Jan. 13, 2017
Saturday, January 14
11:00 a.m. ET
MEET INFO | | HEAT SHEETS$ LIVE VIDEO (FloTrack) | BTN2Go
MEET PREVIEW
| Teams Competing | |
| Bucknell | UConn |
| Cornell | Villanova |
| Georgetown (M) | Central Conn. (M) |
| Maryland | Penn State |
| Pittsburgh | |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion track & field program is set to open the 2017 indoor campaign this Saturday as they host the Nittany Lion Challenge meet at the Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.
THE NITTANY LION CHALLENGE
When: Saturday, January 14
Where: Ashenfelter III Indoor Track
Start time: 11 a.m. ET
Cost: Admission is FREE
SCHOOLS COMPETING
Bucknell, Cornell, Georgetown (M), Maryland, Pittsburgh, UConn, Villanova, Central Connecticut (M), Penn State
LAST TIME OUT
The Penn State track & field teams competed in the annual Blue & White meet at the Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track in Multi-Sport Complex Dec. 10. On the Men's side, Team Blue squeaked out a one-point win over Team White 75-74. Meanwhile on the women's side, Team White took home the meet title with a nine point victory (77-68) over Team Blue.
LAST YEAR AT THE NITTANY LION CHALLENGE
Penn State captured 13 event wins, set four meet records, and broke three school records - along with an all-time collegiate record - as the Nittany Lions wrapped up the 2016 Nittany Lion Challenge.
The men's and women's 1,000-meters saw a pair of school records fall as seniors Tori Gerlach and Brannon Kidder etched their names among the best to ever wear the blue & white on the track. Gerlach's performance came in an event she doesn't normally run. The consummate 3-5K athlete, Gerlach dropped down to run the 1,000-meters and erased a four-year old record - previously held by Nittany Lion great Caitlin Lane - recording a time of 2:43.15 setting not only a school record but a new personal best in the event as well.
For the men's 1,000-meters, fans in attendance saw the first sub-2:19 in NCAA history. Kidder, who had never run the 1,000-meters before that meet, set the collegiate record running 2:18.26 as he ran away from the field over the final 75-meters for the win with the next closest competitor over a full three seconds behind. Kidder in one race set a meet record, school record, facility record, and an all-time collegiate record.
Elizabeth Chikotas continued the trend of the day adding her name in the record books with her run of 4:45.59 in the mile, breaking the meet record of 4:46.70 set by Florida's Cory McGee in 2011.
Chikotas' run would also give the then-sophomore from Hellertown, Pa. a new PR, besting her old personal best time of 4:46.54 set in 2015's Nittany Lion Challenge.
Xavier Smith, who set a school record of 6.70 seconds in 60-meters in the season opener, once again re-wrote the record book by shaving another one one-hundredth of a second from the school record when he clocked 6.69 seconds for the 60-meters.
BREAKIN' RECORDS
Five school records were broken on the women's side during the 2016 indoor campaign. Tessa Barrett set the 5,000-meter record (15:46.08), Rachel Fatherly set the shout put record with a throw of 56-8 (17.27m), Lexi Masterson set the pole vault record with a jump of 13-9.75 (4.21m) and Tori Gerlach set both the mile record (4:37.83), and the 1,000-meter record (2:43.15).
On the men's side, three school records were broken during the 2016 indoor campaign. Xavier Smith ran 6.68 in the 60-meter dash, Isaiah Harris ran 1:46.24 in the 800-meters, and Brannon Kidder set both the school record and collegiate record in the 1,000-meters with a time of 2:18.26.
FLO TRACK
FloTrack will be streaming two of Penn State's four home meets (Nittany Lion Challenge, Penn State National Open) LIVE on FloTrack this season.
FloTrack will provide LIVE coverage of the 2017 Penn State Nittany Lion Challenge. Viewers must have a FloPro account ($) to access the video stream.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Nittany Lions are set to welcome teams from across the nation into the Ashenfelter III Indoor Track as they host four meets during the 2017 indoor season.
TRACK & FIELD SIGNS 12 EARLY
Twelve new student-athletes signed their National Letter of Intent during the week-long early signing period in November.
Madison Smith Hometown: New Oxford, Pa
Brooke-Lynn Williams Hometown: Norton, Mass.
Victoria Tachinski Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Alison Willingmyre Hometown: Wernersville, Pa.
Ben Bumgarner Hometown: Waynesburg, Pa.
William Henderson Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
Jack Zimmerman Hometown: Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
Terrance Laird Hometown: Coatesville, Pa.
Thomas Bojalad Hometown: St. Mary's, Pa.
Alexa Parks Hometown: Kintnersville, Pa
Audra Koopman Hometown: Fort Collins, Co.
Katie Jones Hometown: South Williamsport, Pa.
These 12 student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent and will attend Penn State next fall.
NEXT TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions travel to Lexington, KY to compete in the Rod McCravy Memorial meet Jan. 20-21.
For more on Nittany Lion track & field, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter @PennStateTFXC.
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