June 30, 2008
EUGENE, Ore. - Monday evening was certainly a challenging one for the Nittany Lion track and field contingent at the US Olympic Trials at Historic Hayward Field, as several Lion athletes competed at the highest levels, but failed to advance in the competition. Finishing out competition at the 2008 Trials was Lion alum Ryan Olkowski, who finished 11th in the two-day decathlon. Olkowski scored 7633 in one of the best multi-event fields in US history, scoring personal bests in both the pole vault (15-9/4.80) and the javelin (174-0/53.03) on day two.
Penn State graduate student Shana Cox (Westbury, N.Y.) saw her outstanding season come to a close after finishing fifth in her semi-final heat of the 400-meters at ninth overall - just one spot shy of the eight-woman final. Cox's 51.90 was a heartbreaking two one-hundreths of a second off a lane in the finals. Cox, who is still entered in the 200-meters next weekend, finishes out one of the best seasons in Penn State history as she was the NCAA, East Region, and Big Ten Champion in the 400, as well as an NCAA Champion in the 4x400-meter relay.
Sophomore Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio) also fell just short of advancement, placing eighth in her heat and 16th overall in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Franek finished in 10:11.56 in an elite field, coming up just two spots off one of the 14 qualifying spots. Franek ends her sophomore season with a Big Ten title in the event, as well as a bronze-medal effort at the NCAA Championships.
Junior Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) also closed out her 2008 campaign on Monday, finishing 19th overall in the long jump preliminaries with a leap of 19-09.75 (6.04). Hunter took fifth in the event at the NCAA Championships, to go along with a fifth-place finish in the heptathlon at the national meet.
Several Lions will be back in action after a two-day break, including Ryan Fritz (Parkesburg, Pa.), Clarence Smith (Coatesville, Pa.) and Penn State alum 19-09.75.