UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - It was a precarious situation the Nittany Lions found themselves in; bases loaded, no outs in the bottom of the tenth inning in a tie game. Penn State (12-30, 3-15 Big Ten) got out of the jam unscathed and flipped the script on Minnesota (28-15, 11-4 Big Ten), loading the bases with no out before a Tyler Skerpon fielders choice pushed the game winning run across the plate.

If you were in the stands at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park you could feel the momentum begin to shift in the sixth inning when the Lions tied the game at 3-3 with a pair of runs and when Neal Herring got out of the bases loaded jam in the tenth inning, you knew that it was a now or never moment.

"The pitching feeds off the defense, which feeds off the hitting," said senior Luis Montesinos. "Everything feeds off the other and when [the pitchers] are doing well [the hitters] are going to take that confidence to the plate."

The team fed off of each other down the stretch in the series final against Minnesota.

After starting pitcher Steven Hill allowed a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning it looked like the Lions were headed towards a sixth straight loss, but that was not the case.

J.C. Coban and Skerpon got the bottom of the sixth inning started with a single and a walk, respectively. James Coates followed with his fourth infield single of the year and when Gophers third baseman Ryan Abrahamson's throw went wide of the first baseman, Coban and Skerpon were both able cross the plate to tie things up.

Both team's threatened during the next four innings, but it wasn't until Skerpon stepped to the plate in the tenth that someone was able to end the battle of wills.

"I've been struggling a little bit lately," said Skerpon, "but going into my last at-bat I told [Coban], 'if you don't do it, I'm going to'. I just went to the plate wanting to hit the ball hard somewhere. The corners were playing in and I obviously didn't hit it very hard, but I did my best to beat it out and it was enough."

The sophomore was 0-for-3 with a walk entering his fifth plate appearance of the afternoon, but the confidence never wavered and he delivered one of the biggest hits of his young career.

In life you do your best work when you feel comfortable; it's the same way in baseball. On Sunday, the Lions entered the series final with a comfortable feeling at the plate and it showed as they out-hit the Gophers, 8-7, and put base runners on in seven of the ten innings.

Wine felt like his team had played well offensively all weekend, especially against a pitching staff as deep as Minnesota's. The Gophers do not allow many big innings and have limited opponents to 4.6 runs per game this season and own a Big Ten-best .230 batting average against, however, Penn State never felt uneasy in the batter's box.

"We are a team that is going hustle and play hard," said Skerpon. "We are always working hard, everyone is up early working in the weight room, doing conditioning and getting in swings. That's one thing we stress before every game to make sure that you are locked in and playing hard on every pitch."

Now the Lions have to carry that momentum into the final two weeks of the regular season. With just eight games left on the schedule, Penn State will play four straight road games, before closing the year with four straight at home and are looking to keep this momentum going down the stretch.

"We just have to keep moving forward," said Skerpon. "We saw some pretty good pitching from Minnesota this weekend and the bats started to come alive a little bit. We just have to keep playing out game, getting on base, moving runners, stealing bases and playing solid defensively."

The effort has been there, but sometimes baseball is about catching - or making - a break or two and the Lions made their own breaks on Sunday and were able to end the weekend on a high note.

"I have been really happy with our effort," said Wine. "Sometimes things just haven't gone our way, but today we just went out there and reacted and it worked out for us."

--NITTANY LIONS--

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, senior Lauren Yao doubled to left on the 17^th pitch of her at-bat to bring in three runs and give the Nittany Lions a 3-2 lead over Nebraska.

It was her longest at-bat of the season, but when Yao finally put the ball between the white lines she said it was easily the highlight of her year.

"The energy is what keeps you motivated and especially since my parents were here and we had a huge crowd out, I was happy I could be the one to get it done," said Yao.

The hit would prove to be enough to give the Lions the lead and the victory two innings later as the Cornhuskers could not respond. And while head coach Robin Petrini said that she was happy for Yao to come up big in a pressure spot, she was even more proud of the way it all came together.

