Nittany Lions Bring Home More Stellar Performances Despite Windy Conditions at Jesse OwensNittany Lions Bring Home More Stellar Performances Despite Windy Conditions at Jesse Owens

Nittany Lions Bring Home More Stellar Performances Despite Windy Conditions at Jesse Owens

May 3, 2008

Results

COLUMBUS, Ohio: May 3, 2008 - Despite sometimes illegal wind conditions, the Nittany Lion Track and Field team still managed to excel on Saturday, turning in a flurry of season-best performances as well as a handful of NCAA regional marks. Leading the way on the afternoon was senior Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.), who managed victories in the 200-meters, 400-meters, and 4x100-meter relay. Cox smoothly sailed to victory in the quarter mile, turning in a season-best 52.45. The senior was just as impressive in the 200, bettering the competition by nearly half a second and running 23.37. The team of Shavon GReaves (Lakewood, N.J.), Cox, Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.), and Dominique Blake (Bronx, N.Y.) combined to win the 400-meter relay, running a season-best 45.78, missing the NCAA regional mark by less than a tenth of a second. Other event winners included Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.), and Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.).

Dorr, just a sophomore, provided one of the more exciting finishes of the afternoon, coming from behind to nip Michigan's Amber Hay in the 400-meter hurdles, narrowly besting the Wolverine, 58.77 - 57.78. Dorr's mark is not only a personal best, but is also an NCAA regional mark, the best time in the Big Ten this season, ties for the fifth-fastest performance in school history, and is among the top 15 performances in the NCAA in 2008. Teammate Megan Duncan (North Huntingdon, Pa.) followed in third place, clocking 1:00.12.

The short hurdles were just as successful for the Nittany Lions, as redshirt sophomore Barber posted a sizzling season-best 13.21 in the 100-meter barriers, finishing second to only defending NCAA champ Tiffany Ofili of Michigan. Barber's race was run in a wind of 3.9 m/sec, which is just under the allowable 4.0 for NCAA qualifying, but cannot count as a new school record (allowable 2.0 m/s). Junior Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) also managed a regional-qualifying performance in the event, running a season-best 13.60. Senior Ron Jules (Tom's River, N.J.) also recorded a big personal best, running 13.96 in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing third in an outstanding field.

Smith soared to a personal-best 52-02.75 (15.92) in the triple jump - adding nearly a foot and a half to his previous PR, and bettering the field by two feet. Smith's big PR is the fourth-best jump in school history, and is ranked in the top 15 in the NCAA this season. Teammate Ryan Taylor (Spanish Town, Jamaica) added a regional-qualifying 49-05 (15.06) to finish fourth, while Jay Pagana (Selinsgrove, Pa.) took fifth with a leap of 48-11.75 (14.93).

Senior Mark Miller (Shillington, Pa.) ran an outstanding final stretch of the men's 800-meters running, a season-best 1:49.33 to finish as the top collegiate and coming in second to professional standout Rob Myers of Reebok, who nosed Miller by just two tenths of a seconds. Freshman Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.) took sixth in the heat, clocking 1:51.36.

The Lions made quite a statement in the 200, winning four of the event's five heats, and placing four women in the top 11 finishers. After Cox's victory, Hunter clocked a season-low 24.12 to win her heat and finish third overall, Greaves took top honors in her section at 24.25 - the sixth-fastest time of the day, and Blake won her race in 24.43, taking 11th overall. Volunteer assistant Gigi Johnson helped to make even more of a Penn State presence, posting a runner-up effort in the event with a time of 23.76.

The Nittany Lions were also hot in the horizontal jumps, with Hunter posting a PR 20-10 (6.35) in the long jump, good for third place on the day and the fourth-best jump in school history. Senior Lena Bettis (Riverside, Calif.) added another top 10 finish in the event, taking ninth with a season-best and regional-qualifying 19-10.75 (6.06). Bettis backed up performance in the long jump with a season-long 41-03.25 (12.58) in the triple jump, enough for third place on the afternoon. Indoor provisional qualifier Gabriela Baiter (Greenlawn, N.Y.) posted a solid start in her first appearance of the outdoor season, going 40-01.50 (12.23) - just shy of the regional mark - to finish fifth.

In the throws, freshman Karlee McQuillen (Johnstown, Pa.) took second in the javelin with a toss of 173-1 (52.76), while teammate Heidi Nadeau (North Hampton, N.H.) recorded a season-best 153-01 (46.65) to take fourth. Freshman Kim Hanslovan (Luthersburg, Pa.) made it three Lions in the top five, winding up fifth with a collegiate PR 140-0 (42.68).

The Lions are at home next weekend, hosting the Penn State Open on May 10, with the Big Ten Championships to follow on May 16-18.