April 13, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: April 13, 2012 - After back-to-back weekends on the road, the Nittany Lion track and field squads will compete close to home on Saturday and Sunday, making the short trip to Lewisburg, Pa., for the Bison Outdoor Classic at Bucknell University. Action at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium is slated to begin with the several field events at 1:00 p.m., Saturday afternoon, with many of the longer distance races slated for Saturday night. Penn State has been quite successful in Lewisburg over the past several seasons, as Nittany Lion athletes already own a total of 13 stadium records.
The Nittany Lions have enjoyed two solid weeks of competition to begin the outdoor season, coming off a very successful effort at the Battle on the Bayou at Louisiana State University last Saturday. Highlighting the results at LSU was the men's 4x400-meter relay quartet of Brandon Bennett-Green (Elkins Park, Pa.), Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.), Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) and Emunael Mpanduki (Harare, Zimbabwe), that combined to run a school-record 3:06.50 - the second-best performance in the Big Ten this season.
Also turning in a stellar performance on the Bayou was sophomore Laura Loht (McClure, Pa.) in the javelin. Loht threw a personal-best and Big Ten-leading 163-9 (49.91) to take top honors in the event, and notch her second-straight victory of the outdoor season.
About the Bison Outdoor Classic ...
When: Saturday-Sunday (April 14-15)
Where: Lewisburg, Pa. (Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium)
Meet Website:http://www.bucknellbison.com/sports/m-track/spec-rel/102511aab.html
Live Results:
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Nittany Lion Notes:
LSU Highlights ...
The men's 4x400 quartet of Brandon Bennett-Green (Elkins Park, Pa.), Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.), Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) and Emunael Mpanduki (Harare, Zimbawbe) set a school record, leading the Nittany Lion efforts at the Battle on the Bayou, hosted by Louisiana State University. Turning in winning efforts on the afternoon were senior Tanaya Lloyd (Philadelphia, Pa.) in the women's triple jump, sophomore Laura Loht (McClure, Pa.) in the women's javelin, and senior Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) in the men's shot put.
Sizzling Distance Races at Stanford ...
Senior Kyle Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.), junior Brooklyne Ridder (Cincinnati, Ohio) and redshirt-freshman Matt Fischer (Kennett Square, Pa.) each clocked lifetime bests on April 6, pacing the Nittany Lions at the Stanford Invitational at Cobb Track and Angell Field. Dawson held his own in one of the most competitive distance competitions on the outdoor season - including many Olympic hopefuls - clocking 28:55.33 to finish 16th in the top section on the men's 10,000-meters. Dawson's performance is also the fifth fastest in Penn State history, taking over fifth place on the Lions' all-time top 10 list behind only Greg Fredericks (28:08.0, 1972), Charlie Maguire (28:29.4, 1974), Eric Carter (28:38.4, 1987), and Paul Stemmer (28:42.90, 1976). Ridder also found a spot in the Lion record books, going 16:14.98 for 5,000-meters - the seventh-fastest performance in school history.
Conference Recognition ...
Senior Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) and sophomore Melissa Kurzdorfer (Lancaster, N.Y.) were named Big Ten Field Athletes of the Week on April 4, following conference-leading performances at the Jim Click Shootout at the University of Arizona last weekend. Kovacs took the shot put with a season-best 62-5 (19.02), over two feet ahead of the second-place competitor. The performance is also the best in the Big Ten, as well as the seventh in Division I and fourth in the NCAA East Region. The senior, who placed third in the shot at the NCAA Outdoor Championships a year ago, is the defending Big Ten silver medalist in the event. Kurzdorfer enjoyed a stellar opening weekend in Tucson, beginning the competition with a PR 206-7 (62.97) in the hammer throw to finish as the top collegian and second overall. The toss leads the conference by more than 10 feet. Kurzdorfer's performance is also second best in Penn State history, as she becomes just the second woman in program history to better the 200-foot barrier.
Combined Efforts ...
