PSU Athletics

    Cheer on our Penn State athletes at the following events! It means A LOT to these folks when they travel and see a presence from Penn State fans. Put on your favorite Penn State blue and white gear and let's make a statement that they can count on support from their Minnesota alumni and friends!

    Note: As of February 23rd, the University of Minnesota sports information office did not have specific schedules for the events listed, but please read on for information available at this time. Please call 1-800-UGopher for tickets and additional detail. While there is no official "Penn State" section at these events, we suggest you ask if there is an area where PSU fans are likely to be seated when you purchase tickets.

    1) Big 10 Womens Indoor Track and Field Championships (check out the 4 x 400 relay team that just finished as the top collegiate team)

Dates - Saturday, March 1st and Sunday, March 2nd
Venue - University of Minnesota Field House
Ticket Price - Full session tickets are general seating (not reserved) and good for both days. Cost is $12.00 for adults and $7.00 for students/children.

    2) Big 10 Wrestling Championships
(PSU ranked 7th as of 2/23; 7 team members are nationally ranked)

Dates - Saturday, March 8th and Sunday, March 9th
Venue - University of Minnesota Williams Arena
Ticket Price - Full session tickets are reserved seating and good for both days. Cost is $30.00 for all tickets (no student/children ticket prices available).

    Questions or comments - Call Nancy Hammond: 419-450-8888 (cell)

   MOST RECENT NEWS AS OF 2/23 FOR PSU WOMENS TRACK AND FIELD FROM GOPSUSPORTS.COM WEB SITE

    FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.: February 16, 2008 - The Nittany Lion track and field teams concluded two days of competition at the Tyson Invitational, Saturday at Randal Tyson Track Center. Leading the extensive list of Nittany Lion highlights was junior Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.), who set a new Penn State record in the 60-meter hurdles. The Lions are got outstanding efforts from sophomore Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio), who earned an individual victory, winning the invitational section of the 3,000-meters, and the women's 4x400-meter relay that finished as the top collegiate team in a tremendous field to cap an outstanding weekend. Barber worked her way up the NCAA list and took hold of her sixth Penn State record with a career-best and provisional-qualifying 8.19 - the eighth-fastest time in the country this season. Barber's performance bettered Toyin Augustus' previous Nittany Lion standard of 8.22, set in 2001. Barber also ran a lifetime best in the 200-meters, winning her heat in 24.12.

    Barber would also run a sensational leg of the 4x400, helping her team to victory over relay powers Tennessee, LSU, Florida State, and Texas. Senior Briene Simmons (Decatur, Ga.) led off the winning effort with a 55.4 split, before handing off to Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.), who would clock 53.1 on the second leg, putting the Lions in second place. Barber also added a 53.1 readout, charging to the front of the pack with just under 200-meter left on the third leg, and sprinting away from the field to hand off to Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) on the anchor. Dorr would close in 53.7, solidifying the 3:35.61 heat win. Elite Track Club posted the fastest time of the day at 3:33.65. The race was the Lions' second-fastest relay performance of the year. Franek cruised to victory with a dominant performance in the 3K, clocking 9:27.48 in only her second-career attempt at the distance. Franek quickly separated herself from the pack after a pedestrian-paced first lap, and ran virtually the entire race with a 50-meter gap on the rest of the field. The Lions will next weekend off before traveling to the Big Ten Championships on March 1-2. The men will head to Wisconsin for the conference meet, while the women will be at Minnesota.

   MOST RECENT NEWS AS OF 2/23 FOR PSU WRESTLING FROM GOPSUSPORTS.COM WEB SITE

    No. 7 Penn State (13-5, 5-3 Big Ten) will close out the 2007-08 dual meet season when it visits neighborhood rival Lock Haven (9-7, 2-4 EWL) on Saturday, February 23. Action in Thomas Field House starts at 8 p.m. and the dual will be televised live locally on WHVL-TV. The Nittany Lions are coming off a dominating weekend in their final home duals. Penn State hammered two Big Ten foes (Michigan State and Purdue by a combined 59-19 score, winning 16 of 20 bouts. The match against Purdue was senior day for Penn State and three Nittany Lion seniors all garnered wins:?Phil Davis at 197, Tim Haas at 133 and Mark McKnight at 125.

