March 11, 2017
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Penn State wrapped up the opening day of the 2017 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships with the Nittany Lions taking home All-American honors in two events on day one.
"It couldn't have gone any better," said head coach John Gondak.
"We checked all the boxes in terms of what we wanted, people finished higher than what they came in ranked, we advanced people through to the finals of the men's 800-meters with Isaiah (Harris) making it through a rough and tumble heat that he was in with people going down all over the place he held on and Danae (Rivers) in what was one of the weirdest races I've seen at the NCAA's in a while but makes it through to the final."
"Malik came in ranked 14th and finished 12th and just missed making the final by two-one hundredths of a second in a phenomenal run - I'm very proud of him - and then Tessa Barrett earning her first All-American honor on the track in her fifth-place finish that was very important to me to see her come through and be All-American on the track - great race from her - and then the women's DMR came in ranked 10th and we finished sixth, those four ladies earned All-American honors with a phenomenal anchor leg from Julie Kocjancic. We are ahead of schedule in terms of where we wanted to be after day one," said Gondak.
Danae Rivers got things going for Penn State with her run in the prelims of the women's mile prelims. Rivers, who entered the meet holding the No. 3 time in the NCAA during the regular season, ran the race like a seasoned veteran. The only freshman in the field, Rivers ran comfortable up front grabbing an automatic bid to the finals by finishing in the top-four of her heat run.
Isaiah Harris, Penn State's second athlete to take the track on Day one, punched his ticket to tomorrow's final in the 800-meter with his run in the prelims.
Harris qualified for the final with a time of 1:48.47 in heat one earning an auto spot to the final with a third-place finish. The sophomore from Lewiston, Maine makes the 800-meter final at the indoor championships for the first time in his career after finishing as an All-American at last year's NCAA outdoor meet.
Malik Moffett, a junior from Erie, Pa., made his debut at the NCAA Championships as he too to the track for prelims in the 200-meters. Moffett took third in his heat closing hard recording a time of 20.85 in the opening heat of the event. The Penn State school record holder in the event finished 12th overall.
Tessa Barrett, a 2015 cross country All-American, earned her first All-American honors on the track with her performance in the 5,000-meters. Barrett took fifth-place in the event running a time of 15:42.29. The sophomore held on strong over the final 400-meters to secure her fifth-place finish. Barrett becomes the first Nittany Lion to earn All-American honors in the 5,000-meters since 2010 when Bridget Franek finished fourth in the event.
Barrett will have a chance to double up on the distance honors as she will run in the final of the 3,000-meters tomorrow night.
The final event of the day for Penn State, the women's Distance Medley Relay - who like Barrett - turned in an All-American performance.
The relay of Rivers, Rachel Banks, Tichina Rhodes and Julie Kocjancic carried the baton to the tune of 11:04.89 to give Penn State it's first All-American DMR since 1996 when Erica Bosler, Sue Huelster, Kim McGreevy and Erin St. John finished fourth at the Indoor Championships.
Penn State will return for the final day of the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships tomorrow afternoon starting at 5 p.m. ET with the final of the women's mile.
ESPN's coverage of Day Two of the NCAA Championships will begin tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
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