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	May 7, 2002 LHU Track and Field Prepared For PSAC Title Run

	(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania men's and women's track and field teams will be competing in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 9-11 at Kutztown University. Both teams are looking to follow-up their impressive indoor seasons when they each captured the PSAC titles in their respective championships’ inaugural seasons. The Bald Eagles will have their work cut out for them with several teams gunning for the prestige that accompanies the PSAC crown. Last year’s champion, Kutztown University, is looking to repeat again this year, while Lock Haven, along with Shippensburg and Millersville Universities, all have legitimate shots at the team title. The LHU men’s squad will be looking for top performances from its veteran athletes and its up-and-coming freshmen. Junior Joe Webster (Folcroft, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) is the Bald Eagles’ top sprinter in the 200- and 400-meter dashes, where he is ranked first and second, respectively. Last year’s decathlon champion and junior Matt Stinson (Wescosville, Pa./Emmaus) will instead be looking to score in the 400 meters, 110 high hurdles, long jump and high jump this season. Stinson will not attempt to defend his title this year but leaves teammate Jeremy Bradley (Needmore, Pa./Southern Fulton) with the top seed in the conference. Senior Matt Sauls (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) is once again the top runner in the 800 meters. Sauls is seeded two seconds faster than his nearest competitor going into the weekend. Sophomores Jacob Merrill (Montrose, Pa./Montrose) and Nick Slotterback (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg) are LHU's best field-men, competing in the triple jump and javelin, respectively. Merrill also has the potential to make a run for all-conference honors in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles.	The LHU Outdoor Track and Field teams will attempt to duplicate the Indoor PSAC Championships won by both Haven squads 2002 PSAC Indoor Track & Field Champions
	LHU's top two freshmen, Paul Hallman (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) and Chris Cowan (Horseheads, N.Y./Thomas A. Edison), will both be vying for top-three performances in their respective events. Hallman has one of the top conference times in the 1,500 meters this season, while Cowan is among the PSAC leaders in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. On the women's side, Lock Haven is considered the team to beat, but defending champion Slippery Rock University will surely not go down without a fight. Also in contention and not to be taken lightly is 2000 PSAC champion Kutztown University. The Lady Eagles have three returning champions searching to repeat this year. Junior Jennifer Farrow (Canton, Pa./Athens) is the two-time defending 400-meter dash champion and is once again the top seed. Farrow is seeded third in the 200-meter dash and will also compete on two top-ranked relays. Two-time All-American and senior Brianna Bair (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte) will be defending her title this year against a tough field in the javelin. In the pole vault, junior Jocelyn Held (Slatington, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) was last year's surprise champion and is seeded second going into the championship meet. In the jumping events, junior Sandy Ritz (West Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) is the Lady Eagles’ top prospect. Ritz has the farthest jump of the season in the long jump and is second in the triple jump. Freshman standout Brooke Rangi (Kawerau New Zealand/Kawerau College) will be looked upon to repeat her dominating performance from the PSAC Indoor Championships in the high jump and is also the top seed in the heptathlon. Junior Jana Kauffman (Strasburg, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) enters the conference meet as the top distance runner for the Lady Eagles, competing in the 800-meter and 1500-meter runs. The 2002 PSAC Outdoor Championships get underway at University Field on the campus of Kutztown University on Thursday (5/9) at 10 a.m. with the men’s decathlon and women’s heptathlon. The multi-events conclude on Friday (5/10) at 10 a.m. Several field events, the 10,000 meters and track preliminaries get started at 8 a.m. Friday. On Saturday (5/11), the finals for track races and the remainder of the field events begin at 10 a.m.
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