The recent Jim Click competition featured "conference" event scoring with the Pac-12 duo of Arizona and California coming out on top with a total score of 460, ahead of the Big Ten contingent (Penn State and Ohio State) with 422.33. The ACC (Clemson and Miami) rounded out the scoring in third with a total of 266. The meet was also capped off with a special "combined" men's 4x400-meter relay, which saw the Big Ten squad of Aaron Nadolsky (Altoona, Pa.) and Brandon Bennett-Green (Elkins Park, Pa.) and Buckeye teammates Marvel Brooks and Antonio Blanks coming away with the victory in 3:10.69.
Javelin Back on Board ...
Back on the event slate for the outdoor season in the javelin throw, which has typically been one of the Lions' signature events. Back after a Second Team All-America finish in 2011 is sophomore Laura Loht (McClure, Pa.), who owns a personal-best 161-3 (49.14). Also in the mix in 2012 will be freshman Lauren Kenney (State College, Pa.), who came to Penn State with a career-best 156-2 - the sixth-best toss among preps in 2011. 2011 Big Ten scorer Eli Skinner (Jersey Shore, Pa.) is the top returner on the men's side. Loht and Kenney would go 1-2 at Jim Click, and match the effort at the LSU Battle on the Bayou.
Going the Distance ...
The outdoor season also brings the addition of the 10,000-meters - an event where the Lions excelled a year ago, thanks to a Big Ten victory by Kara Millhouse. Millhouse, who competed in the 10K at both the NCAA and USATF Championships a year ago, also ran to school record in the event, going 33:31.93 at the Stanford Invitational.
Fast Freshman ...
Freshman Robby Creese enjoyed one of the more successful freshman campaigns in recent memory during the indoor season, becoming just the third Nittany Lion in program history to better the 4:00 mile. Creese would better the barrier on two occasions, running 3:58.94 at the Alex Wilson Invitational to clinch his spot at the NCAA Indoor Championships, where he was the only freshman in the men's mile field. Creese, who anchored the winning distance medley relay at the Big Ten Championships, was recognized throughout the season as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, as well as the USTFCCCA Track Athlete of the Year. The freshman burst onto the national radar in January after setting Collegiate, American Junior, and Penn State records in the 1,000-meters at 2:19.53.
Back in Uniform ...
The Nittany Lions will add a pair of seasoned veterans back into the mix outdoors, as seniors Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.), and Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pa.) will be in their final season of outdoor eligibility after sitting out the indoor season. Kovacs, who is the defending NCAA bronze medalist in the shot put and a two-time All-American, impressed at the national level while competing unattached, placing sixth in the event at the USATF Indoor Championships thanks to a PR throw of 66-1 (20.14). Dawson, who also an All-America finish on his resume, also had a productive indoor season, running a PR 4:01.37 for the mile and competing in both the 800- and 1500-meters at USATF Indoor.
Indoor Success ...
The men's 4x400-meter relay, with team members Aaron Nadolsky (Altoona, Pa.), Brandon Bennett-Green (Elkins Park, Pa.), Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) and Brady Gehret (Altoona, Pa.), helped to end the 2012 indoor campaign with a bang, earning runner-up honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships - the highest-ever finish by a Nittany Lion team in the event. The foursome hit their stride at the Big Ten Championships, where they turned in a second-place finish, and followed up with a school-record 3:05.22 at the Alex Wilson Invitational. The Lions traveled a healthy contingent of individuals to the championships, with Loxsom, Robby Creese (Mount Airy, Md.), and Evonne Britton (El Paso, Texas) all earning Second Team All-America status.
Conference Crowns ...
A duo of Nittany Lions claimed individual titles at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in February, including Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) in the mile, and Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.) in the 5,000-meters. The pair dominated the distances, running a total of 96 laps, and scoring a total of 40 points between them at the championships, as Lane also added third-place efforts in the 3,000-meters and 5K, while Millhouse was the 3K runner up. On the men's side, the quartet of Wade Endress (Altoona, Pa.), Nadolsky, Loxsom, and Creese combined to win the distance medley relay - earning the Nittany Lions' first-ever men's relay victory since joining the Big Ten in 1992.