Kasie Hatfield led off the inning with a single to right and Alyssa Renwick put down a sacrifice-bunt to move her. Then, Liz Presto pinch-hit for Shannon Hutchinson and battled a nine-pitch at-bat to earn a single to left. Cassidy Bell followed with a walk, and the bases were loaded for Yao. Petrini said that she couldn't have asked for more. 

"For them to fight and overcome all of the adversity that we've had all year shows a lot of character for this team," said Petrini. "They made it happen like I know they can, but more importantly like they know they can."

And what really sealed the deal was the pressure pitching that came from sophomore Marissa Diescher. Diescher took over for started Jordan Wheatley in the middle of the third and was supposed to get the Lions through two innings of play.

"After I stuck her in there and she got us out of the third, I told her I needed one more out of her and then we'd go from there," said Petrini.

But Diescher wanted more.

She finished the game and allowed just two hits to get the win.

"I just had to attack the batters and kept throwing hard," said Diescher. "As the game goes on I really get into it and I actually start to throw harder as the game goes on."

The victory marks the Lions' fourth in the last six games played, and their fifth Big Ten win this season. And on a day that celebrated six seniors that have averaged more than 162 starts for the Nittany Lions, their head coach was nothing but proud.

"This team has never torn apart, they've never gotten on each other, they've come out every day, they've worked hard and they've encouraged each other," said Petrini. "That's a sign of good leadership from your seniors."

Penn State closes out its regular-season schedule in the finale of a three-game series against Nebraska at 1 p.m. on Monday at Beard Field.

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State hosted the Jim Thorpe Open, its only home meet of the season, Friday night at the outdoor track.

It was a relatively small meet with only three other teams - University of Buffalo, Shippensburg University, and Monroe College, competing.

However, that didn't stop Penn State high jumper Jon Hendershot form having an outstanding performance. The junior tied the school record in the event clearing the bar at 7-03.25. The record Hendershot tied has been standing since 1985 and currently has him sitting at No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 10 in the nation.

Hendershot wasn't the only field athlete to have a good night. Redshirt junior Will Barr captured two victories. In the discus, Barr won the even with a toss of 180-06, a season best. He took the hammer with a throw of 204-00.

The Big Ten leader in the shot put, Darrell Hill, further distanced himself from the competition setting a new personal best. Hill won the event with a toss of 62-09.25.

Melissa Kurzdorfer replicated Barr's performance on the women's side. She tossed 165-1 in the discus to win the event. Then tossed the hammer 195-08.

On the track the women's team was lead by strong performance by junior Mahagony Jones and sophomore Dynasty McGee. Jones took the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.74. McGee would win the 200-meter dash in 24.93.

The men were equally as successful posting victories in the 400 meters and 110-meter hurdles.  Junior Bernard Bennett-Green lead in the way in the 400 clocking in at 47.90, a full second ahead of the second place finisher.  Sancho Barrett capture a victory in the hurdles. The sophomore won the race in 14.28.

The Nittany Lions will be back in action next weekend as they travel to Columbus, Ohio for the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. The meet is schedule to open Friday and is a three-day event.  

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State (11-30, 2-15 Big Ten) dropped their second straight contest to Minnesota (28-14, 11-3 Big Ten) on Saturday inside Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, but the final score of 7-3 didn't damper the spirits or reveal the positives that have been building in the Nittany Lions clubhouse.

Penn State was again stung by an early onslaught of offense from the Gophers, who tallied all seven of their runs between the second and fourth innings, but three PSU relievers combined to throw the final five innings scoreless and the offense was able to put pressure on the Gophers, even though they were unable to capitalize on opportunities against one of the best pitching staffs in the country.

That wasn't an excuse for the players, however, as they know they need continue to relax, take it one pitch at a time and keep pushing forward with just nine game left in the 2013 season.

"The effort is there," said senior Cody Lewis. "I have no doubt about that. Sometimes we play a little tight and put [the game] on a pedestal and try too hard, instead of playing loose and just letting the game come to us. Sometimes we [think too much] and that gets in the way. We just have to go out and play our game."

That is something that Lewis did on Saturday as the first reliever out of the bullpen versus Minnesota. Entering the game out of the bullpen to start the fifth inning, Lewis retired nine of the first 11 batters he faced and fired three and two-thirds innings of scoreless work. He tied his career-high with five strikeouts, four of the looking variety, and allowed just five base runners.