    Penn State will enter the bout with seven ranked wrestlers, led by three-time All-American Phil Davis, who is ranked No. 3 at 197 with a 16-1 record. Sophomore Dan Vallimont is ranked No. 3 at 157 and has a team-best 24-1 mark while sophomore Bubba Jenkins is 19-3 at 149 and ranked No. 5. Senior Mark McKnight is 11-6 and carries at No. 9 ranking at 125 while true freshman Garrett Scott is ranked No. 9 at 141 with a 16-3 record. Junior Phil Bomberger is 17-6 at 184 and ranked No. 14 while sophomore David Erwin is ranked No. 16 at 174 and carries a 23-8 record. Lock Haven is coming off a solid weekend that saw it lose a close 22-16 dual to EWL?rival Bloomsburg and then come from behind to down Clarion, 22-13. The Bald Eagles are being led by junior Matt Fittery who has a team-best 20-8 record at 149. Freshman John Trumbetti is 17-7 at 125 and junior Tom Kocher is 14-9 at 174. Jeremie Cook checks in at 11-5 at 184 as well.

    The televised match will air live in State College and live in Harrisburg on WHP TV. The dual will then be shown on tape delay on WHVL on Sunday at 2 p.m. and in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on WQMY-TV?at the same time.

    The Nittany Lions will be off until the 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Minneapolis. The two-day tournament will be hosted by the University of Minnesota and take place in UM's Williams Arena on March 8-9. For more information on the tournament, go to www.gophersports.com. All Penn State duals and post-season tournaments will be broadcast locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM and streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com.

   POSSIBLE LINE-UPS - as of 2/20/08

   #7 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (13-5, 5-3 BIG TEN)

Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2007-08 Record
125 #9 Mark McKnight Sr. McDonald, Pa./South Fayette 11-6
133 Tim Haas Sr. Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff 5-12
Mike Eagen Fr. Wharton, N.J./Morris Knolls 5-8
141 #9 Garrett Scott Fr. Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley 16-3
Jake Strayer Jr. South Fork, Pa./Forest Hills 10-5
149 #5 Bubba Jenkins So. Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial 19-3
157 #3 Dan Vallimont So. Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp. 24-1
165 Dave Rella So. Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit 12-12
174 #16 David Erwin So. Urbana, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 23-8
184 #14 Philip Bomberger Jr. Port Royal, Pa./Juniata 17-6
Jack Decker Jr. Roseland, N.J./Seton Hall Prep 15-6
197 #3 Philip Davis Sr. Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg 16-1
HWT John Laboranti Jr. Pittston, Pa./Pittston 21-7
Stefan Tighe So. Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep 4-4

   LOCK HAVEN BALD EAGLES (9-7, 2-4 EWL)

Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2007-08 Record
125 John Trumbetti Fr. Montvale, N.J./St. Joseph Regional 17-7
133 Billy Ashnault Fr. South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield 4-11
141 Clint Shirk Jr. Julian, Pa./Bald Eagle Area 6-8
OR Owen Wilkinson Fr. Beverly Hills, Fla./Hartland 3-4
149 Matt Fittery Jr. Denver, Pa./Cocalico 20-8
157 John Mangini Fr. Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough 12-15
165 Derek Caldwell So. Curwensville, Pa./Curwensville 1-7
OR Landis Wright So. Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle 5-6
174 Tom Kocher Jr. Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township 14-9
OR Mike Metzger Sr. Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin 5-11
184 Jeremie Cook So. Venice, Fla./Venice 11-5
197 Ben Hepburn Jr. Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock 13-10
HWT Dan Craig Fr. Paw Paw, Mich./Allegan 15-17
All rankings listed are USA Today/NWCA as of 2/20/08