March 10, 2012
Video Interview - Coach Sullivan
BOISE, Idaho: March 10, 2012 - The Nittany Lion 4x400-meter relay can now add NCAA runner-up status to their resumes, as redshirt sophomore Aaron Nadolsky (Altoona, Pa.), sophomore Brandon Bennett-Green (Elkins Park, Pa.), junior Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) and sophomore Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.) ran to a second-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships, Saturday at Boise State University. Also capping a sensational indoor season was freshman Robby Creese (Mount Airy, Md.), who placed 11th in the mile.
Going into the competition with a seed mark of 3:05.22 - the third-fastest performance coming into the meet - the Lions more than lived up to billing, finishing in a near school-record 3:05.31 to take second to Arkansas, which finished in 3:04.92, and upend powerhouse Louisiana State in third in 3:05.80. The Nittany Lions also led a slew of Big Ten squads in the top eight, including Ohio State in fifth, Minnesota in sixth, and Indiana in eighth.
Nadolsky led off, bringing the stick around with an official split of 47.13, with Bennett-Green holding the Lions in position, thanks to a readout of 46.46 on the second leg. Loxsom brought the Nittany Lions within a few strides of the leader with an effort of 46.04, while Gehret closed out the relay with a blistering 45.69 carry.
The second-place finish is the best in program history, and a three-place improvement from the Lions' fifth-place effort a year ago. In fact, Penn State returned three of four legs from its 2011 All-America team in Nadolsky, Loxsom, and Gehret. Prior to today, the best 4x400 finish by a Nittany Lion squad was a fourth-place standing in the mile relay in 1975 with the foursome of Steve Hackman, Randy Moser, Mike Sands, and Mike Shine.
The only freshman in the men's mile field, Creese clocked 4:11.45 for 11th overall - the third-highest indoor finish at the distance in Penn State history. Creese's finals appearance also marks the second-straight Nittany Lion in the mile final, as Ryan Foster placed third in the event a year ago. The finish is also good for Second Team All-America honors - the first such citation of Creese's career.
With the finish, Creese concludes a sensational rookie season, including Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year citations. The rookie also clocked a sizzling 2:19.53 for the 1,000-meters in January, which stands as Collegiate, American Junior, and Penn State records.
The Lions will take a few weekends off before heading into the outdoor season, beginning with the Jim Click Shootout at the University of Arizona on March 31. For more on Nittany Lion track and field, log on to www.GoPSUsports.com.