The Penn State men's track team will use this weekend's Sykes-Sabok Challenge Cup track meet at the Multi-Sport Facility to build toward the Big Ten Championships at the end of February.

This weekend's meet follows the same scoring format and is roughly the same size as the Big Tens, giving the team an excellent opportunity to prepare and gauge its progress thus far in the season.

"This is definitely very similar to Big Tens. Big Tens will be even more competitive than this meet, but it's the same feel, same setup," senior co-captain Aaron Ross said.

The competition at this weekend's meet will also feature some of the best teams the Lions have met this season.

"This is the out and out best scored meet in the eastern United States this year," Penn State coach Harry Groves said. "By bringing 10 good teams like this together you're gonna get a really high level of performance from everyone at the meet."

Of the 10 teams competing this weekend, Central Michigan University and University of Michigan stand out as two of the best.

Central Michigan is a well-rounded team with strengths across the board, especially in the sprinting events. Central Michigan standout senior Johnie Drake is the top 60-meter runner in America, and last weekend ran the fastest 60 meters in the country this season with a time of 6.56 seconds.

Penn State will counter Drake with senior Ernie Terrell in the 60-meter dash.

Michigan's team has some of the best distance runners in the country, a team Ross described as world class. The Wolverines had four provisional distance runners qualify for the NCAA tournament at a meet in Indiana last weekend, and one automatic distance qualifier.

Penn State faces challenges in both the sprint and distance races this weekend, making it very difficult for any individuals to make a statement.

But the emphasis will not be individual accomplishments.

The team scoring will place importance on a well-rounded approach to the meet, a strategy for which Penn State is well prepared for after last weekend's victory at its first scored meet of the year.

"More important is how we win it, not just winning it. We've got to win it as a team," Ross said. "If we come together and win as a team that's the important part, cause that's what it takes to win Big Tens."