Feb. 12, 2011
AKRON, Ohio: February 12, 2011 - A one-two finish in the men's shot put from seniors Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.), and Blake Eaton (Allegany, N.Y.) highlighted an outstanding Nittany Lion effort, Saturday at the Akron Invitational at Stile Fieldhouse. Juniors Jason Pelletier (Benton, Ark.) and Jocelyn Witmer (Lancaster, Pa.) and senior Elizabeth Kearins (Doylestown, Pa.) also notched event victories, with Pelletier and Witmer claiming blue division pole vault titles, and Kearins topping the women's blue division 800-meter field.
Kovacs launched a season-best 62-10.50 (19.16) to take top honors in an outstanding field, bettering teammate Eaton in second with a toss of 60-10.50 (18.55). Sophomore Nabil Mubarak (Loganville, Ga.) also held his own, placing fifth overall with a mark of 56-1.75 (17.11). Kovacs' performance, which was just shy of the NCAA automatic-qualifying standard of 63-4 (19.30), is among the top 10 efforts in the country this year. In fact, a pair of Nittany Lions stand among the national top 10, with Eaton just behind his teammate with a mark of 62-1.25 (18.93), from last weekend's Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup. The senior duo - Kovacs and Eaton - also fared well in the indoor discus competition on Friday night, placing third and seventh, respectively, with efforts of 174-4 (53.14), and 163-3 (49.75).
Pelletier led the Lions in the jumps, clearing 15-7 (4.75) to capture a victory in the men's pole vault, with freshman Erick Artusio (Frederick, Md.) also turning in a top five finish with a personal collegiate-best clearance of 15-1 (4.60). Witmer lead a slew of Nittany Lions atop the women's blue division, topping out at 12-2.50 (3.72). Senior Lindsay Regan (Easton, Pa.) followed in second at 12-0.50 (3.67), while senior Caitlin Fairbairn (Coatesville, Pa.), and junior Amanda Palenchar (Bradenville, Pa.) both cleared 11-6.50 (3.52) to finish third and fourth, respectively.
Junior Anya Uzoh (Laurel, Md.) also turned in a top five finish in the fields events, placing third in the men's blue division long jump. Uzoh's leap of 22-3.75 (6.80) is a lifetime indoor best. Freshman Jon Hendershot (Nazareth, Pa.) also recorded a solid finish in the blue division, placing second in the high jump with a clearance of 6-6 (1.98).
Elizabeth Kearins |
In the middle distances, Kearins took the women's blue division 800 with a season-best 2:13.89, winning her heat by almost two full seconds. Sophomore Colleen Shannon (Andover, Mass.) would also record an outstanding effort in the 800, finishing fifth in the women's gold division in 2:12.52 - her indoor personal best. Freshman Emily Giannotti (Coudersport, Pa.) also enjoyed a collegiate PR, running 5:12.33 for the mile run - good for 11th in the blue division.
Freshman Alex Kenney (State College, Pa.) was the top Penn State finisher in the sprints, placing fourth in the blue division 200-meters, with a finishing time of 22.19. Kenney would also run 6.99 in the 60-meters, taking 12th overall, coming up just .07 second shy of a spot in the event final.
The Nittany Lions will take next weekend off before traveling to the Big Ten Indoor Championships, slated for February 26-27. The women's competition is slated to be hosted by Purdue University, while the men will travel to the University of Illinois.