all get along," Strouse said.

The Big Ten Indoor Championships was a big part of developing that sense of camaraderie among the team. Strouse was at Iowa with the team, but placed out of point contention in the high jump. Nonetheless the experience will benefit Strouse down the road as she grows up with the Penn State program.

Penn State assistant coach Jeff McAuley indicated that Strouse is exactly where she should be as a developing freshman, and Sunday's win is a nice reward for her hard work.

"She's just a hard-working girl, just like everyone else on this team," McAuley said.

The bright-eyed freshman was excited about her first collegiate win, but even more excited about what's to come her way.

"The best part is that I have three more years here to enjoy everything and keep on competing," Strouse said, spoken like a true freshman.

Just like the rest of her teammates, Strouse has nothing but the best days ahead of her.