April 2, 2011
GAINESVILLE, Fla.- April 1, 2011 - Highlighted by nationally elite performances from Ryan Foster (Tasmania, Australia) and Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.) the Nittany Lion track and field teams have closed the books on day one of competition at the Pepsi Florida Relays, Friday at Percy Beard Track on the campus of the University of Florida. Senior Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) was also outstanding, turning in personal bests in both the discus and hammer throws, claiming spots on the all-time Nittany Lion top 10 list in both events. Action in Gainesville continues on Saturday.
In just his first-career outdoor appearance for the Nittany Lions, Gehret posted performances worthy of spots in the Penn State record books, as both marks rank in the all-time Nittany Lion top 10. The freshman would clock 20.93 - fourth on the Penn State top 10 - to place ninth overall on the day and seventh among collegians. Gehret also recorded a ninth-place effort in the 400-meters, going 46.88 to take over fifth place in the PSU record book. After opening the season in the 1500-meters a week ago, Foster continued to run strong, placing second in an outstanding 800-meter field in 1:47.83. Foster's effort currently ranks third in Division I.
Kovacs posted a pair of top 10 finishes on the afternoon, placing seventh in the "invitational" discus, thanks to a PR toss of 175-5 (53.48), which ranks sixth in the Penn State record books. The redshirt junior would also record a career performance in the hammer throw, going 190-3 (58.00), solidifying his position as the seventh-best hammer throw in Nittany Lion history.
The Lions ended day one on a high note, thanks to a fourth-place standing by freshman Nick Scarpello (Jamison, Pa.) in the 5,000-meters. Scarpello broke the tape in 14:26.76 in his first go-around in the event. Redshirt sophomore Chris Cipro (Harmony, Pa.) also represented the Nittany Lions in the top 10, finishing seventh in 14:34.37.
"For a season opener, our first day went well in some aspects while we struggled a little bit in others," said Director and Head Coach of Track and Field Beth Alford-Sullivan. "We're excited about Foster, running one of his best 800s of 2011, and certainly for Brady Gehret, who competed very well for the Nittany Lions in achieving two Penn State top 10 performances. We rounded the evening out with good performances in the 5K, and Joe Kovacs represented us very well in the field with two top 10 marks in our record books."
The Nittany Lions also saw outstanding 400-meter openers from junior Ijeoma Iheoma (Holland, Pa.), and sophomore Doris Anyanwu (Beltsville, Md.) with Iheoma taking 15th overall with a personal-collegiate best 54.53, and Anyanwu posting a 20th-place effort with a finishing time of 54.94. Penn State had an outstanding presence throughout the women's quarter mile, with former Lions Shana Cox (Adidas) and Fawn Dorr (Brooks) placing second and fourth, respectively, in the event. Cox clocked a season-best 51.46, while Dorr toured one lap in 52.63. Cox's finish is the second-fastest time in the world this year, while Dorr's effort ranks among the top 15 performances according to the IAAF.
Also running well in the sprints was senior Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.), who place fourth in the "invitational" 200-meters in 23.71, just off Cox in third in 23.41. Sophomore Evonne Britton (El Paso, Texas) would also post a top 10 finish in the event area, placing 10th in the 400-meter hurdles in 59.52.
Penn State also impressed in the middle distances with freshman Rebekka Simko (Mentor, Ohio) turning in a collegiate PR 2:09.50 for the 800 - good for seventh place on the day. In her first-career appearance in the event, senior Maura Ryan (Doylestown, Pa.) excelled in the 1500-meters, going 4:28.92 for fifth-place overall.
Sophomore Lindsey Graybill (Macungie, Pa.) well represented the Lions in the longer distances, scoring a personal-best 10:44.67 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to claim fifth place on the evening. Graybill's mark in the eighth fastest in school history.
"On the ladies' side, our women's 400 contingency produced some great early season marks with Ije looking very good in her outdoor PR," continued Sullivan. "In the middle distances, it was nice to see Bekka Simko nearly match her lifetime best in the 800, and Maura Ryan run a great race in the first 1500 of her career. We also ended the women's results on a good note with a nice personal best from Lindsey Graybill in the steeple."
"Great weather in Gainesville, but an extremely long day of competition for all of our athletes," said Sullivan. "Being the first meet, we're really earning their our sea legs for this outdoor season. We look to capitalize on individual performances with relays tomorrow."
Action in Gainesville continues tomorrow morning with the women's javelin at 11:30 a.m. For more on Nittany Lion track and field, log on to www.goPSUsports.com