Before the 2006 women's track and field season began, Penn State coach Beth Alford-Sullivan described her team as having the best balance in the Big Ten Conference.

Judging by the Nittany Lions' performance in Saturday's Penn State Relays at the Multi-Sport Facility, her assessment rings resoundingly true.

Penn State set a new school record in the 4x200-meter relay, while senior thrower Jennifer Leatherman broke her own school record in the 20-pound weight throw, two major highlights in a day filled with shining performances from the Lions.

Alford-Sullivan said Leatherman had set a personal goal of a weight throw of over 70 feet, and with one of her first throws of the season, Leatherman hit 70-2.25 feet, breaking her own school mark and automatically qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Leatherman also placed first in the shot put.

"This is the best start to a season we've ever had," Alford-Sullivan told her team immediately following the meet. "We were really well represented in every event."

Penn State got great performances from unexpected places, Alford-Sullivan said. Freshman Aleesha Barber set a meet record in the 60-meter hurdles in her first competitive event, and junior Amber Strouse tied a personal best with a jump of 5-7 in the high jump.

"High jump is one of those events we lacked in the last couple years, so I just want to be able to contribute," Strouse said.

Juniors Lena Bettis and Kara Dickman had strong days, placing first and fourth, respectively, in the long jump relay. Bettis also placed third in the triple jump relay, while Dickman placed fifth.

Sophomore Gayle Hunter also had a tremendous day, helping the 4x200 team -- along with Barber, junior Kamilah Salaam and senior Sara Shoaff -- break the school record with a time of 1:37.76. Hunter also took first in the triple jump with a jump of 40-10.25, a best for her in collegiate competition.

"Considering last year we didn't start out on the best foot, dragging along all the way to the [Big Ten Championships], I can say this probably is the most fired up we've been," Hunter said.

Junior Briene Simmons hasn't run since 2004, so helping to set a meet record in the 4x400-meter relay -- along with Hunter, Salaam and Shoaff -- was a major confidence builder for her.

"This is the first time we've gotten to compete against other schools after we've been training since August, so everybody's real excited," Simmons said.

The Penn State Relays do not calculate team scores, but seeing how teammates performed in their events has the entire team amped up as a whole. The Lions are poised to make a run at defending champions Michigan and Illinois in the Big Ten.

"It just makes us all really excited for the meets that will be scored," Strouse said.

The Lions, who finished a painful second to the Fighting Illini in last year's outdoor championships, are striving to make sure history does not repeat itself.

Proud of her team's performance, Hunter was not afraid to give the Illini potential bulletin board material.

"We don't want to lose to any teams, especially Illinois, and that's our motivation, to make sure that when they look at our results, they know we're coming for them and that it's a wrap," Hunter said.

"They're not gonna beat us this year."