June 23, 2011
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EUGENE, Ore. - Sophomore Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) and senior Samuel Borchers (Yellow Springs, Ohio) will both advance to Friday's 800-meter semi-finals, thanks to outstanding efforts in the preliminary rounds, Thursday at the USATF Outdoor Championships at Historic Hayward Field, on the campus of the University of Oregon. Meanwhile, Nittany Lion alumnus Consuella Moore also advanced in the competition, moving on to the semi-final round of the 100-meter dash.
Loxsom was the first to claim a spot in tomorrow's semi-final, making a pass on the inside with just over 200-meters to go and cruising to a preliminary-heat victory in 1:48.46. Loxsom, who is coming off a fourth-place effort at the NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier this month, would also nip 2008 Olympian Nick Symmonds of Oregon Track Club Elite, who crossed in 1:48.56 for second. Borchers was equally as composed throughout his first-round race, sprinting down the homestretch to nab second place in a blanket finish, in which the top three-place winners crossed within .08 seconds of one another. Four-time U.S. Champion Khadevis Robinson won the heat in 1:48.52, with Borchers following in 1:48.55, and reigning NCAA Champion Robby Andrews of Virginia taking third in 1:48.60.
The two-section semi-final is slated for Friday afternoon at 5:15 p.m., PDT.
Moore sprinted to earn one of 18 lanes in the semi-final round, clocking a wind-legal 11.35 to place fourth in her preliminary heat. Moore - the defending U.S. Champion in the 200-meters - will run the next round of the 100 at 4:10 p.m., PDT, on Friday.
Elsewhere on the track, sophomore Evonne Britton (El Paso, Texas) led a trio of current and former Nittany Lions in the women's 400-meter hurdles, turning in a 19th-place effort in 58.48. Senior Megan Duncan (North Huntingdon, Pa.) placed 21st overall - in her final Penn State appearance - going 58.75. Also competing in the event was former Penn State standout and current Brooks athlete Fawn Dorr, who finished 22nd in 58.86. Britton will be back to run the 100-meter hurdle preliminaries on Saturday, while Duncan will hang up her Nittany Lion spikes with a pair of NCAA All-America finishes and three Big Ten titles to her credit.
Starting things off for the Nittany Lions in the first event of the four-day competition was freshman Taylor McNally (Ennis, Mt.) in the junior women's discus. McNally turned in a 10th-place finish via a toss of 142-11 (43.56). McNally concludes a solid freshman campaign, which included a career-best effort of 157-6 (48.02) in the event - the sixth-best throw in the Penn State record books.
Also competing in an event final was junior Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.), who placed 25th in the women's senior 10,000-meters. Competing in the grueling event for the fifth time this season, the junior gave an outstanding effort to break the tape in 34:22.20.
Action in Eugene continues throughout the weekend, and will conclude on Sunday afternoon.
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