"Cody struggled with an injury last year, but he's past that now," said head coach Robbie Wine. "He changed his arm angle and he's always been a competitor. He's been one of our main guys [out of the bullpen] and he came in today in a game that was far from over and kept putting up zeroes for us. He's been doing his job [all year]."

Another player that has been doing his job is junior Alex Farkes. The catcher was able to put some good swings on the ball, but had nothing to show for it, which ended his 10-game hitting streak, but it is the little things that he does that stand out to his coaches.

"Farkes has done a good job," said Wine. "He's been throwing and receiving the ball well, and he's really taking charge behind the plate. As a coach you see things he is doing that the everyday fan might not see. His big thing has been building confidence and taking control of the pitching staff. He's also a great guy in the dugout and the clubhouse"

For Farkes, it has been about getting back to the fundamentals and getting a chance to play every day. He has already set career-bests in a host of offensive categories and is hitting .247 15 runs scored and nine RBIs. He made his career-high 25th start on Saturday and has played in 30 of the team's 41 games and is fielding almost .980.

"I've been trying to keep it simple and just make solid contact," said Farkes. "Seeing opposing pitchers on a consistent basis has been huge, too. You start to feel good at the plate and you're not trying to prove too much [when you get to play every day]. It helps the game slow down a little bit and makes it fun."

Farkes, Lewis and the rest of the Nittany Lions will try to get back on track in the series finale with Minnesota on Sunday starting at 12:05 p.m.

The Blue and White will send senior Steven Hill to the mound for his tenth start of the season and coach Wine knows his team needs a strong outing from Hill to help the team build some momentum down the stretch.

"We are going to get back to the basics and find the fun in the game," said Wine. "We are hoping Steve [Hill] goes out there and keep us in the game early...We're not playing bad, but it just feels like we are climbing a mountain right now. We need to get some momentum early and build on it."

--NITTANY LIONS--

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -When you look at the scorebook for the Nittany Lions from Friday night contest vs. Minnesota (27-14, 10-3 Big Ten) you see that Penn State (11-29, 2-14 Big Ten) put runners on base in seven of the nine innings against one of the Big Ten's top pitchers, but 12 free baserunners and 12 hits by the Gophers were too much in the 11-2 loss.

"It starts on the mound," said Wine. "When you have long innings...it takes the wind out of you both offensively and from a pitching standpoint. If tonight's was closer, it would have been a different game. Tomorrow [Greg Welsh] needs to go out there with some energy, get deep [in the game] and give us a chance to win."

It looked like sophomore T.J. Jann would present the Lions with a great chance to grab a victory after allowing a first inning run and then limiting the Gophers offense to just a hit over the next two frames.

Penn State grabbed their first lead of the game in the second inning by taking advantage of a misplay by the Gophers and using some timely hitting. J.J. White reached on a two-out error and Alex Farkes moved his hitting streak to ten games with a base hit. Zach Ell stepped in and delivered with a two-out, two-RBI double down the left field line to push the home squad out to a 2-1 lead.

The Lions faced Minnestoa's Friday night starter, Tom Windle, twice last season and that helped them in the early going. Windle, one of the top hurlers in the Big Ten with a 2.00 ERA and a .179 batting average against, took the loss on Friday night vs. Penn State in 2012 and that success against the left-hander carried over early.

"We hit [Windle] a little bit last year when we went to their place," said J.C. Coban, "so we came into today with a little confidence. Confidence was a big key today. And we were pretty loose and things were going our way early on."

A six-run fourth inning and two more runs for the Gophers in the fifth slowed the momentum that Penn State had built and made the road a little tougher against an efficient and effective Windle.

The good thing about college baseball is that the Lions will have another chance tomorrow to get back into the win column.

"We just have to take care of the things that we can take care of," said Searer. "[Coach Folmar] always tells us to focus on what we can control, like hustling and coming to ballpark prepared. We just have to keep playing the game the right way. We need to come out and put pressure on [Minnesota] and see what good comes out of it."

