SELINSGROVE, PA — For the first time since 1997, Susquehanna University will host the Middle Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships beginning Thursday at 2 p.m. and running through Saturday afternoon.

Admission to Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium for each session is $4 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and $2 for students. A two-day pass covering Friday and Saturday’s sessions is $6 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and $3 for students. Children under six accompanied by an adult are free of charge for all sessions.

The Widener men’s and Moravian women’s teams are favored to extend their streaks of consecutive MAC titles at this year’s championships. The Pioneers will be looking for their fourth straight men’s crown while the Lady Greyhounds are vying for their unprecedented 10th consecutive women’s championship.

The host Crusaders along with Messiah should provide the strongest challenges to the incumbent champions at the 42-event meet, which will include nearly 400 athletes from 11 schools.

MEN’S PREVIEW

100 meters — Lebanon Valley junior Tom Kuhn is the top seed with a time of 10.94 seconds, but will face competition from Susquehanna senior Beau Heeps (Allentown, PA/Parkland H.S.) and Widener senior Michael Coleman, who was picked in the seventh round of last month’s National Football League draft by the Atlanta Falcons. A Widener runner has won the event each of the last four years.

200 meters — Widener has won this event for five straight years, but Moravian junior Scott Silvoy has earned the top seed with a time of 22.15 seconds. Coleman, Susquehanna freshman Kyle Sanders (Danville, PA/Danville H.S.), Moravian senior Kevin Bush and Kuhn are all contenders to take the gold.

400 meters — Senior Anthony Giles of Widener won the event last year in 49.18 seconds but is the fifth seed in the field, as Sanders earned the top spot with a time of 48.88 seconds at the Messiah Invitational on April 13. Silvoy (49.13) and Lebanon Valley sophomore Ben Mellish (49.64) will press the Crusader freshman for gold.

800 meters — Barring an upset, Widener’s Will Brownback’s biggest challenge will be the MAC record of 1:51.79 set by Kevin Foley of Haverford in 1982. Brownback has won the MAC crown each of the last three years and has the top seed this year with a time of 1:53.18. Freshman teammate Dan Hennessey and DeSales sophomore Kevan Haas are among 11 runners with seed times under 2:00.

1500 meters — Widener junior Matt Doumaux is also a heavy favorite to repeat as MAC champion, with a seed time of 3:53.19 that is nearly seven seconds faster than Elizabethtown freshman Steve Sanko. Elizabethtown has four of the top seven seeds in the event, including three freshman in Sanko, Matt Rockwell and Nate Moore.

3000 Steeplechase — Competition should be strong between defending champion Dustin Scott of Elizabethtown and 1999-2000 winner Tim Callinan of Widener. Scott is the top seed with a time of 9:26.03 while Callinan is ninth in the field at 10:11.23. Messiah senior Joe McMannus should also contend for the top spot, as his time of 9:31.79 is second to Scott with Susquehanna sophomore Ryan Gleason (Johnstown, PA/Westmont Hilltop H.S.) a distant third at 9:50.50.

5000 Meters — Scott is also the defending champion and the top seed in the 5000 meters, with a time of 14:52.04. Widener freshman Paul Little is seeded second at 14:56.78 while Callinan and Sanko follow.

10000 Meters — Susquehanna senior Mike Lehtonen (Laurens, NY/Morris Central H.S.) won last year’s championship but is a distant second seed to Callinan, whose time of 31:27.10 is 86 seconds faster than Lehtonen’s winning time in 2001.

110 High Hurdles — Juniata senior Dusty Lehr will have a challenge from Messiah senior Chris Boyles to repeat as MAC champion. Lehr, who ran 15.15 to take gold last year, is the top seed at 14.80 seconds while Boyles and Susquehanna senior Trever Fike (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood H.S.) are tied for second at 15.22.

400 Intermediate Hurdles — Messiah senior Matt Wilson ran 56.02 to earn the top seed in his quest for a third straight gold. Susquehanna sophomore Geoff Dieck (Riverside, PA/Danville H.S.) and Boyles are less than two-tenths of a second behind.

400-Meter Relay — Widener has won the event four straight years and owns the top seed this year with a time of 42.04 seconds, within striking distance of the MAC record of 41.75 set in 1983 by Susquehanna. Moravian and Lebanon Valley will contend.

