The loud cheers and competitive banter between juniors Clarence Smith and Ryan Taylor echoed through the gym Wednesday when practice finally came to an end.

Their noticeable excitement partially stemmed from the fact it was one of their last intense workouts of the season.

As the athletes prepare for final exams next week, coach Beth Alford-Sullivan said practices will become much lighter for the men's track and field team.

"We're still working really hard right now," she said. "But next week will be light because of finals and everyone has to get through all that and still be ready to compete at Big Tens in a couple weeks."

The main focus for practice this week is to make sure the athletes are ready to compete at the Big Ten championships but not to overwork them too early in the season, said junior Jay Pagana.

"There are times when you're really into it and towards the end of the season you kind of get to the end of your rope a little bit," senior Teddy Quinn said, agreeing. "But the coaches do a good job with the team and keeping us focused through it all."

Even with the rigorous practices, the team never loses sight of when the conference championships are, because a sign hanging outside the Penn State locker room reminds them every day.

With a quote from Vince Lombardi that reads, "Success demands singleness of purpose."

The banner also has the words "Championship Countdown" -- and the number on the board, as of today, is 14.

In preparation for the championships, the team has followed a strict practice schedule all season.

The week begins with what Alford-Sullivan calls a "swing day," which the athletes use basically to recover from a weekend of competition and rest their bodies for the upcoming week.

Wednesdays and Fridays are also mild, as the team runs light workouts, focusing on longer runs but at slower speeds.

"Our workouts throughout the year are structured so we're peaking near the end of the season when it comes to Big Tens and regionals," Pagana said.

However, it's Tuesdays and Thursdays that will see the most drastic changes when the coaches decide to ease up next week. These two intense workout days, which typically involve running 6-10 miles for all the distance runners or repeated trials at competition level for all the jumpers involved, will become less demanding for the athletes.

"There will be a little less intensity for the athletes," Alford-Sullivan said, "but where we cut back is going to be mostly with less volume in all the workouts."

Coming off of the Penn Relays, the most anticipated meet of its season, Penn State has only two meets remaining, including its only outdoor home meet of the season next weekend.

With two weeks still left in the season and final exams to worry about, Alford-Sullivan said the team is trying not to get too far ahead of itself before the conference championships.

"Right now we're just having fun, the weather is helping, we're getting outside," Alford-Sullivan said, "and we're just doing what we need to do to get ready and doing it in a good atmosphere."