Feb. 13, 2011
SEATTLE, Wash.: February 12, 2011 - Junior Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) clocked one of the fastest 3,000-meter efforts in the collegiate ranks this year, Saturday at the Flotrack Husky Classic at Dempsey Indoor on the campus of the University of Washington. Also running well was senior Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio), who provided the best performance of the morning sections in the men's mile run.
Lane held her own in one of the deepest 3K fields of the season, finishing sixth overall with a personal-best 9:18.74, which is also the second-fastest time run by a Nittany Lion in the last decade. Not only was Lane's performance sixth overall on the day - thanks to a furious last 400-meters - it was the third fastest by a collegian in the field, and also stands among the top 15 best efforts in the event in Division I this year, and is currently the second-fastest time by a Big Ten athlete.
Borchers clocked a season-best 4:03.91 to win his heat of the mile run by nearly two seconds. Borchers' mark is also the second-fastest mile performance by a Nittany Lion on the year, and enough for 24th place on the day. Also running well in the event were freshmen Tyler Corkedale (West Windsor, N.J.) and Nick Scarpello (Jamison, Pa.), who ran 4:09.23, and 4:09.68, respectively, marking the second sub-4:10 performance of the year for both athletes.
Redshirt freshman Aaron Nadolsky (Altoona, Pa.), who was a member of Penn State's distance medley relay on Friday evening, provided the Nittany Lions' lone top five finish of the day, coming in fourth in the 400-meters in 48.03.
Recording a big PR in the middle distances from senior Maura Ryan (Doylestown, Pa.), who took 12th in the 800-meters. Ryan's career-best 2:08.75 is also the second-best effort by a Nittany Lion since the 2000 season.
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.