Sept. 21, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Every four years the world stops and collectively watches as the best athletes compete in the summer Olympics in a variety of sports. Several athletes with Penn State ties participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials with two athletes advancing to the Olympic games in Rio De Janiero, Brazil this past summer.
Joe Kovacs and Darrell Hill secured their spots in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games by finishing second and third, respectively, at the U.S. Olympic Trials to become the second and third Penn State alums to make an Olympic team in the men's shot put event following C.J. Hunter's back-to-back appearances in the 1996 and 2000 summer games in Atlanta and Sydney. Kovacs' entered the trials as a heavy favorite to qualify for the Olympics entering the meet with a world leading mark of 22.13m (72'-7.25") set at the Eugene, Ore. Diamond League meet on May 27.
The reigning 2015 IAAF World Champion Kovacs wrapped up competition in his first Olympics with a silver medal in the men's shot put held in Maracanã Stadium.
Kovacs, who entered the shot put finals as the No. 5 qualifier with a throw of 20.73m (68'-0.25") during prelims, capped his competition with a throw of 21.78m (71'-5.50") to become the first silver medalist for Penn State since Mike Shine who won a silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada.
Kovacs became the 32nd Nittany Lion to earn an Olympic medal, while his mark of 21.78m is the seventh longest shot put in the Olympic games history.
Former Nitany Lion, and Penn State school record holder in the shot put, Darrell Hill competed in the prelims of the Olympic men's shot put finishing 23rd with a best mark of 19.56m (64'-2.25").
Adding to the success, history and tradition of Penn State track & field, several athletes took part in the Olympic Trials prior to the Olympic Games.
Rachel Fatherly, Penn State indoor and outdoor record holder in the shot put, competed in the event finishing with a best mark of 15.44m (50'-8") to take 22ndââ'¬"place, a career best finish at the Olympic Trials for the Williamsport, Pa. native.
Brian Leap, who competed at Hayward field just a short few weeks prior to the trials in the NCAA Championships, finished competition with a mark of 16.01m (52'-6.50") on his final jump in the prelims. Leap finished in 15th-place narrowly missing advancing to the finals of the triple jump.
The prelims of the U.S. Olympic Trials women's 100-meter hurdles featured former Nittany Lion Evonne Britton, now of Shore AC, who ran 13.13 in the event finishing in 22nd-place.
2010 Penn State graduate, former NCAA Champion, and 2012 Olympian Bridget Franek took sixth-place in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase recording a time of 9:33.51.
Mahagony Jones, a 2013 Penn State graduate represented by New Balance, ran her prelim in the same heat as the reigning 2012 Olympic champion at 200-meters Allyson Felix who won the heat in a time of 22.93 followed by Jones' time of 23.63.
Jones finished competition at the trials with the 29th best time of the meet narrowly missing qualifying for the by less than half a second.
Also making their debut at the Olympic Trials was Robby Creese (Penn State '15) in the men's 1,500-meters. Creese, who advanced to the semi-finals with his time of 3:42.89 in preliminary action, finished 21st-place in the event with a time of 3:51.06 to cap his career in the Blue & White.
Isaiah Harris concluded his first year as a Nittany Lion by winning a gold medal at the NACAC U-23 Championships in his signature event, the 800-meters, running a time of 1:47.52 for the United States in the event.
Harris captured both indoor and outdoor 800-meter titles at the Big Ten Championships before recording 12th and fourth-place finishes at the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships, respectively. His fourth-place finish at the outdoor championships featured a personal best time of 1:45.76 in Eugene, Ore. at Historic Hayward Field.
At the Olympic Trials, Harris qualified for the 800-meters finals as the youngest runner in the final, and continued his success in the 800-meter finals. Harris finished sixth in the finals with a time of 1:46.47, establishing himself among the fastest 800-meter athletes in the United States.
Former Penn Stater Casimir Loxsom of Brooks ran with Harris in that Olympic Trials 800-meter final clocking a time of 1:49.18 to take ninth-place. Brannon Kidder of Brooks, a 2016 graduate of Penn State, finished 12th in 1:48.76.
Also competing at the NACAC meet with Harris was Penn State junior Dannielle Gibson who wrapped up her 2016 outdoor track & field season with a gold medal performance in the triple jump.
A junior from Nassau, Bahamas, Gibson entered the meet with a personal best seed of 13.63mw (44'-8.75") set earlier this year at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary in Jacksonville, Fla.
Representing the Bahamas, Gibson finished the meet with a gold medal and a best mark of 13.54m (44'-5.25") to record the second-farthest jump of her career.
A 2016 NCAA indoor and outdoor second-team All-American in the triple jump, Gibson is currently ranked No. 2 indoor and No. 3 outdoor all-time in Penn State track & field program history heading into her senior year as a Nittany Lion.
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