May 29, 2015
Final Results
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A pair of Nittany Lions advanced on to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Juniors Tori Gerlach (Perkasie, Pa.) and Brannon Kidder (Lancaster, Ohio) punched their tickets to Eugene, Ore., Friday on day two of the NCAA East Preliminary Round at Hodges Stadium.
"Tori has matured incredibly as an athlete this year and she ran a perfectly executed race again this year," head coach and director of Penn State cross country and track & field John Gondak said. "Brannon knew what he needed to do to advance and he finished third in his heat to head back to Eugene for a third-straight year."
Throughout the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase Gerlach was in position to qualify for the NCAA Championships. With less than three laps left and Leah O'Connor pulling away, Gerlach and Eastern Michigan's Sofie Gallein battled to remain in the top-three.
Despite a late charge from Georgia's Bret McDaniel with two laps remaining, Gerlach secured an automatic berth with her third-place finish (9 minutes, 53.98 seconds). Her time Friday is a personal-best performance and remains the No. 2 time in school history.
"The first thing we talked about after the race was that her time out there last year was to get the experience and this time around it is to go out and take care of business," Gondak said.
Last year at the NCAA East Preliminary Round at Hodges Stadium, Gerlach qualified for the NCAA Championships with her then-personal-best-time of 10:03.55."I love this track at Hodges Stadium, it has been really good to me," Gerlach said. "The race plan was the same as last year, start in the top-three and hold on."
"I am really excited to head back to Eugene," Gerlach said. "It is the best runners in the country all in the same place and it is an amazing opportunity."
Advancing to his third-straight NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Kidder has moved on to the semifinals in the 800-meter run.
Friday evening, Kidder posted a third-place finish (1:47.38) in heat two of the men's 800-meter run to automatically advance to Eugene, Ore.
"The goal was to make it out of the East Preliminary Round and take it day by day," Kidder said. "I still have another round before I can think about just racing."
Last year, Kidder advanced to the NCAA Championships in the 1,500-meter run and in 2013 he qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 800-meter run. At the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Casimir Loxsom and Kidder finished second and third overall in the 800-meter run.
"The 800-meter run is one of the most stacked events in the NCAA this year and he is having a phenomenal season," Gondak said. "He is very confident in is abilities right now and we are looking forward to going out to race in Eugene in two weeks."
Also competing Friday, senior Sancho Barrett (Amityville, N.Y.) advanced to the quarterfinals of the men's 110-meter hurdles. In heat one, Barrett tallied an automatic qualifying spot with his third-place finish (14.02). He'll race again Saturday night at 7:20 p.m. for a chance to advance to Eugene, Ore.
"When you get to these meets it is all about advancing. Sancho knew he had to be in the top-three and he closed out the race very well to advance to Saturday," Gondak said.
The Nittany Lions conclude the 2015 NCAA East Preliminary Round starting with Rachel Fatherly (Williamsburg, Pa.) and Annjulie Vester (Homburg, Germany) competing in the women's hammer throw at 1:30 p.m.
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