Feb. 11, 2011
LIVE Results | Brady Gehret Interview
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.: February 11, 2010 - Freshman Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.) made his way into the Penn State record books on Friday, setting a new school record in the men's 400-meter dash, at the Tyson Invitational at Randal Tyson Track Center. Gehret's performance highlighted several outstanding Nittany Lion efforts during the opening session at Tyson, including Nittany Lion alumni Shana Cox, who clocked the fifth-fastest time in the world in the women's 400.
Also providing a stellar series of races was sophomore Evonne Britton (El Paso, Texas), who would run 8.36 to finish fifth overall in a stacked 60-meter hurdle field. Britton opened up the weekend running 8.43 - the eighth-best time in preliminaries - and followed up with an impressive 8.39 - the seventh-fastest effort in the field - in the semi-finals.
Gehret, who clocked 46.25 in the effort, more than proved he could hold his own in an elite field, placing fourth overall, and sprinting to second place in his heat, finishing runner-up to only Florida's Tony McQuay, who ran an NCAA automatic-qualifying 45.95. Including the performances from Tyson, Gehret now stands fifth in Divison I, and is the fastest by a freshman. The Tyson event was undoubtedly the deepest quarter mile field thus far in 2011, with three of the top five times in Division I this year coming out of the competition, including an NCAA leading 45.82 from Georgia's Torrin Lawrence. Gehret's effort is also the fastest by a Big Ten athlete in 2011.
The freshman's performance bettered one of the older school standards in the Nittany Lion indoor record book, overtaking Michael Timpson's 46.81, run in 1987.
The Nittany Lions - current and former - were on fire from the start of competition, with alumnus Cox - of Adidas - sprinting to a personal-indoor best 52.16, which is also the fifth-fastest time in the world this year. Cox finished second-to-only fellow professional Natasha Hastings of Nike, who clocked a scorching 51.44 - the second best effort in the world, and fastest performance on American soil in 2011.
The Nittany Lions fared well throughout the event, with senior Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.) notching a heat victory in 54.03. The weekend's opening competition also produced lifetime-indoor bests from senior Megan Duncan (North Huntingdon, Pa.), and Ijeoma Iheoma (Holland, Pa.), who clocked 55.26, and 55.29, respectively. Duncan's effort was enough for a heat victory, and 25th overall, while Iheoma wound up 27th, after placing second in her section. Sophomore Doris Anyanwu (Beltsville, Md.) also competed in the 400, placing 28th overall, also clocking 55.29.
In the field, freshman Brittney Howell (Wyncote, Pa.) placed 25th overall in the women's college long jump, going 17-9 (5.41).
Action will continue on Saturday, beginning with the women's college triple jump at 11:00 a.m.
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Tyson Invitational - Event by Event Results
| Women's 400-Meters | ||
| 2. | Shana Cox (Adidas) | 52.16 |
| 11. | Shavon Greaves | 54.03 |
| 25. | Megan Duncan | 55.26 |
| 27. | Ijeoma Iheoma | 55.29 |
| 28. | Doris Anyanwu | 55.29 |
| Men's 400-Meters | ||
| 4. | Brady Gehret | 46.25 |
| 40. | Mark Filandro | 48.88 |
| Women's 60-Meter Hurdles | ||
| 8. | Evonne Britton | 8.43 - Prelim |
| 7. | Evonne Britton | 8.39 - Semi |
| 5. | Evonne Britton | 8.36 - Final |
| Women's 60-Meter Dash | ||
| 34. | Shavon Greaves | 7.50 - Prelim |
| 73. | Caitlin Defusco | 7.85 - Prelim |
| Women's Long Jump | ||
| 25. | Brittney Howell | 17-9 (5.41) |
| Men's Long Jump | ||
| 28. | Hanif Johnson | 21-7.50 (6.59) |
| FOUL | Dan Sandrowicz | |