Playing 56 games in four months is a daunting task, but it makes focusing on what you can control that much more important. An old baseball adage tells you that momentum is only as good as the next day's starting pitcher.

That momentum will come in the form of junior Greg Welsh on Saturday. He will make his seventh start of the season and carries a 3.62 ERA, the best among the Penn State starters, while ranking second on the team in strikeouts (33) and batting average against (.278).

The left-hander also brings an edge to the mound that his teammates know they can feed off of.

"[Welsh] brings a great demeanor to the mound," Coban said. "He's a competitor. He wants to win. You can always see it in his face; he is just ready to go once he steps on the mound."

Those attributes will go a long way in helping the Lions even their series with the Gophers.

--NITTANY LIONS--

By Pat White, GoPSUsport.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The third time proved to be the charm for Penn State men's lacrosse (12-3, 7-0 CAA) as it defeated UMass (7-8, 2-5 CAA) 10-7 in the semifinal of the CAA Championship on Wednesday.

Head coach Jeff Tambroni knew going into the game that UMass would not be an easy first round matchup. They played a grind-it-out style that slowed Penn State's tempo in the first half. He was pleased with the way his team fought through despite not having a strong first half.

"I am very proud of our team's effort today. We knew we would have our hands full and I am proud of the way our team responded after halftime," Tambroni said. "These guys have fought through a ton of adversity all year and we are very fortunate to be playing in the CAA Championship."

Junior Tom LaCrosse (Canandaigua, N.Y.) and senior Jack Forster (Jenkintown, Pa.) got the Nittany Lions a quick 2-0 lead just under three minutes into the game. After that, the Penn State offense went stagnant and couldn't possess the ball for long stretches like UMass did.

UMass' Joe Calvello owned the faceoff X, winning seven of nine first half draws. Tambroni said the lone bright spot for Penn State in the first half was the play of junior defender Steven Bogert (Carlsbad, Calif.). Bogert played one of his best games of the year and stepped up in the first half with four groundballs while played stellar defense.

"I thought Steven Bogert was the player of the game for 60 minutes," Tambroni said. "I thought we struggled in the first half outside of Steven Bogert. He was a monster in between the 30s and outside the wing on faceoffs."

Senior faceoff man Danny Henneghan (Beverly Hills, Mich.) rebounded to win six of 12 faceoffs in the second half. It was a big turnaround for Penn State, and Bogert played a major role in creating possessions. He finished with seven groundballs while adding pestering defense.

"We work on it every day and it was a big part of this week," Bogert said. "Me and Danny have been on a great page. It wasn't just off of faceoffs. I knew coming into this game that groundballs were going to be a big part of this game. I just kind of got in a rhythm and got focused."

Tambroni thought there was a little bit of added pressure to finally move past the first round that may have caused the poor start to the game. Tambroni said that last year's captains-Matt Mackrides, Ryan McGarvey and Ryan Link-wrote the team a note that motivated them coming into the game.

"I thought we played a little tight and lacked mobility," Tambroni said. "I thought in the second half our guys relaxed, played hard, put themselves at ease a little bit, and got over the hump."

Junior Shane Sturgis (Downingtown, Pa.) looked relaxed coming out of the break. Sturgis recorded a third quarter hat-trick for the Nittany Lions and was a major spark plug for the offense. The junior attacked the goal from all areas of the field and got his scoring touch back after being held scoreless in the last four contests.

Sturgis said he was the benefactor of the offense beginning to click with good ball movement.

"I think our offense just moved the ball better in the second half," Sturgis said. "We got some good opportunities and we were able to capitalize on some of them."

Penn State has been led offensively all season by a potent attack. In the fourth quarter, Forster, Sturgis and freshman TJ Sanders (Orillia, Ont.) put the team on their back and cruised to victory. After being held in check the first half, Sander chipped in with two goals to match Forster's output, while Sturgis finished with four goals and a helper.

Penn State now looks to claim its first CAA Championship on Friday at 3 p.m. against Towson. The Tigers defeated Drexel 11-8 in Wednesday's night cap. Nittany Lions took down Towson 10-8 at home on April 13. Bogert said the captains said that the regular season means nothing now and that every team has a clean slate.

