June 8, 2013
EUGENE, Ore.: -
Saturday Track Results | Saturday Field Results | Total Results
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Sophomore Robby Creese (Mount Airy, Md.) captured All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the 1500 meters on Saturday, leading the way for the Nittany Lions on the final day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Historic Hayward Field. Creese and the Nittany Lion men also picked up the program's first top 15 finish since 1976, turning in a 14th-place effort in the team standings. The Nittany Lion women also fared well in team scoring, ending the four-day championship in a tie for 29th place.
Picking up Honorable Mention All-America accolades on the afternoon were freshman Michael Shuey (Johnsonburg, Pa.), and senior Sam Masters (Columbia, Mo.).
The Nittany Lion men scored 17 points in total, thanks to a top eight finish from Creese, as well as Casimir Loxsom (New Haven, Conn.) and Brannon Kidder (Lancaster, Ohio), who went two-three in the 800 meters on Friday evening. The Nittany Lions were also the top finisher among Big Ten programs, edging Wisconsin and Nebraska, who tied for 15th with 16 points apiece. The finish is also the best by the Lions since 1976, when the Blue and White placed 12th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with 16 points.
The Nittany Lions totaled nine points on the women's side, which was good for a spot in the top 30, as well as the program's 13th-straight scoring finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Running at a pedestrian pace early on, the Nittany Lion sophomore bided his time, surging to the front of the pack with 400 meters to go. Creese then held on for a furious charge down the homestretch, finishing sixth overall in 3:51.21. Creese is the first Nittany Lion to attain All-America status in the 1500, since Bob Hamer finished ninth in 1994, as well as the ninth All-American in the event in program history. Individually, Creese now has two First Team All-America certificates to his credit, having anchored the Nittany Lions' second-place distance medley relay at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Shuey will earn Honorable Mention All-America status in his first-career NCAA appearance, turning in a 24th-place finish in the javelin. Shuey finished with a top mark of 199-8 (60.87) on the afternoon. Masters earned the same honor, placing 20th overall in the men's 5,000 meters.
Following a weekend off, the Nittany Lions will be back in action at the USATF Senior and Junior Championships, set for June 20-23 in Des Moines, Iowa.