Feb. 13, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Team/tÄ"m/ (noun) - a group of athletes forming one side in a competitive game or sport.
Track & Field, while for the most part an individual sport, does have a team component to it as the members of the team combine their individual performances for the greater good of the whole.
Penn State split the weekend between the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash. and the Spire Invitational in Geneva, Ohio; this was a weekend where the Nittany Lions needed team work more than ever to achieve the goals for the weekend.
Spoiler alert, Penn State had a fantastic weekend turning in 26 personal best performances and even a new school record as the two groups competed 2,460 miles apart with a "One Team" mentality.
Let's take a look back at the weekend that was for Penn State track & field.
What else could possibly be said about freshman phenom Danae Rivers, who has yet to run an individual race without setting a school record!
Rivers turned in a school record time of 4:32.55 racing to the finish line looking strong and composed. The Derby, CT native is currently ranked No. 3 in the NCAA in the women's mile behind New Hampshire's Elinor Purrier (4:29.44) and the NCAA leader in Oklahoma State's Kaela Edwards who recorded a time of 4:28.75 at the 110th Millrose Games in New York City at the Armory.
Also competing at the Millrose Games was Penn State senior Tori Gerlach who turned in an outstanding performance in the women's 3K.
Gerlach, who has outdoor eligibility only, ran her way to a new PR with her time of 8:54.61 that equated to a 16 second PR for Gerlach.
Canada's Kate Van Buskirk won the event in a time of 8:52.08 followed by New Balance's Stephanie Garcia who ran 8:53.48 for silver.
Gerlach's time would be No. 1 in the NCAA by almost 10 seconds if she still had eligibility.
Tessa Barrett turned in a first-place performance in the women's 5K in the Husky Classic with her time of 15:51.32 that sits at No. 6 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the Big Ten. Barrett currently holds the school records in the indoor 3K and 5K.
In Geneva at the site of this year's Big Ten Indoor Championships, Keianna Albury added to her impressive season in the sprints taking home the 60-meter and 200-meter titles with the short sprint producing a new personal best as she clocked a time of 7.41.
Freshman Tyreek Mathis continued to lower his PR in the 400-meters as he ran 48.20 at the spire invitational finishing in the top-15.
Fellow freshman Domenic Perretta ran a personal best of his own in the 800-meters running 1:48.17 finishing second behind Isaiah Harris.
Perretta is currently ranked No. 18 in the NCAA and is also the fourth-fastest freshman in the event.
In total Penn State recorded 26 personal best marks over the weekend and currently boast 13 top-25 NCAA marks, 68 top-25 Big Ten marks and six marks that lead the Big Ten Conference.
For more on Nittany Lion track & field, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter @PennStateTFXC.