Jan. 12, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion track and field squads got their seasons off to an impressive start on Saturday, winning a total of nine events and setting two new school records at the Penn State Relays at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. Junior Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.) was a double winner individually, capturing victories in the 300-meter dash and 55-meter hurdles. Barber's hurdle performance of 7.75 was not only a meet record, but bested her own Penn State mark and met the NCAA provisional-qualifying standard.
"We're super excited about our performances today," said Director of Track and Field Beth Alford-Sullivan. "We definitely had a lot of great things happen today and I can't wait to see what we can do as we continue on our championship drive."
Freshman Shavon GReaves (Lakewood, N.J.) was equally as remarkable in her Nittany Lion debut, winning the 55-meter dash, turning in a school- and meet-record 6.98. Greaves and Barber were also key legs on a pair of winning relays. Senior Briene Simmons (Decatur, Ga.), and junior Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) joined the duo on the 4x400-meters, which earned the victory in a meet-record 3:41.15, while freshman Caitlin Defusco (Schwenksville, Pa.) and senior Dominique Blake (Bronx, N.Y.) were members of the winning 4x200-meters.
Barber's 38.18 personal best in the 300 led a Penn State sweep of the event, with Greaves finishing as the runner-up in 38.58, and Hunter taking third in 39.37.
Also a winner in the relays was the men's 4x800-meters, which recovered from several hiccups to hold on to the win. The team included freshman Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.), sophomore Cody Edling (Lansdale, Pa.), senior Mark Miller (Shillington, Pa.), who ran an outstanding leg to put his team in the lead, and freshman Sam Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio), who bounced back from an early tumble to anchor the Lions to the 7:38.61 win.
Borchers also led off the winning distance medley relay, which also featured classmate Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.), sophomore Kevin Fuller (Camp Hill, Pa.), and junior Brian Fuller (Camp Hill, Pa.). The team was solid in the season opener, clocking 9:57.53, good for a new meet record.
The women's DMR also came out in the Lions' favor, with junior Meghan Noecker (Reading, Pa.) on the 1200-meters, freshman Megan Duncan (North Huntingdon, Pa.) on the 400-meters, senior Fiana York (Havertown, Pa.) on the 800-meters, and sophomore Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio), who provided an impressive 4:45 readout on the mile anchor, closing out the 11:35.74 win - just off of NCAA provisional status - and a new Penn State Relays record.
The men's 4xMile relay added another triumph to the Penn State performance list as junior Tim Johnson (New Cumberland, Pa.), junior John Mahoney (Richboro, Pa.), freshmam Lucas Zarzeczny (Pittsburgh, Pa.), and senior Teddy Quinn (Rush, N.Y.) combined to win in 17:26.22 - over 20 seconds ahead of the second place team.
In the field, senior Lena Bettis (Riverside, Calif.) led the charge with a PR 40-10.25 (12.45) to take second in the triple jump. Freshman Gabriela Baiter (Greenlawn, N.Y.) showed outstanding promise in her first Lion appearance, jumping 40-6.25 (12.35) for third. Junior Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.) highlighted the men's jumps with a runner-up standing in the triple jump, posting a leap of 49-9 (15.16).
Hunter headlined a quartet of Lions who took four of the top five slots in the long jump with a leap of 19-8.75 (6.01). Bettis, freshman Bianca Fung (North Babylon, N.Y.), and Baiter finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. Fung proved to be a dual threat clearing a collegiate-best 5-7 (1.70) in the high jump, good for a fourth-place tie.
Junior Emma Schmelzer (Bloomington, Ill.) came up big in the throws, taking second in the shot put with a personal-best 46-5.25 (14.15), enough for second place. Schmelzer was also fourth in the 20-pound weight throw, just behind teammate Helen Higgins (Waynesburg, Pa.) in third.
The Lions are back at home next weekend, hosting the Penn State Open on January 19, at Ashenfelter Indoor Track.