Feb. 13, 2009
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.: Led by an NCAA provisional-qualifying performances by Gayle Hunter (Riverside, Calif.) in the 400-meters and John Vellenoweth (Wheeling, W.Va.) in the pole vault, the Nittany Lion track and field teams are off and running at the Tyson Invitational, Friday at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Other top performances on the afternoon included a second-place finish from Bianca Fung (North Babylon, N.Y.) in the long jump, and an 8.37 effort from Aleesha Barber (Decatur, Ga.) in the 60-meter hurdles - good for a slot in tomorrow's hurdle final.
The evening still has much in store for the Nittany Lions, however, as the women's 4x400-meter relay is set to race in the elite Tyson Invitational section, scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CST, Friday evening. The Nittany Lions, who came into the weekend with the top time in the world in 2009 at 3:36.10, are set to battle it out with fellow national sprint powers Arkansas, Louisiana State, Florida State, and South Carolina.
The Nittany Lion men's pole vault contingent had a solid afternoon - despite a delay of well over two hours due to an equipment malfunction - with Vellenoweth leading the way with a PR clearance of 17-0.75 (5.20) - a full foot higher than his previous best - bettering the Tyson field and Mason Ternay's Penn State standard of 17-0 (5.18) from 1992. Teammate Brad Lawrence (Voorhees, N.J.) also had an outstanding day, topping out at a career-best 15-9.75 (4.81) to tie for eighth place.
Hunter scurried to the lead at the break and never looked back, posting a wire-to-wire heat victory in the 400. The senior will advance to tomorrow's final thanks to her 53.96 PR - the second-fastest mark of the afternoon and the 11th-best in the NCAA this season. Hunter is now an NCAA qualifier in an astounding five events - the most of any Division I competitor - including an automatic mark in the pentathlon, and provisional performances in the 400, 60 hurdles, 4x400-meter relay, and long jump.
Penn State is once again solidifying its place as one of the quarter mile stalwarts at the national level, as the Lions are one of just two programs to boast two athletes under to 54-second mark in 2009, including Hunter and teammate Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.), who has run 53.62 this season. Dorr and Hunter - who stand first and second in the Big Ten Conference - are now ranked third and fourth in the Penn State record books, standing behind only NCAA Champion Shana Cox, and NCAA All-American Dominique Blake.
The men's quarter mile featured a strong finish from junior Mike Cadau (Mahanoy City, Pa.), who recovered from the mid-race stumble to mount a charge on the final turn to finish second in his heat. Cadau's 48.66 was ranked 29th in Friday's field.
Shavon GReaves (Lakewood, N.J.) also had a solid showing in the sprints, finishing seventh overall in 7.51. Greaves opened well in the preliminaries, going 7.53 - the seventh-fastest mark in qualifiying. Teammate Caitlin Defusco (Schwenksville, Pa.) recorded a 7.95 clocking in the preliminaries - just off her season-best 7.87.
Also in the field, Fung sailed to 19-feet, nine and a half inches on her first attempt in the long jump, good for second place in a talented women's field. Hunter would finish seventh in the championship section of the long jump, going 19-9.75 (6.04).
Action in the collegiate sections continues tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. CST, while the Nittany Lions who will be competing at the Husky Invitational at Washington will get underway at 7:30 a.m. PST.