1,600-Meter Relay — Susquehanna enters as the top seed looking to snap Widener’s four-year reign and win the event for the first time since 1996. The Crusaders ran 3:21.89 during the season with Widener (3:22.33), Messiah (3:22.61) and Lebanon Valley (3:22.98) within reach.

High Jump — Boyles is the overwhelming favorite to win his fourth straight MAC gold in the event after breaking his own meet record last year with a height of 6-10. During the 2002 season, Boyles has jumped 6-10 1/4, just shy of automatically qualifying for the NCAA championships.

Long Jump — Moravian sophomore Joe Moore won the MAC Indoor championship and is the top seed with a distance of 22 feet, 11 1/2 inches. Defending champion Hylton Kipe of Messiah is fourth with a mark of 21 feet, 10 1/2 inches that is actually better than his winning jump of 2001.

Triple Jump — Coleman is looking for his second straight gold and third of his career with an entry of 46 feet, 8 inches. Kipe is second at 46 feet, 6 1/2 inches while senior teammate Doug Malefyt is third with a mark of 44 feet, 11 inches.

Shot Put — Elizabethtown senior Mike Kistler and Susquehanna senior Matt Shaffer (Brookville, PA/Brookville H.S.) will battle for gold as Kistler threw 46-11 during the season and Shaffer, the MAC Indoor champion, followed at 46-10 1/2.

Discus — DeSales sophomore DeRon Powell is expected to repeat as gold medalist after an entry mark of 151 feet that is over 16 feet further than Susquehanna junior Mike Sobotor (Warwick, NY/Warwick H.S.). Seniors Jeff Siglin of Messiah and Mike Ruff of Widener will battle for a medal in their final MAC meet.

Hammer Throw — Now in its third year as a championship event, Ruff is favored to win his first gold in the hammer as the top seed with a mark of 165 feet, 8 inches. Teammate Jeff Shahan and the Moravian duo of senior John Lesoine and junior Matt Bowers will also contend.

Javelin — 2001 NCAA bronze medalist Matt Deamer (Lewistown, PA/Indian Valley H.S.) of Susquehanna will aim for his first MAC title after earning the top seed with a throw of 207 feet, 3 inches. Widener senior Jeremy Damia, DeSales sophomore Joe Thomas and Messiah freshman Bret Fitzpatrick all broke 193 feet during the season.

Pole Vault — With the top four seeds all between 14 feet and 14 feet, 6 inches, the competition should be wide open. Messiah has won the last two golds in the pole vault, and Boyles joins Messiah teammate Mike Gillis in the top group with Lehr and Elizabethtown sophomore Joe Moses, who are tied at 14-6.

Decathlon — DeSales sophomore Brian McDonald won the first-ever MAC decathlon last year with 5,502 points, and is the top seed with 5,703 points this year. Messiah freshman Chris Mikaya (5,226) and DeSales freshman Joe Ryan (4,525) should pick up points in the jumps.

WOMEN’S PREVIEW

100 meters — Susquehanna junior Megan Patrono (West Milford, NJ/West Milford H.S.) is the top seed (12.75 seconds) in her quest to win a second straight gold in the 100 meters, but Lebanon Valley senior Eileen Golias and Widener freshmen Monique Gaillard and Nicole Day are close behind at 12.84.

200 meters — Patrono also won this event last year, but is seeded fourth as Widener sophomore Williametta Simmons ran 26.30 to earn the top spot. Day and Lebanon Valley freshman Crystal Gibson both recorded seed times of 26.35 seconds.

400 meters — Four entrants have broken the 1:00 mark in the event, including top seed Lakeisha Fairley of Albright (59.44). Defending champion Stefanie Rynkewitz of Juniata is followed closely by Messiah junior Jessica Sauve and Elizabethtown freshman Betsy Burroughs.

800 meters — DeSales freshman standout Gina Lucrezi is within reach of the meet record of 2:14.06 set by Rebecca Wiederrecht of Messiah in 1989. Lucrezi’s time of 2:15.70 is nearly four seconds faster than three-time defending champion Heidi Wolfsberger of Moravian (2:19.70).

1500 meters — Lucrezi is also the top seed in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:39.40, but a trio of Moravian runners are close behind. Seniors Erin Boyle (4:40.94) and Kim Jaick (4:48.19) are joined by freshman Heather McGarvie (4:49.01) as contenders.

3000 steeplechase — In its first year as a championship event, Moravian senior Emily Shertzer is projected to run away with the gold, as her seed time of 11:01.00 is 51 seconds faster than Messiah junior Rebecca Lewis.

