When asked whether Kristin Eash could be a leader in the javelin this year, she said, "I hope so." As Penn State head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan walked by she heard that comment and joked, "You think so Eash?"

The Nittany Lions need a "Yes."

Coming into the season it appeared that the Penn State women's track team was going to have two solid leaders in the javelin, with two returning NCAA championship performers, seniors Ashley Colley and Kristin Eash. But the solid core has been widdled down to one, with the probability that Colley might be out for the 2005 outdoor season with a shoulder injury.

"We're not sure what we're doing yet with [Colley]," Penn State throws coach Dayna Holston said. "She's still rehabbing from the surgery, and we have the extra year for her if she needs it."

If Colley can't recover fast enough from the injury in her right shoulder, she will be forced to use her medical redshirt and be back for the 2006 outdoor season.

Two years ago, Colley was a star performer for the Lions, earning All-America honors in the javelin at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She also placed second at last year's Big Ten Outdoor Championships with a throw of 158 feet 4 inches.

Without Colley, there would only be one javelin thrower with national championship experience, and that is Eash.

"I was [at nationals] last year, it was fun," Eash said. "I almost got struck by lightning, that's awesome times."

Luckily for the Penn State team, the million-to-one shot of getting taken down by Mother Nature didn't come to fruition. With Eash in the equation, the Lions have two regional qualifiers, one being junior Diana Brunch. Also, there is also excitement for incoming freshman Heidi Nadeau.

Holston feels comfortable with the javelin situation, and with Eash playing the leading role.

"Eash is a returner that went to nationals last year, and this is her senior year, so she's looking for big things," Holston said.

Last year, Eash strengthened the javelin core by nationally qualifying, reaching a high mark of 156-3 feet, and being just off of Colley's marks. Eash feels that she might have been lucky last year to perform that way, but this year she believes things will be different.

"This year I don't think its going to be so much luck," Eash said. "Last year was more luck, but this year is going to be good."

Colley was definitely someone that Eash fed off of to enhance her performance. Now that Eash is the lead performer and Colley is on the sideline, Eash will no longer be able to aim for a teammate's marks.

"When you have someone ahead of you that you can look to as inspiration, somebody that you can be like, 'Dang, I want to throw that far,' " Eash said. "Now, I'll have to look at other schools.

Eash has been waiting for the outdoor season anxiously.

If it were up to Eash, there would be no indoor season. Being an outdoor athlete during the indoor season and waiting to compete can be a painful experience.

"I just wanted to get outside," Eash said. "Everybody is training to compete, and you're just training so that you can train to compete. It just sucks."

But now the outdoor season is here, and its time for Eash and Co. to get to the fun stuff. Hopefully it will be just as much fun without Colley's name in the title.