Jan. 30, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State National Open continues to be one of the premiere meets in the nation during the final weekend in January year in and year out. This year's National Open was no exception as Penn State turned in multiple NCAA No. 1 marks as well as multiple personal best performances while giving the fans in attendance a race to remember as 2013 Penn State alum Casimir Loxsom laid down a world record in the 600-meters.
Sophomore Isaiah Harris continues to be one of the top middle-distance athletes in the nation building upon his overwhelmingly successful freshman season that culminated in an Olympic Trials 800-meter final appearance.
Harris entered the meet holding a lifetime PR of 1:17.50 from the Penn State tune up last season - his only other time to run the 600-meters.
The aforementioned Loxsom, entered the meet as the American Record holder, facility record holder, school record holder and the meet record holder looking to compete in his first indoor meet of the season.
The race opened in a quick 48.5 with Loxsom holding a five-meter lead over Harris, the final 200-meter proved to be as exciting as previously advertised as the sophomore from Lewiston, Maine closed the gap running stride-for-stride with Loxsom as Harris crossed the line in 1:14.96 just eight one-hundredths (0.08) of a second behind Loxsom - the new world record holder.
Harris is now the collegiate record holder in the 600-meters surpassing the old mark of 1:15.79 set in 2013 by Casimir Loxsom during his senior season in the Blue & White.
The men's 600-meters was not the only race to feature record breaking performances on the day as both the women's mile and 3,000-meters took a school record performance for the win.
First up was Danae Rivers in the women's mile.
Rivers until this point had run two individual events, 600-meters; 800-meters, with both resulting in school records for the freshman from Derby, Conn. and Wilbur Cross High School - the same High School that produced Casimir Loxsom.
Rivers made it three-for-three on school records taking the women's mile in a time of 4:34.87 erasing the mark set by Tori Gerlach just last season when she ran 4:37.83.
Rivers mark stands as the No. 1 time in the NCAA this season; Rivers is also ranked No. 5 in the NCAA in the women's 800-meters (2:04.04) and No. 6 in the 600-meters (1:29.06), both school record times.
Other Penn State athletes who set PR's in the mile on Saturday include: Jillian Hunsberger (4:57.37), Noemie Noullet (5:01.20), and Natasha Fedkina (5:05.75).
Tessa Barrett, not to be outdone, out on a show in the women's 3K as she paced the field to a school record time of 9:07.22 breaking the record of 2012 Olympian Bridget Franek (Penn State '10) who just happened to be in attendance for the feat.
Barrett erased the record of 9:10.04 set by Franek in 2009 and is currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in her event leading the field by two one-hundredths over Michigan's Erin Finn.
Several Nittany Lion athletes set personal best in the 3K this weekend including: Brandon Tubby (8:27.67), Tessa Barrett (9:07.22), Tori Gerlach (9:10.09), Kathryn Munks (9:39.90), Lisa Bennatan (9:52.21), Cara Ulizio (10:11.01) and Hannah Catalano (10:35.91).
Both the men's and women's Distance Medley Relays turned in top-10 NCAA performances Friday night on day one of the meet.
The men's relay of Domenic Perretta, Sam Reiser, Isaiah Harris and Colin Abert combined to run 9:40.59 that is currently No. 8 in the nation, while the women's quartet of Danae Rivers, Kiara Lester, Rachel Banks and Tessa Barrett carried the baton to the time of 11:15.00 that is No. 7 in the nation this season. The women's DMR was also the No. 3 time in indoor program history.
Rachel Banks ran 2:52.34 in the 1K setting a personal best along the way.
The highlights from the Penn State National were not limited to just the distance events as several sprinters had career days.
Keianna Albury and Xavier Smith both won event titles in the 60-meters running season best times of 6.69 and 7.46, respectively. Albury's time is the No. 5 performance in Penn State indoor history tying the mark set by Kamilah Salaam in 2005.
Other athletes with PR's in the 60-meters include: Darien Williams (6.97), Malik Moffett (6.76) and Tristan Daman (7.09). Moffett's 6.76 is tied for the second best mark in program history trailing only Xavier Smith's school record of 6.68 set last season.
True freshman Darien Alston (22.00) and Tristan Daman (22.52) set PR's in the 200-meters equally matched by Albury (24.16) and Kiara Lester (24.39) in the same event.
Moving up to the 400-meters, Tyreek Mathis ran a personal best time for the second week in-a-row with his 48.27 performance. Teammate Lamont Higgins also set a new PR in the race running 49.08.
The 500-meters saw David Marrington (1:06.86), Rachel DeCecco (1:16.39) and Elyse Skerpon (1:16.66) all set personal best in the event.
Three Nittany Lions set PR's in the 800-meters led by Billy McDevitt's 1:52.32 in the event as well as William Ashenfelter (1:56.48) and Grace Trucilla (2:13.24).
Moving to the field, Morgan Shigo led the charge recording the No. 2 mark in Penn State indoor history with his mark of 66'-9.50" (20.36m) that is the No. 25 mark in the NCAA this season. Kory Decesaris set a PR in the event with his throw of 62'-8.50" (19.11m).
Freshman Darian Alston jumped out to a new PR of 21'-11.75" (6.70m) in the long jump while fellow freshmen Austin Campbell (6'-7.5"/2.02m) and Spence Hay (6'-3.50/1.92m) set PR's in the high jump.
Though Campbell and Hay set PR's in the high jump it was Megan McCloskey who stole the show in the event with her clearance of 5'-10.5" (1.79m). McCloskey's mark moved her into a tie for the No. 3 mark in indoor program history.
Megan Fry (13'-0.75/3.98m) set a new PR as she eased her way into the top-five list as she cleared 13' for the first time in her career in front of a packed Multi-Sport facility.
The year of the triple jump is well and alive as Kobren Frederick (48'-7.5"/14.82m), Darian Alston (47'-1.5"/14.36m) and Olivia Giambria (36'-9.5"/11.21m) all set new personal best over the weekend.
Jon Yohman achieved yet another PR recording a mark of 61'-0" (18.59m) in the ring over the weekend as he inches closer and closer to breaking through into the top-five in the men's shot put.
Just like Yohman, Alyssa Robinson has been inching closer and closer to the top-five indoor marks and achieved that goal this past weekend moving to No. 4 with her throw of 53'-5.75" (16.30m).
Penn State is home to two NCAA leading marks, 17 top-25 NCAA marks, 10 Big Ten leading marks and 62 top-25 Big Ten marks.
Click here to see Penn State's full list of top-25 NCAA marks; Click here to see Penn State's top-25 Big Ten marks