| Gayle Hunter earned her first career All-America certificate finishing eighth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Track and Field Championships. |
SACRAMENTO, Calif.; June 8, 2007 ?C Sophomore Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) claimed her first-career All-America certificate on Friday, finishing eighth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex, while sophomore Ryan Fritz (Parkesburg, Pa.) earned his second All-America honor in the high jump. Junior Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.) will vie for her seventh-career All-America performance, advancing through to Saturday??s 400-meter final.
Hunter finished off the two-day event with an outstanding 800-meter performance, running 2:18.68 to make the medal stand, scoring a total of 5711 and taking down Pam Connell??s 5706, which has stood as the Penn State record since 1991.
??It was another great day for our program,?? said Director of Track and Field Beth Alford-Sullivan. ??We??re very proud of the great efforts and competitive spirit of Gayle (Hunter) as she finished as an All-American. Ryan (Fritz) had an excellent competition and we??re very excited about his second All-America finish this year. Shana (Cox) is also in great positive for tomorrow after running one of her best races of the season.??
On fire from the start of the final three events, Hunter soared to field-best 20-1.50 (6.13) on her final attempt in the long jump ?C her best effort during a heptathlon this season, and third-farthest jump overall. Hunter won two events over two days, posting the top time in the 200-meters on Thursday. With her clutch jump, Hunter gained 890 points to move to eighth in the overall standings. The sophomore, who is competing in her fourth-career NCAA multi-event competition, proceeded to toss a career-long 118-3 (36.05) in the javelin, entering the day??s final event in ninth place.
Fritz was clean through the first three bars in the men??s high jump, as the field slimmed to ten competitors going to 7-2.50 (2.20). The sophomore, who finished fifth indoors, faltered on his three attempts at the PR-tying height, exiting the competition in a tie for ninth place.
Cox, advancing through to the 400-meter final for the second-straight year, ran 51.74 ?C her second-best time of the year - to finish second in her semi-final heat. The junior, who finished third in the event last year, also clocked the second-best time in qualifying and will look to carry her momentum into tomorrow??s final, set for 10:44 a.m. PST.
Redshirt freshman Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.) wound up seventh in her semi-final heat, and 12th overall in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing in 57.80, just missing a spot in tomorrow??s final. Barber closes out her first collegiate outdoor campaign, finishing the year with a Big Ten title in the long hurdles, and a third-place finish at the NCAA East Regional Championships.
Freshman Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio), who was appearing in her third NCAA Championship event of her rookie year, finished 12th in the 3000-meter steeplechase, running 10:11.68. The freshman ran an outstanding race for a first-year athlete, holding her own in a race that saw a national collegiate record set by Michigan??s Anna Willard (9.38.08). Franek also built an extensive resume this year, setting the Penn State record in the event, and also earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors following two third-place finishes at the conference meet.
Sophomore Tanner Evak (State College, Pa.) managed an 11th-place finish in the men??s javelin final, posting a throw of 207-4 (63.21). Evak, who was the Big Ten runner-up and the fourth-place finisher in the East Region, made the second round in dramatic fashion on Wednesday earning advancement on his last attempt.
??We also got outstanding efforts from Tanner (Evak), Bridget (Franek), and Aleesha (Barber),?? continued Sullivan. ??All three athletes showed tremendous composure in their first appearances at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, and showed a lot of promise for the future.??
Competition concludes tomorrow, beginning at 10 a.m. PST. CBS will provide live coverage, running from 1-3 p.m. ET.