Feb. 26, 2011
Results | Illinois Championship Central
CHAMPAIGN, Ill.: February 26, 2011 - Senior Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) highlighted the Nittany Lion effort on day of one of the Big Ten Indoor Championships, capturing his first-career Big Ten title via a victory in the shot put, Saturday at the University of Illinois. Kovacs' effort also carries national merit, as his personal-best toss of 65-1.25 (19.84) is also an NCAA automatic qualifier, as well as the second-best throw in Penn State history. The Nittany Lions enjoyed a solid effort throughout all of Saturday's final rounds, including scoring performances from Doug Moppert (Malvern, Pa.) in the long jump, Blake Eaton (Allegany, N.Y.) in the shot put, and the men's distance medley quartet of Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio), Aaron Nadolsky (Altoona, Pa.), Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.), and Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia).
Kovacs' victory was the 11th men's Big Ten indoor title in program history, and the first indoor victory in a field event since Clarence Smith won the triple jump in 2009. Nationally speaking, Kovacs' performance is the second-best put in the Division I this season, trailing only Kansas' Mason Finley who owns a best of 67-11.50 (20.71) in 2011. Eaton also provided a scoring finish in the event, placing sixth overall in 59-4.75 (18.10).
Moppert also provided a top-eight standing in the field, placing sixth in the long jump. The junior posted a leap of 24-0.25 (7.32) in the effort in his first-career appearance at the Big Ten Championships. The Nittany Lion DMR squad also added an eighth-place effort to the Nittany Lion total, combining to run 10:04.23.
The Nittany Lions were successful throughout the preliminary rounds on the track, including a pair of qualifying efforts from freshman Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.) in the 200- and 400-meters. Gehret clocked 21.47 in the 200 - the third-fastest effort of the afternoon - and 48.54 in the 400, which was also the third-best performance of the day. Penn State saw a duo of Nittany Lions through in the 600-meters, including sophomore Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.), and senior Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.). Loxsom qualified via a heat victory in 1:18.14, while Williams advanced on time, finishing in 1:20.29.
Seniors Foster and Borchers would also advance in their respective events, with Foster earning a section victory in the 800-meters in 1:51.36, and Borchers moving on in the mile run with an effort of 4:07.94. Foster is no stranger to the Big Ten final, as he is the two-time defending champion in the half-mile event.
Also faring well on day one was junior Anya Uzoh (Laurel, Md.), who stands sixth in the heptathlon after four events with 2948 points. Uzoh posted efforts of 7.13 in the 60-meter dash, 21-8.25 (6.61) in the long jump, 40-2 (12.24) in the shot put, and 6-5 (1.96) in the high jump. The 60-meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1000-meter run remain tomorrow.
Action in Champaign picks back up on Sunday morning, 10:00 a.m., CT, with the men's heptathlon hurdles.