Sometimes in therapy a little bit of role reversal can do the trick to solve conflicts between people. Interestingly enough, that some role reversal for Penn State's women's track and field team can also yield positive results.

At this past weekend's Raleigh Relays, the Nittany Lions saw a flip-flop in the normal depth chart of their sprinters as junior Sara Shoaff used a personal-best effort to finally finish ahead of sophomore Kamilah Salaam in the 100-meter dash.

Shoaff's personal record came in the preliminary heats of the race, where she posted a time of 11.98 seconds.

In the finals, Shoaff clocked in at 12.10 seconds with Salaam behind her by a hair.

"Shoaffy has really stepped up. She's very confident off of her indoor Big Ten peformances," Penn State coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "We were real pleased she opened up with that."

Alford-Sullivan said that Salaam may have been a little tired because she had just run the 100-meter hurdles before the 100-meter dash, but added that either way, she was proud of both her athletes.

Going into the meet, Shoaff said she had the goal of breaking a personal record, but said it was a "long shot."

"I've been trying to break 12 [seconds] since high school," Shoaff said with a laugh. "I was very excited after I did it. So, I was really proud."

The sprints have been Penn State's strong suit all year. In addition to Shoaff and Salaam, the depth chart features speedsters such as freshmen Shana Cox and Dominique Blake. This wealth of talent has caused the Penn State athletes to push each other to their limits every week. Shoaff said that she and Salaam regularly feed off of each other at team practices.

"I know just like in workouts and stuff Kamilah and I will be running, and we'll be out of breath, but we'll still be encouraging each other to do better," Shoaff said.

When considering the Big Ten, Penn State may have the best sprint group. During the indoor season, Cox, Salaam and Shoaff each ranked top five in the conference in the 200-meter run. Cox ranked first, with Salaam and Shoaff second and fourth, respectively.

When looking at the numbers, one can make the argument that Penn State may even have the greatest depth in the conference.

"I hope so," Shoaff said, adding that the proof would come at the Big Ten Conference meet. "I have confidence that we do."

As the season progresses, Shoaff said that she hopes to continue improving her times.

"I haven't really figured out new goals yet," Shoaff said. "Coach [Chris] Johnson is telling me what I should be running at the end of the season, so hopefully I'll hit what his expectations are for me."

And whether she finishes behind or ahead of Salaam, Shoaff is sure to play an integral role in Penn State's push for a Big Ten title.