Eugene, Ore., May 30, 2001 - The Penn State track and field teams will have a total of five athletes competing at the 2001 NCAA Track and Field Championships this weekend (May 30-June 2) in Eugene, Ore. Two men, sophomores Guy Rose and Brian Derby, and three women, senior Toyin Augustus, sophomore Brianne Johnson and freshman Connie Moore are competing.

Derby and Moore were in action late Wednesday night in the opening day of competition. Derby qualified with the fourth best time in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles after winning the Big Ten Championship with a time of 49.77. The leading time in the event is a 49.22. Moore will compete in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. She began competition Wednesday in the 200 where she qualified with the thirteenth best time of 23.17 in finishing second at the Big Ten Championships. The leading time was a 22.57. She qualified with the twentieth best time in the 100 with an 11.44 posted in finishing third at the Big Tens. The leading time was an 11.09.

Rose and Augustus begin competition Thursday night. Rose qualified with the seventh best time in the 110-meter high hurdles. His mark of 13.56, posted in finishing second at the Big Ten Championships, was just behind the leading time of 13.42. Augustus qualified with the nineteenth best time in the 100-meter high hurdles with a time of 13.36, posted in finishing fifth at the Big Tens. The leading time was a 12.73. They will begin trials Thursday, as will Moore in the 100 meters.

Johnson is the last Nittany Lion to begin competition in the championships as she will compete on Friday night in the javelin. She qualified with the eighth best throw with a mark of 167-3 and finished second at the Big Tens. The best qualifying mark was 175-3.