The Penn State men's track and field team has been looking forward to the start of the outdoor season all year. For one, it is a fresh start after an up and down indoor season.

"It gives us a chance to start over," Nittany Lions captain Dave Bollinger said. "It's a fresh start."

Teams that will be competing at the meet include Princeton, Bucknell, St. Francis (Pa.) and Lehigh University. The Invitational is a non-scored meet.

Traditionally, the Lions have been stronger in the outdoors than indoors. That can be attributed to the discus and javelin throwers, which are both a strength for the Lions. These events are not part of the indoor season. Also the 10,000-meter run is exclusively an outdoor event.

"We have a lot of strengths outdoor and we are going to show it," junior Scott Vernon said.

Despite this, the Lions are a little nervous about the start of the outdoor season.

"We are not sure what to expect since it is the first outdoor meet of the season," junior Matt Lincoln said.

For many of the teams, including Penn State, the Invitational is their first opportunity to prepare for the outdoor season. Therefore, many of the athletes will participate in multiple events in order to improve their conditioning.

"You are trying to get everyone in shape for the outdoor," Penn State coach Harry Groves said. He added that this meet is important because early in the season, the inconsistent weather at State College makes it difficult to plan practices.

The weather could create some hitches this weekend, as some rain is expected. The Lions feel that it will not make too much of a difference as everyone will be experiencing the same thing. Also, in his 37-year career, Groves has never cancelled an outdoor meet.

Right now, the Lions are injury free and that will be one of the keys for success at the big outdoor meets such as the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Regionals.

Another key for Penn State is to have everyone contribute when they have to, especially the younger guys. Getting the younger Lions in meet-mode is especially critical because every point matters at scored meets.

"We are pretty well rounded," Vernon said. "All we need is for the younger guys to step up."

Strong performances at meets like this are critical for building up the confidence of a young team. With a recharged attitude, the Lions are hoping that they can get off to the fast start they had in the indoor season but this time, keep it sizzling until the end.