Paul Martin will look to help lead the Haven this weekend as he enters as one of top athletes in the men's hurdle events.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University men’s and women’s track and field teams are set to head to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Outdoor Championships.

The Championship meet begins tomorrow (Thursday, May 1) at Indiana (Pa.) University. The meet runs from Thursday, May 1 through Saturday, May 3.

Action will kick off tomorrow at 11 a.m. with the heptathlon and decathlon.

Last year at the 2007 Championships the Bald Eagles took home the championship, marking the fourth title in school history. The Lady Eagles finished third overall a year ago and are looking to claim their second team title after winning in 2002.

This year, both teams are poised to take a run at the team title as both the Haven men and women have athletes taking aim at individual titles.

Leading the way on the men’s side will be senior distance standout Ryan Blood (Summerdale, Pa./East Pennsboro), who is looking to take home titles in both the 5K and 10K.

According to LHU co-head coach Aaron Russell, winning both events at the championship has been a goal of Blood’s for over a year.

Russell feels Blood is more than capable of doing so as he has been on an absolute tear since returning the track for the crimson and white.

In four races this year Blood as shattered a LHU school record every time, while climbing the National list on his way.

Heading into PSAC’s, Blood owns the conference best mark in the 5K (5th nationally) and is ranked second in the 10K (7th nationally).

Paul Martin (Pickering, Ontario/Pine Ridge Secondary) will also be looking to be key factor in LHU’s team success as he will look to battle for the top spot in the hurdle events.

Martin will look to win the individual title in 400 meter hurdles as he holds the conference’s fasted time with a 52.32, which is also the sixth best time in the nation.

Along with the two hurdle events, Martin will also compete in the high jump and the 4x400 meter relay.

On the men’s side the distance events could be big scoring events for the Bald Eagles.

Along with Blood in the 10K, Tim Getz (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg), Jed Yeatts (Mercersburg, Pa./James Buchanan) and A.J. Johnson (Coventry, R.I./Coventry) will all be looking to score for LHU.

The 5K is another event where LHU could dominate. Brandon Pomerantz (Holland, Pa./Council Rock North), who will be doing the 1500/5000 double will join Blood, Getz, and Yeatts in the 5K, as all have a chance of placing high.

Freshman Nick Hilton (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township), is ranked second in the steeplechase heading into the championships and will look to contend for the title.

Ben McConnell (Danville, Pa./Danville) and Justin Amy (Sweet Valley, Pa./Lake-Lehman) will both look to score in the 800 meter run.

Chris Edelman (Elverson, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) is ranked fifth in the 400 meter run and split under 48 seconds at Penn Relays in the 4x4. He will be looking to place in the 400 at IUP.

Also adding depth for LHU will be sprinters Greg Mock (Sicklerville, N.J./Timbercreek) and Justin Lockley (Morton, Pa./Springfield), who will compete in the 100, 200 and 4x1.

Freshman Nick Coberly (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) will compete in both the long and triple jumps and will look to score for the men.

Senior Ivars Lurops (Riga, Latvia/Green Mountain College) will compete in the long, triple and high jump events.

According to assistant coach Chad Warren, Ivars could certainly be in contention for a title in the high jump if he puts it all together this week.

In the throwing events Randy Sylvia (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) and Logan Wolfe (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) will look to place for the Bald Eagles. Both will take part in the discus and hammer.

Co-head coach Heather Leverington feels that both men are ready for and capable of big throws at the championships.

Leading the way for the Lady Eagles will be junior Chelsea Morse (Beaver Dams, N.Y./Campbell-Savona). The two-time All-American in the high jump is leading the conference in the high and long jump events and will be looking to take home the title in both.

Morse is more than capable of just than and her success in big meets bodes well for the Lady Eagles as she always comes up big, the bigger the stage.

Morse continues to lead the nation in the high jump with a mark of 5-8.75.

According the entire LHU coaching staff she is a gamer and will look to lead the Lady Eagles this week.

The women’s throwing events could be huge for Lock Haven, according Leverington as LHU is loaded in all events.

Jen Andrews (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) and Jakia Gumby (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) are ranked 1-2 in the shot put going in and will battle for the title.

Also adding depth in the shot will be Alaina Leonard (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern).

The hammer is another event where LHU should score well. Leonard, Andrews and Gumby will be joined by Jenny Scheler (Sunbury, Pa/Shikellany) and Kristina Hamm (Roaring Springs, Pa./Central).

Gumby and Leonard will also look to scored in the discus.

The women’s javelin could also be a big event for LHU as Kami Roth (Elysburg, Pa./Wilkes-University) is looking for a big meet. Lakyn Pennington (Anita, Pa./Punxsutawney Area) will also add depth in the javelin.

Amanda Reinmiller (Conyhgham, Pa./Hazelton) is looking for a big performance in the heptathlon and could certainly contend for the title.

Malika Miller (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) is ranked first in the triple jump and is looking for the championship.

Kristie Warren (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg) will add depth in the jumps as she looked to score valuable points for the Lady Eagles.

Meagan Wolfe (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) will look to score in the 400 meter dash and the 400 hurdles, while Angela Pierce (Media, Pa./Penncrest) is coming off a breakthrough in the 400 meter hurdles and will look to place.

Cassie Snider (Dallas, Pa./Dallas) adds depth and could score for LHU.

Shala Simms (Ardmore, Pa./Upper Darby) and Alyssa Douma (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) will look to make the 800 meter run a big event for the Lady Eagles as both have the potential to score.

Freshman Erica Meling (Hackettstown, N.J/West Morris Central) is ranked eighth in the 5K and will look for a big race at the championships.

LHU Qualifiers:

Men:

Amy, Justin 800m

Blood, Ryan 10km, 5km

Coberly, Nick LJ, TJ

Edelman, Chris 400m

Elder, Ben 400IH

Faulkner, Preston 200m

Getz, Tim 10km, 5km

Hilton, Nick 3000 Steeple

Johnson, AJ 10km

LaBelle, Phillip Decathlon

Lockley, Justin 100m, 200m

Lurops, Ivars LJ, TJ, HJ

Martin, Paul HJ, 110HH, 400IH

McConnell, Ben 800m

Mock, Greg 100m, 200m

Phillips, Michael Decathlon

Picarella. Daniel TJ

Pomerantz, Brandon 1500m, 5km

Sylvia, Randy Hammer, Discus

Wilkinson, Shawn 400IH

Wolfe, Logan Hammer, Discus

Yeatts, Jed 10km, 5km

Women:

Andrews, Jen Shot Put, Hammer

Blessing, Lindsey PV

Douma, Alyssa 800m

Gumby, Jakia Shot Put, Hammer, Discus

Gunn, Larrissa Heptathlon

Hamler, Brooke 200m

Hamm, Kristina Hammer

Leonard, Alaina Shot Put, Hammer, Discus

Mancil, Ashley PV

Meling, Erica 3km, 5km

Miller, Malika TJ

Morse, Chelsea HJ, LJ

Pennington, Lakyn Javelin

Pierce, Angela 400IH

Reinmiller, Amanda Heptathlon

Roth, Kami Javelin

Scheler, Jenny Hammer

Simms, Shala 800m

Snider, Cassie LJ, TJ, 400m

Warren, Kristie LJ, TJ

Wolf, Meagan 400m, 400IH

Daily tickets for the event are $7 for adults, $2 for students. All students currently enrolled at a PSAC member institution will be admitted free with a valid student ID.

Check HavenSports.com for updates for view the IUP website at the following links.