May 14, 2016Day Two Results
LINCOLN, NE - Penn State set multiple personal and season best marks along with qualifying athletes through to tomorrow's finals during day two action at Ed Weir Stadium in Lincoln, NE Saturday night.
"We came into day two with great energy and momentum from last night, closing things out with the 10K and scoring in both events," said head coach John Gondak.
"For the women, we had two athletes finish off the heptathlon in scoring position, so we were excited about that. We had a Big Ten medalist in Alyssa Robinson in the shot put along with Obeng Marfo scoring as well finishing seventh. We advanced athletes to the finals of the 800-meters and the 1,500-meters both on the men and women's side. We have 13-events tomorrow, with nine of those in position to score on the women's side, so I'm excited about what lies ahead for them."
"On the men's side, we had a lot of athletes step up and record personal best and season best marks, and I think for the first time during my years here at Penn State we have finalist in the 100-meters, 200-meters, 400-meters, 800-meters, and 1,500-meters. Today featured some great field events as well with two scorers in the discus to go along with Chisom Ifedi, a freshman, finishing third in the men's high jump. It was really an outstanding day for the men's program today."
Up first on day two were the heptathletes Madeline Holmberg and Tal Ben-Artzi to wrap up day two of competition in the seven-event competition.
The Nittany Lion duo opened day two of competition with the long jump where Holmberg finished with a mark of 5.68m (18'-7.75") while Ben-Artzi finished with a best jump of 5.26m (17'-3.25").
The javelin throw saw both athletes set career best marks in the event as Holmberg on her very first throw of the day launched the javelin 35.61m (116'-10") to improve on her previous career best mark by over 30 feet. Ben-Artzi got in on the career day in the event with her best throw of 33.49m (109'-10").
The final event for the heptathlon, the 800-meters, saw Tal Ben-Artzi take control of the field during the final 300-meters as the junior from Kibbutz Gazit, Israel surged to the front to take a commanding lead while continuing to put some distance on the field through the finish clocking a season best time of 2:18.37 for the win. Holmberg finished 10th in a time of 2:30.32. The heptathlon duo finished seventh and eighth with career best two-day totals of 5,118 (Holmberg) and 4,941 (Ben-Artzi), respectively.
Jon Yohman and David Lucas scored points for Penn State in the men's discus throw with their marks of 55.53m (182'-2.25") and 54.64m (179'-3.25"), respectively. Yohman's mark of 55.53m is a new career best mark and ranks No. 7 all-time in Penn State history joining teammate David Lucas who currently sits at No. 5 all-time in the same event.
The shortest sprint event on the track, the 100-meters, featured Xavier Smith and Dan Chisena both setting personal best recording times of 10.45 and 10.46, respectively, as Smith qualified through to tomorrow's final. Also setting a personal best in the 100-meters was Malik Moffett clocking 10.61 during prelims.
Moffett had a career day, as the sophomore from Erie, Pa. jumped a personal best 7.60m (24'-11.25") - ranked No. 9 all-time in Penn State history - and clocked a 20.73 in the prelims of the men's 200-meters to qualify for tomorrow's final to go along with the aforementioned 100-meter PR.
Moffett took bronze in the men's long jump, and was the sixth-fastest qualifier in the 200-meters during preliminary action.
Also competing in the 200-meters prelims were Xavier Smith (20.98), Dan Chisena (21.20) and Anton Porter who ran a personal best time of 21.49.
Both Nittany Lion athletes entered in the women's 200-meters prelim set personal best as Deja Davis and Lauren Costa recorded times of 24.33 and 24.51, respectively, while Costa also set a PR in the 100-meters running 12.01 seconds.
Rachel DeCecco set a huge personal best in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles improving on her best mark in the event by almost two full seconds running a time of 1:00.48, followed by teammate Elyse Skerpon who finished with a time of 1:02.55.
In the men's 400-hurdle event, David Marrington set a personal best completing the 10-hurdle race in a time of 54.21.
In the 100-meter hurdles, Quenee Dale ran 13.63 to move up on the Penn State all-time list to No. 6 just ahead of Shelley Black who clocked 13.71 last year.
Running in the prelims of the 400-meters were Sam Reiser (47.10), Alex Shisler (48.10), and Lamont Higgins (49.44) as Reiser set new personal best in the event while qualifying through to tomorrows final.
Prelims in the men and women's 1,500-meters saw Julie Kocjancic (4:26.20), Brannon Kidder (3:47.44), Robby Creese (3:51.38), and freshman Colin Abert (3:51.78) qualify through to tomorrow's final.
In the 800-meters, Penn State qualified three athletes through to tomorrow's finals in Sarah Jane Underwood (2:09.71), Brannon Kidder (1:50.50), and Isaiah Harris (1:49.40). All three athletes won their respective preliminary heats. Harris is currently ranked No. 5 in the NCAA this season while teammate Brannon Kidder, the 2015 NCAA runner-up in the event, is currently the No. 8 half-miler in the country.
In the field, Chisom Ifedi brought home a third-place finish in the men's high jump soaring over 2.15m (7'-0.50") and setting a new personal best in the process. Ifedi is now tied as the No. 7 high jumper all-time in Penn State history with Ryan Olkowski who cleared the height in 1999.
Alyssa Robinson also earned a bronze medal today for Penn State, this time in the women's shot put. Robinson ended competition with a huge PR of 16.51m (54'-2") improving on her previous career best of 16.07m set on Apr. 9 in Eugene, Ore.
Robinson's mark moves her up one spot on the all-time list into No. 4 passing Jennifer Leatherman.
Also competing in the shot put was Obeng Marfo who finished seventh for Penn State with a mark of 15.61m (51'-2.75").
Lauren Kenney rounded out the scoring on the day for Penn State finishing fifth in the javelin throw with her mark of 49.40m (162'-1").
Day three of the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships will begin at 12:00 p.m. CST with the women's triple jump while events on the track are slated to begin at 1:45 p.m. CST with the women's 4x100-meter relay.
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