HUSKIES LOOK TO RACE TO GREATER SUCCESS

The men's and women's track and field team will continue down their roads to the Big East Championship when they compete at Penn State and in New York City, respectively, this weekend.

After their second straight team victory last weekend at the Joe Donahue Collegiate Indoor Games in Boston, the men are excited to head off to State College, Penn for the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup for hopefully a third straight team win. For one, sophomore mid-distance runner and Pennsylvania native Chris Daily is excited to run at such a competitive meet in his home state.

"For me individually, I'm excited to go because I'm going back," Daily said. "The track is great there."

But as is the sentiment around the entire team, the athletes are all staying focused on returning to glory atop the Big East conference.

"For the team we're really just looking forward to getting in the best position for the Big East championships. Things are looking good now, it's just time to start sharpening up the blades."

Dailey grabbed a top-five performance earlier this year at the Great Dane Classic in New York City with a 1:04.84 finish in the 500m, good for fourth place.

Along with Daily, the Huskies will be relying on a wide array of talent for a shot at three straight team wins. Among the leaders will be senior captain Kyle Duggan, first in the pole vault at the Joe Donahue Collegiate Indoor Games, Noel James, second in the high jump at the Great Dane Classic, and junior Joe Clark, dominant in the mile all season.

After impressive outings at the Penn State National Invitational and the Terrier Invitational in Boston, the women's team will be competing in New York City at the New Balance College Invitational.

"This is a big meet with a lot of good teams coming in," said freshman distance runner Lindsay Crevoiserat. "Track is so individually based, but with us working towards the Big East and the DMR team trying to qualify for nationals, it's really a team effort. Nobody wants to let the team down."

After placing second in the mile last weekend with a time of 4:42.42, Crevoiserat will help lead the Huskies in the DMR as she will cover the 1200m leg in the race.

Also helping out the Huskies' cause in New York this weekend will be junioe Ilba Bikanova (second overall in the high jump at the Penn State National Invitational), junior Angelica Gilsenan (first place in the pole vault at the Terrier Invitational) and All-American Celina Emerson (fifth in the 200m and second in the 400m at the Great Dane Classic).

The meets for this weekend will begin Friday and will be the second to last competitions for both teams before the Big East championships in Boston for the men and New York City for the men. Before then, the women's team will be competing in the Valentine Invitational in Boston and the men's team will compete in the Rider/Lafayette Invitational in New York City.