April 13, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. - Redshirt sophomore Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.), and freshman Karlee McQuillen (Johnstown, Pa.) made Penn State history on Saturday, posting school-record performances, while seven Nittany Lions added regional-qualifying performances to an already impressive season total at the Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State University.
McQuillen launched a career-best 176-0 (53.64) on her first attempt in the javelin, tacking nearly 12 feet onto her previous best to better Carrie Karabinos' 169-3 (51.58) from 1999. McQuillen's is also among the top five throws in the NCAA this season. McQuillen won the event - her first collegiate victory - by over six feet.
Barber opened the day in the 100 hurdles, clocking a career-best and school-record 13.27. Barber bettered the previous Penn State standard of 13.34, set by Toyin Augustus in 2001. Ironically, Augustus, who is still competing professionally, lined up in the lane next to Barber in Saturday's race, finishing second overall with a time of 13.14. Barber wound up tied for fourth in the outstanding field.
"It was another very productive weekend for the Nittany Lions, adding another seven regional qualifiers, two school records, and competing among the top contenders in our conference and on the national level," said Director of Track and Field Beth Alford-Sullivan about the day's events. "We had outstanding performances from Karlee (McQuillen), Dominique (Blake), Shana (Cox), Aleesha (Barber), Mark (Miller), and Ron (Jules), and many others to continue our drive towards success at the end of the season"
The Lions were outstanding in the women's 400-meters, providing a one-two finish, with Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.), and Dominique Blake (Bronx, N.Y.) both recording sub-53 second performances. Cox cruised to victory, running a NCAA-leading 52.48, while Blake sprinted to a PR 52.91. Both quarter milers were equally as sensational on the winning 4x400-meters, posting the two fastest splits on the Nittany Lion squad. Senior Briene Simmons (Decatur, Ga.) opened up with a 55.3 split, with Blake providing a 52.7 on the second leg. Sophomore Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) clocked a gutsy 53.0 readout, keeping the Lions within striking distance of the Sun Devils in front of their hometown crowd. Cox took the baton on the anchor, splitting 52.0 and quieting the raucous Tempe faithful, and icing the 3:32.72 win. Simmons' added her own regional mark earlier in the day, running 2:09.55 in the 800-meters, good for sixth place in the elite invitational section.
"This is the first time we've traveled to this competition, and the facility, the weather, and the competing teams created an atmosphere that was charged with excitement," said Sullivan.
Also hitting regional mark for the first time this season was senior Mark Miller (Shillington, Pa.), who dipped under the NCAA standard, going 1:49.51 - a season best - to finish as the second collegiate, fourth-fastest overall in the invitational field. Classmate Ron Jules (Tom's River, N.J.) recorded another regional mark for the Lions, posting a third-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.17, tying his own lifetime best.
In the distances, sophomore Cheryl Spring (The Woodlands, Texas) ran to her first-career regional performance, clocking a PR 10:43.13 to finish fourth in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Teammate Claire Percival (Sarnia, Ontario) was fifth in the event, running 10:43.49 to better her season best by just over two seconds. Putting her name of the regional list in her second event in as many weeks was sophomore Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio), who ran 4:23.03 for 1500-meters, while classmate Leah Rosenfeld (Ridgefield, Conn.) clocked a lifetime best 4:25.90 in the race. Franek and Rosenfeld finished eighth and 12th, respectively, in a tremendous field that went 14 deep in regional qualifiers.
Junior Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.), who qualified for the regional championships last weekend, provided another top five showing, posting a leap of 49-02.25 (14.99) in the triple jump. Freshman Bianca Fung (North Babylon, N.Y.) also registered a stellar day on the runway, hitting the regional-qualifying with a PR 19-11.50 (6.08) in the long to tie for third place. Junior Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) also punched her ticket to the regional meet, jumping 19-8.75 (6.01) to take sixth overall.
The Lions will take a break from traveling next weekend, taking the short drive to Lewisburg, Pa., for the Bucknell Team Challenge. Action is set for Saturday, April 19.