May 12, 2016
Friday, May 13
12:15 p.m. - Heptathlon
1:30 p.m. - Field Events
7:30 p.m. - Track Events
Saturday, May 14
10:15 a.m. - Heptathlon
12:45 p.m. - Field Events
2:30 p.m. - Track Events
Sunday, May 15
12:00 p.m. - Field Events
1:45 p.m. - Track Events
Heat Sheets | Meet Info
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State track & field teams are set to compete in the 2016 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Ed Weir Stadium on the campus of the University of Nebraska, in Lincoln, NE starting Friday, May 13-15.
Four squads appear in the latest USTFCCCA National Rankings heading into the championships with the Minnesota men's team leading the conference at No. 14 and the Penn State men's squad ranked No. 15. The Wisconsin women's team is No. 21 nationally, while the Nebraska women check in at No. 23.
Friday's events begin at Noon CT with the decathlon 100 meters and are scheduled to wrap up at 8:15 p.m. with the women's 10,000 meters. Saturday's schedule opens with the decathlon 110-meter hurdles at 9:30 a.m. and the final event of the day is slated for 6:45 p.m. with the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase. The women's triple jump trials and finals opens Sunday's competition at Noon and the last scheduled event is the men's 4x400-meter relay, tentatively planned for 4:45 p.m.
On Sunday, BTN will carry the Big Ten Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships live on BTN2Go, starting at 2:40 p.m. ET and will air it on the network via tape delay at 7 p.m. that evening.
LEADING THE B1G
According to Track & Field Results and Reporting System (TFRRS), the Nittany Lions have the top performance in three events.
Big Ten event leaders entering the meet include Isaiah Harris in the men's 800-meters (1:46.05), Brannon Kidder in the men's 1,500-meters (3:40.11), and Brian Leap in the men's triple jump (16.27m/53'-4.5").
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Nittany Lions currently have six top-20 performances in five NCAA championship events.
On the track, Isaiah Harris and Brannon Kidder rank fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 800-meters recording times of 1:46.05 and 1:46.42 at the 2016 Florida Relays. Kidder is also ranked in the men's 1,500-meters recording the No. 5 time in the NCAA this season at 3:40.11 set at the Stanford Twilight.
In the field, Rachel Fatherly ranks 14th in the shot put (55-7.75/16.96m) while Brian Leap and Dannielle Gibson are ranked No. 3 and No. 14 nationally in the triple jump events with their marks of 53'-4.5/16.27m and 42-11/13.8m, respectively.
NCAA QUALIFYING
The Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be the final opportunity for the Nittany Lions to qualify for the NCAA East First Round.
Qualification to the Preliminary Championships: Competition of the championships is based on the descending-order list for the season, segregated by east and west sites, and prepared solely from the mandatory submission of meet results during the season and adhering to the qualifying regulations.
For each individual event contested at each of the Preliminary Championships Competition sites, the top 48 declared student-athletes will be accepted into the competition. For each relay event contested at each of the Preliminary Championships Competition sites, the top 24 declared relay teams will be accepted into the competition.
Heading into this weekend, Penn State has 19 NCAA Top 50 performances.
NO. 15 IN THE NATION
The Penn State men's track & field team is ranked No. 15 in the National Computer Rankings, as released (May. 9) by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
At the regional level, the men's track & field team remains the No. 1 squad in the Mid-Atlantic region for the fourth-consecutive week.
AMONGST THE BEST IN PROGRAM HISTORY
19 Nittany Lions have moved into the top-10 in program history with their performances on the track this season.
Athletes include:
Dannielle Gibson (No. 4 all-time in women's triple jump)
Kaitlyn Lopez (No. 10 all-time in women's triple jump)
Isaiah Harris (No. 4 all-time in men's 800-meters)
Alyssa Robinson (No. 5 all-time in women's shot put)
Xavier Smith (No. 5 all-time in men's 200-meters)
Dan Chesina (No. 9 all-time in men's 200-meters)
Obeng Marfo (No. 3 all-time in women's discus)
Tessa Barrett (No. 6 all-time in women's 5,000-meters)
Brian Leap (No. 3 all-time in men's triple jump)
Quenee Dale (No. 7 all-time in women's 100-meter hurdles)
Chisom Ifedi (Tied for No. 8 all-time in men's high jump)
Morgan Shigo (No. 3 all-time in men's hammer throw)
Jon Yohman (No. 9 all-time in men's shot put)
Megan Fry (No. 9 all-time in women's pole vault)
Hannah Mulhern (No. 2 all-time in women's pole vault)
Kasey Kemp (Tied for No. 3 all-time in women's pole vault)
Megan McCloskey (Tied for No. 10 all-time in women's high jump)
David Lucas (No. 5 all-time in the men's discus)
Madeline Holmberg (No. 7 all-time in the women's heptathlon)
Men's 4x100-meter relay (No. 3 all-time at 39.92; Chisena, Moffett, Porter, Smith)
Men's 4x100-meter relay (Tied No. 5 all-time at 40.40; Smith, Chisena, Moffett, Minnig)
DEFENDING CHAMPS
The Nittany Lions have two individuals looking to defend their 2015 Big Ten titles.
Michael Shuey is the reigning Big Ten champion in the javelin with his 2015 winning mark of 229-2 (69.85), while Brannon Kidder's 800-Meters time of 1:47.56 caputred the Big Ten title at last years meet.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Nittany Lions are scheduled to compete in nine meets in five states before they return to Happy Valley for the Jim Thorpe Invite (May 6). Following the Jim Thorpe Invite, Penn state will travel to Lincoln, Neb. (Big Ten Outdoors), Jacksonville, Fla. (NCAA First Round) and Eugene, Ore. (NCAA Outdoor Championships)
NEXT TIME OUT
The Penn State track & field program travels to Jacksonville, Fla for the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field East First-Rounds. The NCAA First-Rounds takes place at Hodges Stadium on the campus of North Florida, May 26-28. To qualify for the NCAA East First-Rounds, the top-48 declared individuals and top-24 relays are selected.
For more on Nittany Lion track & field, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter @PennStateTFXC.