SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Susquehanna University men's and women's track and field teams are in action at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships at Elizabethtown College this weekend. Action began Thursday with the first day of the decathlon and heptathlon with full competition beginning Friday and concluding Saturday.

The Crusader men finished second last year to Widener University, while the women placed third behind Messiah College and Elizabethtown. The men's team finished third at the MAC Indoor championships in February behind Elizabethtown and Moravian College while the women took second to Moravian.

MEN'S PREVIEW

The Crusaders return a pair of former MAC champions in junior Mike Marr (Muncy, PA/Warrior Run), in the high jump and junior Ian Horton (Montoursville, PA/Montoursville), in the javelin, both of whom won their conference titles in 2005 as freshmen.

Other top contenders include senior Josh Smith (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove), who was second in the triple jump and third in the high jump last season, senior Pat Keating (Pottsville, PA/Nativity BVM), who was second in the hammer throw, sophomore Ray Snarski (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia), who placed second in the javelin, sophomore Jon Kunhardt (Greenfield, MA/Frontier Regional), who took third in the 800 meters, and senior Joe Wassink (Staten Island, NY/Petrides School), who was third in the 400 hurdles and fourth in the 400 meters last season.

WOMEN'S PREVIEW

The Crusaders are led by senior Emily Lepley (Lewistown, PA/Lewistown), a six-time All-American, the two-time defending champion in both the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles, and the 2005 Outdoor and 2007 Indoor Athlete of the Year.

Senior Heather Matta (Redlands, CA/Westfield, MA) won the steeplechase last season and is favored to defend her title this year. She also finished second in the 1500 meters last year and is the two-time defending MAC indoor champion in the mile run.

Other top contenders for medals will be junior Robin O'Hara (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing), who was second in the heptathlon and third in the 100-meter hurdles, junior Kendall Luy (Bainbridge, PA/Elizabethtown), who was second in the javelin, junior Sarah Burkhardt (Hoffman Estates, IL/Schaumburg), who was fourth in the high jump, and senior Anna Cooper (McEwensville, PA/Warrior Run), who took fourth in the shot put at last year's conference championships.