April 2, 2011
Florida Relays Complete Results | Florida Relays Complete Results
11 Liberty Collegiate Invite Complete Results
Interview with Beth Alford-Sullivan
Interview with the Men's 4x400
Interview with Hanif Johnson
Interview with Maura Ryan
Florida Relays Highlight Reel
GAINESVILLE, Fla - Thanks to stellar efforts from Aaron Nadolsky (Altoona, Pa.), Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.), Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.), and Lionel Williams (Staten Island, N.Y.), the Nittany Lion men's 4x400-meter relay squad clocked a new Penn State record, capping off a solid two days of results, Saturday at the Pepsi Florida Relays at Percy Beard Track. Junior Hanif Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa.) also posted an outstanding afternoon, winning the men's triple jump with a lifetime-best effort. The women's javelin contingent highlighted the Penn State results on the women's side, with senior Karlee McQuillen (Johnstown, Pa.), and freshmen Laura Loht (McClure, Pa.) and Kaitchen Dearborn (New Milford, Pa.), claiming three of the top five spots in the event.
Running in a section that included primarily professional squads, the Nittany Lion 4x400 quartet more than held their own under pressure, combining to run 3:07.19 to be the former PSU record of 3:08.22 set by Steve Janci, Munya Maraire, Duane Reeves, and Ben Karcz in 2000. The effort, which included sub-46 second splits from Loxsom and Gehret on the second and third legs, stood fifth overall and second best among collegiate teams on the day, behind George Mason at 3:06.47.
Johnson launched a leap of 51-8.50 (15.76) on his fifth attempt in the men's triple jump competition, scoring his first victory of the season with a personal-best performance. Johnson's mark is also notable in the Penn State record books, as it stands fifth overall in Nittany Lion history. Fellow triple jumper Tanaya Lloyd (Philadelphia, Pa.) turned in an outstanding effort on the women's side, recording a jump of 40-7 (12.37) - just shy of her personal best - to finish sixth on the afternoon.
Elsewhere in the field events, redshirt junior Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.), who enjoyed personal bests in both the discus and hammer throws on Friday, concluded an outstanding opening weekend with a toss of 60-3.75 (18.38) to place third in the men's invitational shot put competition - a top five throw in the NCAA this spring, and the top mark among Big Ten competitors at press time. Senior Blake Eaton (Allegany, N.Y.) also had a solid afternoon in the shot, going 59-4 (18.08) for fifth. Eaton's effort also ranks among the top 10 performances nationally.
Making a big splash in his first collegiate-outdoor appearance was redshirt-freshman Will Barr (Urbana, Ohio), who captured second place in the men's discus thanks to a personal-best throw of 179-0 (54.55). Barr also found a spot in the Penn State record books with the effort, as the 179-foot toss stands fourth on the Nittany Lion top 10 list in the event.
McQuillen led the way in the women's javelin, posting a throw of 160-0 (48.78) to place second overall and tops among collegiate foes. Loht would place third in her first-ever Nittany Lion appearance with a toss of 151-5 (46.15), with Dearborn capturing fifth with a throw of 148-11 (45.38) - collegiate PRs for both athletes.
The women's 4x800-meter team were the top place winners in the relay events, with Maura Ryan (Doylestown, Pa.), Bekka Simko (Mentor, Ohio), Kalyn Fisher (Lewisburg, Pa.) and Colleen Shannon (Andover, Mass.) racing to a second-place finish with a time of 8:57.06. The Nittany Lions also enjoyed a sixth-place finish in the men's distance medley relay in 9:59.70, paced by the efforts of Connor Revord (Tampa, Fla.), Bernard Bennett-Green (Elkins Park, Pa.), Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio) and Chris Cipro (Harmony, Pa.).
The women's 4x400 also turned in a sixth-place standing, running a season-best 3:37.57 with Doris Anyanwu (Beltsville, Md.), Ije Iheoma (Holland, Pa.), Shavon Greaves (Lakewood, N.J.), and Megan Duncan (North Huntingdon, Pa.) representing the Nittany Lions.
A small contingent of Nittany Lions also wrapped up action at the Liberty Collegiate Invitational on Saturday, led by Anya Uzoh's second-place finish in the men's decathlon. Uzoh's ten event performances totaled 6508 points - good for second among 11 participants on the weekend. The junior's Saturday results also included a personal-best toss of 156-1 (47.57) in the javelin. Also competing were the Penn State pole vaulters, paced by third-place finishes by Jocelyn Witmer (Lancaster, Pa.) on the women's side, and Jason Pelletier (Benton, Ark.) in the men's standings. Witmer would clear 12-1.50 (3.70) with teammate Amanda Palenchar (Bradenville, Pa.) also bettering the bar for fourth place. Pelletier topped out at 15-9 (4.80), with teammates David Patzer (Landisville, Pa.) and Erick Artusio (Frederick, Md.) finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, in the event.
The Nittany Lions will be back in action next weekend, traveling to the Patriot Invitational at George Mason University on Saturday, April 9. For more on Nittany Lion track and field, log on to www.GoPSUsports.com.