June 7, 2013
EUGENE, Ore. - Senior Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) and freshman Brannon Kidder (Lancaster, Ohio) proved the Nittany Lions' middle distance prowess on Friday, finishing second and third, respectively, in the 800 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon. Loxsom concludes his sensational run in a Penn State uniform with an impressive total of six United States Track and Field/Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) All-America finishes, while frosh Kidder picks up his second All-America citation, as well as his second NCAA medal finish in as many tries.
Out at the front of the pack from the gun, Loxsom matched a move by Oregon's Elijah Greer with 200 meters to go, as the duo separated themselves from the rest of the field. Greer would then power down the homestretch to break the tape in 1:46.58, with Loxsom on his heels in 1:46.88. The race was then on for third, with Kidder outkicking the rest of the pack to finish in 1:47.51 - just ahead of Minnesota's Harun Abda in fourth in 1:47.60. Out conservatively, Kidder was on his horse for the second 400 meters, clocking 53.10 on his closing lap - the fastest effort in the entire field.
Casmir Loxsom and Brannon Kidder |
"It's frustrating to finish second again, but it's really cool to finish second and third. At the end of the day 14 points is more than 10," said Loxsom following his silver-medal performance. "It was awesome to have Kidder out there, and I think we fed off each other a little bit. I thought I executed well and ran a smart race, it came down to who was better today, and I think Elijah had the home field advantage and gutted it out. It's always an honor to race against him, and I will be excited to see him again at the USATF Championships and down the road."
Loxsom will hang up his Nittany Lion uniform with three NCAA silver-medal efforts, including two in 2013 alone as the senior also picked up runner-up status at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The Nittany Lion twosome are the sixth and seventh All-Americans in the outdoor 800 meters, while Loxsom now owns the second-best 800 finish in program history, following only Alan Helffrich, who won national half mile titles in 1922, and 1923.
"I'm not necessarily surprised, but I'm feeling pretty good right now," said Kidder. "I've gotten in some pretty big races and have come out pretty well, and now I know I can pretty much compete with anyone."
Historically speaking, Penn State is the first program to have two top three finishers in the men's outdoor 800 since Michigan in 1945, when the Wolverines earned first and third-place standings. Kidder's performance is historic among freshman athletes, as the frosh is the highest finishing frosh in the 800 since 2010, and is one of just three rookies to earn a top three finish in the event in the last 10 years. Kidder concludes a banner freshman year, which also included a second-place finish in the distance medley relay at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Also competing on Friday was senior Sean Reilly (Lagrangeville, N.Y.), who finished in the high jump. Reilly successfully cleared the first two bars of the competition, skying over the opening height of 6-8.75 (2.05) on his first attempt, and taking two tries to get over 6-10.75 (2.10). Reilly failed to clear the proceeding height - 7-0.50 (2.15) - ending his Nittany Lion career with Honorable Mention All-America honors.
With the 14 points in the 800, the Nittany Lions currently stand in 12th place in the men's team scoring.
The final day of competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships is set for Saturday, with Nittany Lions Michael Shuey (Johnsonburg, Pa.), Sam Masters (Columbia, Mo.), and Robby Creese (Mount Airy, Md.) set to compete. For more on Nittany Lion track and field, log on to www.GoPSUsports.com.