5000 meters — Shertzer is seeking her fourth straight MAC gold with a seed time of 17:42.75 that is a minute faster than her winning time of 2001. Jaick and Lucrezi are the only other two within 30 seconds.

10000 meters — Shertzer is also going for a fourth straight gold in the 10K, and her entry time of 36:19 is over a minute faster than the meet record of 37:24.90 set in 1990 by Tamara Lave of Haverford.

100 High Hurdles — Elizabethtown sophomore Carrie Kerna is on pace to win her second straight gold and break the meet record of 15.13 set in 1995 by Widener’s Gina Gonzales. Kerna’s time of 14.84 is well ahead of Moravian senior Steph Horne and Day.

400 Intermediate Hurdles — After former teammate Emily Dugan set an MAC record en route to gold last year, Susquehanna junior Alison Ream (Mifflintown, PA/Juniata H.S.) is poised to give the Crusaders their second straight title. She ran 1:06.19 during the season and will see competition from DeSales sophomore Bethany Rowland and Susquehanna sophomore Liz Harker (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata H.S.).

400-Meter Relay — Susquehanna’s quartet of Patrono and freshmen Ashley Eyster (Mt. Pleasant Mills, PA/Selinsgrove H.S.), Jen Minnig (Mount Carmel, PA/Mount Carmel H.S.) and Jen Lockman (Cumberland, ME/Greely H.S.) has set a school record five straight weeks, and their seed time of 49.09 is just ahead of two-time defending champion Widener (49.11).

1600-Meter Relay — Widener and Susquehanna have alternated the gold over the last four years, and this year it’s the Pioneers’ turn to be the favorite with a time of 4:05.79. Elizabethtown (4:06.23) will be in the hunt.

High Jump — Gibson has already automatically qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships and is on pace to shatter the MAC record of 5-5 1/4 set in 1990 by Dorothy O’Malley of Ursinus. Gibson has jumped 5-8 this spring, well ahead of defending champion Holly Whitpan of Albright.

Long Jump — Moravian freshman Kirsten Rotzell will look to match her MAC Indoor gold as the top seed with a distance of 17 feet, 2 inches. Whitpan, who took outdoor gold last year, is second with a distance of 17 feet, 3/4 inch while 2000 champion Golias is third at 16 feet, 11 3/4 inches.

Triple Jump — Rotzell will aim for a double gold in the triple jump as the top seed (36-11 1/2). Albright freshman Sonya Standefer (36-2 3/4), Simmons (35-1/4) and defending champion Uma Allimuthu of Messiah (34-11) will be in the thick of the chase.

Shot Put — Moravian sophomore phenom Christina Scherwin is competing in her first MAC championship after missing last year’s meet with a knee injury. She is the top seed with a distance of 43 feet, 9 3/4 inches and is on pace to break the record of 42-8 1/2 set in 1998 by Juniata’s Melissa Myers. Greyhound teammate and defending champion Sarah Shaneberger is the only other competitor within five feet of Scherwin, while former Lewisburg High School teammates Skyra Blanchard of Susquehanna and Jen Rautzhan of DeSales should battle for bronze.

Discus — DeSales has won the gold each of the last two years, and Rautzhan is favored to become the third different Bulldog to take first place with an entry mark of 133 feet, 8 inches. Shaneberger is the second seed at 127-2 while Susquehanna freshman Kaleena Lockard (Beach Haven, PA/Berwick H.S.) is among a trio of throwers vying for third.

Hammer Throw — The first two MAC champions in this event will battle for gold this year, as 2001 champion Shaneberger holds the top seed (136-6) over Moravian teammate and 2000 gold medalist Carrie McCaffery (125-5). Rautzhan and Albright sophomore Aileen Mulligan will also contend.

Javelin — One word: Scherwin. According to the Web site Apple Raceberry Jam, her throw of 183 feet, 8 inches at Penn on March 24 was the longest throw in Division III history, and at the time was the 13th-best throw in the world in 2002.

Pole Vault — This event should be a four-way race between Lebanon Valley sophomore Amy Wagner, Moravian junior Amanda Wynn, Elizabethtown sophomore Jessica Popp, and Delaware Valley junior April Mafturak, the 2001 champion with a height of 9 feet, 6 inches.

Heptathlon — A difficult field to project, with none of the entrants having a seed score and the defending champion (Brooke Dancho of Moravian) having graduated.