| Shana Cox hit the NCAA regional standard in the 400-meters with an event winning performance of 52.41 at the Auburn Tiger Classic. |
AUBURN, Ala.: April 7, 2007 ?C The Nittany Lion track and field teams added another six athletes to the growing list of NCAA regional qualifiers on Saturday at the Auburn Tiger Classic at Hutsell-Rosen Track. The day was also highlighted by a career-best and provisional-qualifying heptathlon performance from sophomore Gayle Hunter, along with regional marks from Christen Clemson, Emma Schmelzer, Aleesha Barber, Sonja Hinish, Shana Cox, and Tanner Evak.
Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) tallied 5419 points to win the heptathlon, while teammate Amber Strouse (State College, Pa.) placed third with a personal-record 4802, upping her previous best by nearly 700 points. Hunter??s mark was also a Hutsell-Rosen Track facility record.
Hunter posted the top mark in the field in all three day two events, recording season-bests in the long jump (19-5.50/5.93m), javelin (113-3/34.53m), and 800-meters (2:21.20).
Reigning Big Ten Athlete of the Week Allen Pettner (Mercersburg, Pa.) continued to look strong on the runway, winning the javelin with a facility record toss of 219-9 (66.97m). Tanner Evak (State College, Pa.) followed in second with a personal-record and regional-qualifying 217-3 (66.22m).
The Lions watched two athletes better the regional mark in the discus with Christen Clemson (Courtland, Ohio) taking second in the solid competition with a mark of 167-3 (50.98mb> Emma Schmelzer (Bloomington, Ill.) managed a fifth-place effort, bettering the regional standard with a season-best throw of 161-10 (49.32m).
Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.) shined in the 400-meters, earning the event win with a regional-qualifying 52.41. At the it was run, Cox??s performance was the third fastest time in the NCAA this season. Dominique Blake (Bronx, N.Y.), who earned a regional berth in the quarter mile last weekend, placed fourth in the event with a time of 54.84.
Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.) got under the regional standard in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing second with a career-best 59.72. Kim Markel (Wexford, Pa.), already a regional qualifier, placed third in 1:01.05. Caleb Hood (Ligonier, Pa.) took fourth in the men??s race, tallying a season-best 52.95.
Barber finished sixth in the 100-meter hurdles earlier in the day, running 13.97, while Adam Stanowick (Solon, Ohio) wound up ninth in the men??s 110 hurdles with a season-best 14.73.
Junior Sonja Hinish (Williamsburg, Pa.) dipped under the regional standard in the 3000-meter steeplechase for the second-consecutive year, clocking 10:49.96 to take second in the race. John Mahoney (Richboro, Pa.) was third in the men??s race in 9:27.23.
Ryan Fritz (Parkesburg, Pa.) placed second overall as the top collegiate in the high jump field, clearing a season-best 7-1 (2.16), and bettering the regional standard for the second-straight week.
The 4x400-meter squad, including Briene Simmons (Decatur, Ga.), Cox, Blake, and Hunter, also bettered their NCAA regional mark with a performance of 3:34.81, good for runner up honors.
The men??s decathlon saw strong performances from Chris Morrisey (Ligonier, Pa.) and James Myles, with Morrisey finishing as the runner up with a two-total of 6831, and Myles taking fourth with a career-best 6247.
The Lions saw a slew of personal-collegiate bests in the 1500-meters, as five Lions placed within the top 15 finishers. Freshman Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) was the first Penn Stater to cross the finish line, running 4:29.99 to place fifth.
Meghan Noecker (Reading, Pa.) followed in ninth in 4:32.28, shaving over 10 seconds off her best performance last spring. Claire Percival (Sarnia, Canada), who scored a regional performance in the steeplechase last weekend, ran a personal-best 4:39.25 to finish second in her heat and 11th overall in her first try in the distance this season, while Leah Rosenfeld (Ridgefield, Conn.) clocked 4:39.48, finishing 13th her first collegiate appearance in the event.
Sophomore Tim Johnson (New Cumberland, Pa.) took fifth in the men??s 1500, recording a personal-best 3:54.34, the fastest time run by a Lion this year. Mike Syrnick (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Dan Mazzocco (Pittsburgh, Pa.) also posted top 10 finishes, with Syrnick in eighth in 3:57.67, and Mazzocco going 3:57.67 to win his heat and finish ninth overall.
Simmons just missed the regional standard in the 800, going 2:09.87 for fifth. Franek doubled back in the half mile, finishing sixth in 2:14.07. Fiana York (Havertown, Pa.) and Noecker both clocked 2:16.30 in a tie for tenth.
In the throws, Heidi Nadeau (North Hampton, N.H.) managed a third-place finish in the javelin, posting a toss of 135-1 (41.18). Dane Miller (Reading, Pa.) was the top Nittany Lion finisher in the discus with a mark of 152-1 (46.35m) to take fourth, and went on to grab sixth in the shot put with a mark of 54-2.75 (16.53m).
Freshman Caitlin Fairbairn (Coatesville, Pa.) cleared 11-7.75 (3.55m), on her way to a fifth-place finish in the pole vault. John Vellenoweth (Wheeling, W.Va.) took fifth on the men??s side thanks to a season-best 15-7 (4.75m).
The 4x100-meter team of Barber, Cox, Blake, and Burns wound up fourth in a strong field, clocking 45.95.
The Lions are set to continue competition in SEC country next weekend, traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., for the Sea Ray Relays. Action is scheduled for April 13-14.