"Our captains said it best: that we are zero and zero," Bogert said. "It's the CAA playoffs and granted we got a good win today but it doesn't matter now. We are going to our first ever CAA Championship and that's enough of a motivating factor. We are excited about that."

Tambroni said that both teams will look to play to their strengths while taking away the opposition's. Forster and Tambroni both said that the ultimate goal is to prepare and win the next game.

"I think it starts right now," Tambroni said after the game. "I hope they enjoy it for a half an hour to an hour. It is more about rest. We are going to need legs on Friday, so X's and O's are irrelevant to a certain degree."

Towson head coach Sean Nadelen also said that rest will be the key. His team was dominated 19-3 by Drexel in faceoff wins, and he want to see that improve in what will be a possession dominated game.

"It will come down to a possession game, especially with a quick turnaround," Nadelen said. "Teams are going to be a little beaten down in terms of physical status. It comes down to valuing possession time, capitalizing possessions and making sure that the defenses aren't playing a ton of defensive possessions."

A Look at Towson
Towson looked dominating against Drexel in its victory. Midfielder Ben McCarty led the way for Towson with six goals, matching his season total. McCarty stepped into a rhythm as Drexel contained leading scorer Thomas DeNapoli (39 goals, 16 assists) to just one score. Andrew Hodgson added a pair of tallies to up his total to 22 for the season.

DeNapoli and Hodgson are most dangerous with the ball. DeNapoli is at his best when he can initiate the offense from behind the goal and get his hands free in space. Hodgson primarily dodges down the wing where he either takes the open shot, or uses his vision to find open teammates. Against Drexel, they proved they can be used as decoys, and guys like McCarty can get hot as well.

Towson played a slow and methodical game on the offensive end, working the ball around and slowing the tempo. The Tigers average 8.94 goals per game while allowing 8.81. Senior goalkeeper Andrew Wascavage played spectacular against Drexel and posted a .612 save percentage for the season. Wascavage and Penn State keeper Austin Kaut (Morton, Pa.) will make for a goaltending battle on Friday.

Penn State has won three straight games against Towson dating back to 2011.

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's volleyball team is headed to the 2013 NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles, Calif.

After securing a spot in the postseason tournament by capturing the EIVA Championship last Saturday night, the Lions fly out of State College on Tuesday before the start of competition on Thursday.

Just four Division I teams advance to the national tournament, which include No. 1 BYU, No. 2 UC Irvine, No. 3 Loyola-Chicago and the fourth-seeded Nittany Lions. Irvine and Loyola-Chicago will be featured in the first semifinal match of the evening on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET and Penn State will face BYU in the second semifinal at 11 p.m. ET the same night.

Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik has been to quite a few NCAA Tournaments and faced numerous different opponents in his time at the helm of the program, but said that going up against BYU will be a bigger challenge than his team has seen in a long time.

"BYU is probably as physical a team as there is out there," said Pavlik. "Those guys just keep coming at you. You can't bring a feather-duster to this match - you've got to bring hammers."

Not only are the Cougars sporting an impressive overall record of 24-4 with a team attack percentage of .327 heading into NCAA competition, they also have one of the hottest hands in men's volleyball. Junior outside hitter Taylor Sander from Huntington Beach, Calif. has put up huge numbers against opponents this year, rounding out the regular season with 409 kills on 3.79 hitting.

"Taylor is everything that you want in a player; explosive, great arm, great volleyball IQ, great competitor," said Pavlik. "He's the guy you want on your team and you hate to face."

But the head coach said that he and his squad aren't preparing for Sander and the Cougars much differently than they would for any other match.

"This is where you just play volleyball," said Pavlik. "You don't try to be tricky. Play as hard as you can for as long as you can and make sure your fundamentals are in check."

As of late, Pavlik said that he's increasingly encouraged at the way the Lions have played what he calls 'big-boy volleyball' and continue to work together as a unit. The team has won nine of its last 10 contests and brought its blue-collar mentality to each and every set, working for each point and truly earning its victories.

And after all of the hard work that his team put in during the regular season, Pavlik said that a trip to the NCAA Tournament is just icing on the cake.

