One solitary banner hangs from the rafters at the Multi-Sport Facility. It is the Penn State women's indoor track and field Big Ten 2004 championship banner, and it looks rather lonely. If the Lions are going to gain a collection of these banners, then this year is a good time to start.

So far this season, the team has shown exceptional talent. Five Penn State team records along with two facility records have fallen victim to the Lions, not to mention the number of athletes who have qualified for NCAA Championships. At the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup this past weekend, four athletes qualified for NCAAs--and that was only in one weekend. Despite the incredible credentials, Penn State is ranked 20th in the nation according to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Yet with all of this talent, the ranking could be a little higher.

"I actually sit on the board that does the rankings on the top 20 teams, and I'm confident that they're underscoring us," Penn State women's track and field head coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said. "If we look at what we could do on the track or in the field we could be a top-15, or maybe even a top-10 team if everybody hits it hard."

Individuals on the team are also getting little publicity. Standout thrower senior Jennifer Leatherman and sophomore sprinter Shana Cox are both ranked in the Dandy Dozen, a power ranking of the top 12 national performers in each event. Cox held the No. 1 spot in the 400-meter dash until this past weekend.

"Shana, she doesn't get much attention, either," Leatherman said. "I feel like everybody's talking about South Carolina and not talking about her."

So why aren't they talking about the Lions? Their team heavily relies on its youth, a factor which is often perceived as a downfall. The Penn State championship team in 2004 was led by a core group of seniors, yet this 2006 team relies on contributions of its underclassmen. However, the Lions' underclassmen, like freshman sprinter and hurdler Aleesha Barber, sophomore sprinters like Cox and the injured Gayle Hunter, and junior sprinter Kamilah Salaam, have proven they can carry the team. This youth can also be an advantage. Every athlete who made the 2005 All-Big Ten team has returned again this year, this time with a renewed vengeance for last year's second place finish at Big Tens.

However, another reason why the Lions are overlooked is that they have failed to achieve a breakout team performance in a meet this year. Meets so far have included great individual performances coupled with costly slip-ups. The meet this past weekend highlighted the four NCAA divisional qualifiers along with two disappointing disqualifications. When it comes time for the Big Ten Championships, the team cannot solely rely on the individual stars to carry the team to a victory, especially when superstar Gayle Hunter's return is questionable. They will need one solid team performance in order to get the job done, and this they are more than capable of doing.

"I definitely think that people can't sleep on us because people on our team are really capable of rising to the challenge," sprinter Cheryl Green said.

Even though the Lions have not achieved that breakout weekend yet this year, one cannot underestimate the possibility of having such a weekend at Big Tens. Even if the rankings are taking the Lions lightly, their Big Ten opponents are not.

"We haven't gone head to head this year, but on paper [Penn State] looks just as capable as we are to win the championship," said Michigan head coach Henry James, whose team is currently ranked seventh in the nation.

This year, Penn State is more than able to add a twin banner to the rafters at the Multi-Sport Facility, and with that addition will finally come some respect in the rankings.