June 17, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Nittany Lion track and field squads enjoyed an outstanding slate of action in the state of Indiana over the weekend, including a school-record effort from sophomore Rebekka Simko (Mentor, Ohio) in Indianapolis, as well as a series of solid results from Penn State athletes at the USATF Junior Championships (19-and-under) in Bloomington, Ind.
Simko, who recently earned Second Team All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, made her way into the Penn State record books, running a school-record 2:03.09 for the 800-meters, during the American Milers' Series at Michael A. Carroll Stadium, on the campus of IUPUI. Simko's effort shattered one of the longest-standing records on the books, as it bettered Tammi Hart's 2:04.37 from 1985. The sophomore's run was also good for second place on the day, finishing second-to-only former Michigan standout Nicole Sifuentes, who finished in 2:02.20.
Simko wasn't the only Nittany Lion to post a notable performance in Indianapolis, as senior Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.) took top honors in the 5000-meters, thanks to a personal-outdoor best effort of 16:16.72. The senior's PR performance ranks eighth in the Nittany Lions record books.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions excelled in Bloomington, led by a third-place finish by freshman Abbie Benson (Elma, N.Y.) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday evening. The rising sophomore would post an outstanding double on the weekend, coming back to place eighth in the 3,000-meters on Sunday afternoon..
Also competing was rookie standout Robby Creese (Mount Airy, Md.), who notched a fifth-place effort in the men's 1500-meters with a finishing time of 3:48.99. Also capping a stellar freshman campaign was Dynasty McGee (Flint, Mich.), who turned in a 10th-place effort in the 400-meters via a season-best 54.07, which also puts her eighth in school history.
The Nittany Lions aren't finished this season, as a small contingent is set to participate in the U.S. Olympic Trials, set for June 22, through July 1, in Eugene, Ore.
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