"This is why you get up at 7 a.m. in the fall," said Pavlik. "This is why you endure the strength and conditioning. This is why you endure those long bus rides. This is the time where, are we going to get any better between now and Thursday? Minimal. But we've got to understand that we're one of four teams playing - we've got a shot, let's take it." 

Coaches Caravan Registration

Photo Gallery - Baltimore | Photo Gallery - Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Coaches Caravan bus rolled south on I-95 for day two of the first leg on Wednesday morning en route for a lunch stop at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and an evening reception in Washington, D.C.

More than 225 fans at lunch and 375 enthusiastic attendees at dinner greeted an all-star cast of Penn State coaches, which included Bill O'Brien, Patrick Chambers, Cael Sanderson and Coquese Washington.  Take a look through some highlights on day two, which included an entertaining evening stop in the nation's capital.

Stop III - Baltimore (Sheraton Inner Harbor)
The Baltimore crowd was greeted with a treat on Wednesday morning as coaches from four major Penn State programs took the opportunity to meet, mingle and address a room filled with Penn State fans and alums.  Joining O'Brien and Chambers on day two of the Caravan were two coaches with Big Ten Coach of the Year accolades from the 2012-13 season in Sanderson and Washington.


Washington, who led the Lady Lions to a second-straight Big Ten title and third-consecutive NCAA Tournament trip this season, spoke to the crowd first.

"It's fantastic to see so much support from Baltimore," Washington said.

Washington added that she will be thrilled for the Penn State fans in the Baltimore to be able to see the Lady Lions in person when Maryland joins the Big Ten prior to the 2014-15 season.  Washington highlighted her team's march to a second-straight conference title and updated the crowd on what lies ahead for her young team in the fall.

"We have seven freshmen coming in this summer.  Baltimore, please pray for me," Washington joked.

To close her speech, Washington expressed her appreciation for what all of the Penn State fans do for each and every program on campus.

"For us to do what we do, you guys are a part of our team," Washington said.

Fresh off leading the Penn State wrestling team to its third-straight NCAA title, Sanderson received a standing ovation as he was introduced to the crowd.  O'Brien was among the first people in the room to stand and applaud for Sanderson, who walked to the microphone clad in a dark suit with a blue "O'Brien's Lions" T-shirt on under his jacket.

"I think that was probable for the T-shirt," Sanderson joked as he opened his jacket.  "That's why O'Brien stood up first (laughter)."

Coach Chambers explained to the crowd that he and his staff spend a lot of time recruiting in the Baltimore area.  Like he did on day one, the leader of Nittany Lion basketball told the crowd to expect an exciting, high-paced attack on the hardwood when the Lions take the floor in the fall.

O'Brien spoke last during the luncheon.  He kicked off his speech with a sarcastic congratulatory message to the fans of the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the room, which drew a great deal of laughter.  Additionally, he told the crowd how he and strength coach Craig Fitzgerald Googled Cael Sanderson's name to marvel over his athletic and coaching accomplishments, which again created a roar of laughter from the crowd of 225.

The Nittany Lions currently have 11 players on the football roster from Maryland, many of which play a very prominent role on the team.  With that being said, O'Brien talked about the importance of recruiting in Maryland and how the program will continue to emphasize the importance of finding talent in Maryland.

As was the case in Reading and Philadelphia, all four coaches used the Caravan stop to say thank you for the support.  Without the core group of supporters, like the ones in the room at Baltimore, the Penn State athletic programs would not be the same.

"You are the foundation.  Without you guys we are not possible," Chambers said.


VIDEO: Baltimore Press Conference with Coach O'Brien

Stop IV: Washington (Hyatt Regency)
The Coaches Caravan moved south after the Baltimore stop to the nation's capital for the fourth program on the first week.  In front of a lively crowd of 375, O'Brien, Chambers, Sanderson and Washington delivered a superb series of speeches on Wednesday night.

"You all are a lively bunch.  This is going to be a fun evening," Washington said to open the program.

The four coaches deserve a great deal of credit for their presentations, but the fans and alums in attendance made the Washington, D.C. event one of the best in the two years of the Coaches Caravan.  From start to finish, the crowd was enthusiastic and energetic inside the Regency Ballroom.

