June 8, 2015
USTFCCCA Release
NEW ORLEANS -- Nittany Lion throwers Rachel Fatherly (Williamsport, Pa.) and Darrell Hill (Philadelphia, Pa.) both received Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year honors, as announced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Monday afternoon. Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches.
Fatherly, a junior, will compete Thursday in the women's shot put at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The women's shot put is slated for a 5:40 p.m. (PDT) start time. Heading into the competition she is seeded third following her performance at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
During the 2015 outdoor season, Fatherly broke an 11-year-old school record in the women's shot put with her throw of 56 feet, 3.25 inches at the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships. At the Big Ten Championships, Fatherly placed second in the shot put and finished eighth in the hammer throw (191-9). Both marks are personal-best performances.
Also during the 2015 outdoor season, Fatherly claimed a runner-up finish in the invite section of the women's shot put (52-4.75) at the Penn Relays. Fatherly also qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the hammer throw and the shot put.
At the NCAA East Preliminary Round, Fatherly tallied the second-best mark in the field (55-9.75) en route to punching her ticket to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Along with the school record mark in the women's shot put, she owns the No. 4 performance in the hammer throw.
Hill, a senior, will be making a return trip to the NCAA Championships. He will be competing at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the men's shot put.
The 2015 outdoor season featured numerous victories for Hill.
In the 2015 outdoor season, Hill defended his 2014 Penn Relays and Big Ten shot put titles. At the Penn Relays, Hill finished first with the No. 2 throw in school history and the No. 3 throw in Penn Relays history (68-5.25). At the Big Ten Championships, Hill captured the 2015 shot put title with his throw of 66-3.25.
Hill moved on to Eugene, Ore., with the No. 1 throw in the field at the NCAA East Preliminary Round (66-8.5.). His mark of 68-5.25 ranks second in the NCAA during the outdoor season, but he enters the NCAA Championships seeded first via his mark at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
This is the first outdoor USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year award for both Fatherly and Hill. Hill did receive the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year during the 2014-15 indoor season.
Fatherly and Hill join six other Nittany Lions competing this week at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
For more on Nittany Lion track & field, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter @PennStateTFXC.