Brittany Maun Ties School Record; Clears Provisional Qualifier at Tyson Invitational

Feb. 13, 2010

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Senior Brittany Maun (Greensburg, Pa.) tied a Penn State record by clearing a personal-best and NCAA-provisional qualifier in the high jump, highlighting the Nittany Lion effort on the final day of action at the Tyson Invitational, Saturday at Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas. The women's 4x400-meter relay also helped the Nittany Lion close out the second day of competition on a high note, combining to clock a season-best and provisional-qualifying performance.

Maun was clean through the first two bars of the women's invitational section, easily clearing 5-7 (1.70), and 5-8.75 (1.75) on her first attempt. With just seven competitors remaining as the bar was raised to 5-10 (1.78), Maun missed on her first try, before successfully making the height on her second attempt. Down to six athletes left as the height went to 5-11.25 (1.81), Maun took a pair of attempts at the bar before clearing the new career best and NCAA provisional qualifier on her third go-around. Maun would bow out after three tries at 6-0.50 (1.84), but her PR 5-11.25 is currently among the top 15 clearances in the country and a top three mark within the Big Ten this year. Maun's record leap matches Antoinette O'Carroll's Penn State standard, which has stood since 1987.

After outstanding afternoons on Friday, Nittany Lion sprint stars Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.) and Fawn Dorr (Akron, N.Y.) continued to impress against top competition, with Greaves going 23.55 in the 200-meters - the fifth-fastest effort by a collegian on the day, and the 11th-best performance overall among some of the nation's top professionals. Greaves, who has already automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the event, currently stands second in Division I with a PR 23.16. Dorr held her own in the one lapper at Tyson, posting an effort of 24.07 - just off her career-best 23.98 - to finish 19th overall. Junior Caitlin Defusco (Schwenksville, Pa.) also ran right up on her PR, finishing in 24.26 for 27th in a field of well over 100 athletes. In the 200 heats, freshman Collin Manning (Bowie, Md.) recorded a section victory with a career-best finishing time of 22.30.

Dorr took the baton on the third leg of the 4x400 with a gap in front of her, but brought the Nittany Lions back within striking distance of the pack with a sizzling 52.1 split. Dorr would hand off the Greaves on the anchor and the junior would split 53.3 on the closer, crossing the tape in a season-best 3:36.43. The race was one of the hottest in the NCAA this winter, as host Arkansas combined to run an NCAA-leading 3:32.87, followed by Oregon in 3:33.31. The Lions would finish eighth overall, and seventh among collegiate programs in the sensational field.

Sophomore Tanaya Lloyd (Philadelphia, Pa.) recorded a career best in the triple jump with a leap of 40-0 (12.19) to finish ninth in the women's collegiate field and adding nearly a foot onto her previous PR. Classmate Courtney Bell (Norristown, Pa.) would place 19th with a jump of 38-10.50 (11.85), while Kellyn Burns (Kennett Square, Pa.) took 26th with an effort of 38-0.75 (11.60) - just two centimeters off her career best. On the men's side, redshirt-freshman Dan Sandrowicz (Indiana, Pa.) notched a 12th-place finish in the collegiate section, jumping 47-8.50 (14.54).

Elsewhere in the field, senior Brad Lawrence (Voorhees, N.J.) topped out at 15-1 (4.60) to tie for eighth place in the men's collegiate pole vault, while redshirt-freshman Hanif Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa.) posted a leap of 48-2.75 (14.70) in the men's invitational triple jump.

The Nittany Lions officially conclude regular season action this weekend, and will take next weekend off before heading into the Big Ten Championships, set for Feb. 27-28. The men will travel to the University of Minnesota for the event, while the women will stay home and host the competition at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.