Sanderson, who spoke second, put on a display of stand-up comedy at the podium during his five-plus minutes at the microphone.  Wearing his second piece of Bill O'Brien fan gear of the day, Sanderson donned a "Billieve" shirt under his suit jacket.

From ribbing Coach Chambers about the work he has ahead of him to telling Coach O'Brien that the reason everyone is a fan of his is because he goes for it on fourth down every chance he gets, Sanderson had the crowd roaring with laughter.

"How many times do they really go for it on fourth down?" Sanderson joked.

Chambers picked up right where Sanderson left off, telling the D.C. crowd about how he had been mistaken for Sanderson on several occasions in Baltimore and prior to the evening event Washington.  He joked that he even signed a few autographs with Sanderson's signature.

"He's a beast! I'm just a skinny point guard (laughter)," Chambers said.

Outside of the comical speeches from all four, the theme of Wednesday night centered on the folks in the room, the core Penn State fans, as O'Brien has called the group throughout the Caravan.  It is people like the enthusiastic crowd in Washington, D.C. that make Penn State sporting events and its programs so special.

Like Sanderson said during his speech about what his message is to recruits - "When you come to Penn State, you will be a part of something special," he said.  The same holds true for the fans.  When you support Penn State sports teams, whether it be fans or alums or both, you will become a part of something very special, much bigger than wins and losses on the field of play.

"This is one of the best crowds we've had since we've done this for two years," O'Brien said.

The Caravan moves to Lancaster and Camp Hill on Thursday to cap off week one.


VIDEO: Washington Press Conference with Coaches O'Brien, Washington and Sanderson

Miles Covered on Day One - 203 miles
Miles Covered on Day Two - 147 miles
Caravan Total - 350 miles    


Follow GoPSUsports.com's Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State track and field teams had a superb weekend at the prestigious Penn Relays Carnival at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa., coming away with five championships.

Junior Brittany Howell started the meet off for the Nittany Lions on Tuesday with the heptathlon. Howell had a comfortable lead after day one of the two-day event. She cruised to a victory Wednesday with a season-best of 5,084 points.

Laura Loht followed up Wednesday securing her first collegiate Penn Relays title and her second ever, the first coming as a high school senior. The junior's first throw of the day was the winning effort sailing 154-6.

On the track Wednesday Natalie Bower posted a personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.  Bower's time of 10:13.58 is the eighth fastest time posted at the relays and third fastest in the Penn State record books. The senior's time was good enough to rank her No. 20 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten.

The men's team was able to come away with its first distance medley relay victory at the games since 1959. The team of freshman Brannon Kidder, junior Brandon Bennett-Green, senior Casimir Loxsom and sophomore Robby Creese won the event in 9:24.68. Their time now ranks them No. 1 in the school record books.

Creese, Kidder and Loxsom followed up their record setting performance with a second consecutive victory in the 4x800-meter relay during the final day of competition.  Adding freshman Za'Von Watkins, the group finished the race in 7:14.14.

The men's 4x400-meter relay team also had a strong performance at the relays. Sophomore Matt Gilmore, freshman Alex Shizler, juniors Bernard and Brandon Bennett-Green posted a time of 3:06.21. The result was good enough for the group to be ranked No. 17 nationally and No.3 in the Big Ten.

The women's team also put its 4x400-meter relay team into the national rankings at the relays.  Freshman Kiah Seymour, redshirt junior Mahagony Jones, redshirt freshman Shelley Black and sophomore Dynasty McGee raced to a time of 3:33.47 good enough for No.20 in the nation and second in the Big Ten.

Senior Evonne Britton makes her first appearance in the national rankings after her performance at the Penn Relays. Britton clocked in with a time of 58.56 in the 400-meter hurdles, good enough for No. 24 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big Ten.

The men's team slipped slightly in the national rankings this week, dropping down two spots to No. 13.

Despite outstanding performances, Penn State was not ranked in the DMR and the 4x800-meter relay because the two are not official NCAA outdoor track events.

Men's Rankings as of April 30, 2013

Women's Rankings