Dec. 10, 2011
2011 Blue White Results UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: December 10, 2011 - Sophomore Jon Hendershot (Nazareth, Pa.) cleared 7-1.50 (2.17) to win the high jump, leading a bevy of outstanding results, Saturday at the annual Blue/White Meet at the Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. The Blue Team came out on top of both the men's and women's competition with the men's blue squad winning 69-51 over the white, and the women's blue contingent bettering their competitors, 69-52.
Also impressing in the field was junior Jane Swenson (Brandon, S.D.), who recorded a toss of 48-8 (14.83) to win the shot put. The Nittany Lions throwers put up stellar performances throughout the competition, with sophomore Melissa Kurzdorfer (Lancaster, N.Y.) taking top honors in the 20-lb weight with an effort of 62-1 (18.92). On the men's side, senior Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.), who has a season of outdoor eligibility remaining, turned in a heave of 60-10.50 (18.55) to win the shot. Sophomore Will Barr (Urbana, Ohio) was tops in the 35-lb weight, posting a throw of 60-1 (18.31).
The Nittany Lions were just as sensational in horizontal jumps, with two athletes bettering the 40-foot barrier in the women's triple jump. Senior Tanaya Lloyd (Philadelphia, Pa.) led the way with a leap of 41-4.50 (12.61), with Marlene Ricketts (Westbury, N.Y.) following with an effort of 40-8.25 (12.40). Lloyd would also place second in the long jump, going 17-9 (5.41) to finisher behind winner sophomore Brittney Howell (Wyncote, Pa.), who won with a leap of 18-6 (5.64).
Redshirt junior Hanif Johnson (Harrisburg, Pa.) was the victor in the men's triple jump, turning in a measurement of 50-6 (15.39). Senior Doug Moppert (Malvern, Pa.) was tops in the long jump, going 22-11 (6.98).
Other field event winners including seniors Jocelyn Witmer (Lancaster, Pa.) and Jason Pelletier (Bryant, Ark.) in the pole vault. Witmer topped out at 12-7.50 (3.85) to win the women's competition, while Pelletier cleared 15-1 (4.60) to pick up the victory on the men's side. Meanwhile, junior Erika Morgan (Chesapeake, Va.) and freshman Sarah Palmer (Gansevoort, N.Y.) tied for top honors in the women's high jump, both bettering 5-6 (1.68). Junior Sean Reilly (Lagrangeville, N.Y.) also jumped well in the men's high jump, clearing 6-10.25 (2.09).
It was the underclassman who impressed in the sprints, led by redshirt-sophomore Mahagony Jones' (Cleveland, Ohio) 7.56 effort to win the 60-meters. Jones would come back to take second in the 300-meters in 38.52, trailing only redshirt freshman Kirsten Nieuwendam (Parimaribo, Suriname), who record a victory in 38.18. Nieuwendam was the runner up in the 60, going 7.56. The men's 60 also yielded a freshman winner with Matt Gilmore (Wyncote, Pa.) bettering the field with an effort of 7.07. Redshirt-sophomore Aaron Nadolsky (Altoona, Pa.) was tops in the men's 300, finishing in 33.76. Freshman Sancho Barrett (Amityville, N.Y.) was the winner in the men's 60-meter hurdles, finishing in 8.35, while junior Evonne Britton (El Paso, Texas) won the women's hurdles in 8.57.
Jones and Britton, along with teammates Gabriele Barbour (Upper Brookville, N.Y.) and Ije Iheoma (Holland, Pa.), combined to win the women's 4x400-meter relay in 3:45.04, while the quartet of Dele Owoye (Danbury, Conn.), Emunael Mpanduki (Harare, Zimbabwe), Manely and Nadolsky won the men's relay in 3:15.09.
The middle distances also saw a pair of freshman winners with Ryan Brennan (Chester, N.Y.) nosing classmate Connor Manley (Jamison, Pa.) to win the 600-meters, 1:21.73 - 1:21.77. Rookie Robby Creese (Mt. Airy, Md.) picked up a victory in the 1200-meters, finishing in 3:00.57, while sophomore Kalyn Fisher (Lewisburg, Pa.) won the women's 1200 in 3:39.42.
Junior Brooklyne Ridder (Cincinnati, Ohio) mounted an outstanding finishing kick to take top honors in the women's 3,000-meters in 9:41.65, just ahead of Natalie Bower (Pleasant Unity, Pa.), who crossed in 9:46.70. Senior Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) was the top Penn State finisher in the men's race, going 8:23.86.
The Nittany Lions will host five straight weeks of indoor competition at Ashenfelter Track next month, beginning with the Penn State Relays on January 7.