After winning the 2004 Big Ten title, the Penn State's women's indoor track team has one goal in mind for the upcoming 2005 season -- repeat.

Working diligently since the fall months, the 2005 team has been preparing for that second straight championship.

"Right now, the team has been training very, very hard," Penn State women's track coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "We're going into the regular season preparing to defend for the Big Ten title."

No doubt the team has used its 2004 Big Ten championship as a springboard for new success, but the Nittany Lions will have to do it without some of the faces that helped lead their team last season. Penn State will be without 10-time All-American sprinter Connie Moore, who after graduating last year represented the United States as a member of the U.S. Track and Field team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Penn State will also be without five-time All-American Chi Chi Aduba, who placed seventh at last year's NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Other key losses include the 2004 Big Ten pole vault champion Sara Dougherty and 2004 Big Ten shot put champion Ja'Nai O'Connor.

Despite the losses, Alford-Sullivan sees the team ready and recharged.

"We've got a lot of people in the lineup that are ready to step in," Alford-Sullivan said.

Those athletes ready to step up are junior distance runner Tracey Brauksieck, senior distance runner and steeplechase participant Molly Landreth, and sophomore jumper Lena Bettis.

At last year's Big Ten Championship, Brauksieck finished sixth in the mile, Landreth placed third in the 5,000-meter and fifth in the 3,000-meter events, and Bettis finished 11th in the long jump. Sophomore Shana Cox in the 200- and 400-meter relays, and freshman Gayle Hunter in the jumps are also expected to make contributions, Alford-Sullivan said.

Another newcomer who has already made an impact is the new assistant coach for sprints, jumps and hurdles, Chris Johnson, who spent the last two seasons volunteering as the assistant coach for the University of Arkansas women's track and field team. Alford-Sullivan said that Johnson has stepped up training and has given the team a high degree of motivation with his expectations.

Also holding high expectations of this year's team are senior captains Kate Johnston, a thrower, and Brooke Robinson, a sprinter.

"I'm very excited for the season," Robinson said. "I think we have a very talented team, and I'm looking forward to defending our Big Ten indoor title."

Both captains see last year's success as a motivator for this season, and believe that the team chemistry this year will lead them to the same success this year.

"A team needs to have good chemistry to go to a higher level," Johnston said. "I think [this year's] been the best chemistry I've ever seen from this team."

Robinson said that the chemistry does not just exist on the track, but also after practices. She said that often times the team gets together to watch movies, go bowling, or just spend time together.

While team chemistry is a strength for this year, Alford-Sullivan believes a balanced program provides another strength.

"That's our secret weapon in getting a championship result," Alford-Sullivan said.

Penn State's first season competition will be the U.S. Coaches Association meet at 9 a.m. on Jan. 15 at the Multi-Sport Facility at Penn State. The Lions will hold their Blue-White Meet at 11 a.m. Saturday at the same location. The scrimmage will provide a great preview to the upcoming season.

"It's going to be a great season," Johnston said. "People should be on the lookout for the women's indoor track team."