Tracking Success This Weekend

SELINSGROVE, Pa. - A total of 26 men's and 21 women's athletes will compete for Susquehanna at Saturday's Middle Atlantic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at Widener University's Schwartz Athletic Center.

The meet is scheduled to begin at 12 noon and will feature eight men's and eight women's squads participating in 11 track and six field events.

Last season, the Crusader men took third behind Widener and Moravian behind a gold-medal performance in the long jump from Matt Fenstermacher. The women's team, which won the 1995 championship, took eighth with a team total of 10 points.

Widener and Moravian are again the overwhelming favorites to extend their streaks of consecutive championships this season. The Widener men will be shooting for their fifth straight title and seventh in the last eight years while Moravian's women's team should capture its sixth straight conference crown.

On the men's side, 23rd-year head coach Jim Taylor views Saturday's meet as a chance for his athletes to gain some valuable competitive experience in preparation for the outdoor season, which kicks off on March 17 at Washington & Lee.

"Our kids have been working very hard over the last month, and we've tried to lay a foundation to build on when we get outdoors," said Taylor, whose team has spent the last few weekends traveling to indoor meets at Bucknell, East Stroudsburg and Kutztown. "A lot of our kids are going to get a heckuva lot better once we get into the outdoor portion of our schedule."

Expected to lead the way for the men's team is junior Mike Lehtonen (Laurens, N.Y./Morris Central H.S.), who could be a contender for a gold medal in the 5000 meters. Also expected to be a contender for the top spot in the 5000 is freshman Ryan Gleason (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop H.S.). Both Lehtonen and Gleason finished in the top 10 in the 8000 meters at the MAC Cross Country Championships during the fall.

In the 110-meter hurdles, junior Trever Fike (Millerstown, Pa./Greenwood H.S.) and freshman Geoff Dieck (Riverside, Pa./Danville H.S.) will compete for gold, while junior Jason Ward (Avondale, Pa./Avon Grove H.S.) is expected to provide a strong performance in the 400 meters.

The women's team, under the direction of 2nd-year head coach Craig Penney, should earn the majority of their points in relay events, though junior Kim Owen (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin H.S.) could be a factor in the 5000 meters and freshman Liz Harker (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata H.S.) should run strong in the 100-meter hurdles.

"Because of our youth, we have to approach this meet as another chance to grow and learn," said Penney. "Our kids will be ready to race and give it their best efforts."