State College, Pa., May 28, 2003 - Fresh off their best-ever second place tie at the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Penn State Women's Track and Field team will try to keep the post season momentum going at the NCAA East Regional in Fairfax, Va., May 30-31.
Penn State qualified 21 athletes for competition, in the first year for the new regional format for NCAA Track and Field. In an effort in part to increase the number of athletes who have the opportunity to represent their universities in NCAA competition, the NCAA divided the United States into four regions based on state geography representing the East, Mid East, Midwest and West. Penn State will compete in the East Region that encompasses the eastern seaboard from Maine to Florida. As in past years, competitors must reach a qualifying standard in order to compete in regional competition, however, the standards have been lowered to represent the top 100 times or marks in each event based on the previous year's performances. The top five finishers in individual events, top three relay teams and a few at-large selections determined by an NCAA committee will move on to compete in the NCAA Championships, June 11-14, in Sacramento, Calif. Penn State's regional qualifiers are headed up by four returning All-Americans. Chi Chi Aduba, voted the team's MVP and an indoor All-American in the long and triple jumps, will compete in both events at the regional as well as the 4X100 relay. Five-time All-American Connie Moore will compete in the 100 and 200 meter dashes as well as the 4X100 relay. Two-time All-American Brianne Johnson will compete in the javelin, while two-time All-American Deshaya Williams qualified in the discus, hammer and shot put, but will focus solely on the discus at the regional. Also qualified to compete at the East Regional for Penn State are: Lexi Benamati (shot put & discus), Danielle Bobo (4X400 relay), Tracey Brauksieck (5,000 meters and 3,000 steeplechase), Christen Clemson (discus), Ashley Colley (javelin), Sara Dougherty (pole vault), Kristen Eash (javelin), Laurie Fox (4X100 relay), Cheryl Green (4X400 relay), Kate Johnston (hammer), Molly Landreth (3,000 stteeplechase & 5,000 meters), Chelsea Lenge (5,000 meters), Lindsey McDonnell (pole vault), Kathy Messner (high jump), Ja'Nai O'Connor (shot put), Sara Shoaff (4X100 relay), Robbin Shomper (hammer).
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