98121909812190

T&F Heads to 123rd Penn Relays

April 26, 2017

Franklin FieldPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania

Thursday, April 27
 9:00 a.m. ET
LIVE Results

Friday, April 28
 9:00 a.m. ET
LIVE Results

Saturday, April 29
 9:00 a.m. ET
LIVE Results

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State track & field team returns to action this week at the 123rd running of the Penn Relays. The Penn Relays will be held at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa., April 27-29.

PENN RELAYS HISTORY
Since 1910, the Nittany Lions have won 117 Penn Relays Championship of America titles, including 33 Championship of America relay titles.

Lee Talbot captured Penn State's first title at the Penn Relays with his toss of 160'-6" in hammer throw in 1910 and he went onto win three more Penn Relays titles as a Nittany Lion.

Last year at the Penn Relays, they Nittany Lions posted seven first place finishes:


Championship of America Section

  • Men's 4x800-Meters - Creese, Makins, Harris, Kidder - 7:17.37
  • Men's Distance Medley Relay - Creese, Shisler, Harris, Kidder - 9:35.51
  • Shot Put - Jon Yohman 60'-10.5" (18.55m)
  • Triple Jump - Brian Leap 53'-0" (16.15m)

College Section


STANDING THE TEST OF TIME
The 2017 Penn Relays marks the 32nd anniversary of the Penn State men's 4x800-meter relay that clocked in at 7:11.17.

At the 1985 Penn Relays, the quartet of Vance Watson, Steve Shisler, Chris Mills, Randy Moore finished first in the men's 4x800-meter relay with their time of 7:11.17. Their time still stands to this day and is the oldest standing Penn Relays record.

B1G RANKINGS
Head coach John Gondak's teams combine for 73 student-athletes inside the top-20 in their events in the Big Ten Conference; on top of that, four of the relay teams rank in the top-20. Of those 77 performances, six of them are conference-leading marks.

 RECORD BREAKING SEASON
Through seven meets, seven school records have been broken this outdoor season.

  • Women's 800-Meters - Danae Rivers - 2:02.53
  • Men's 800-Meters - Isaiah Harris - 1:45.12
  • Women's Pole Vault- Lexi Masterson - 13'-4.50" (4.08m)
  • Men's Hammer Throw - Morgan Shigo - 221'-0" (67.36)
  • Men's 4x100-Meters - 39.49
  • Women's 4x800-Meters - 8:39.44


NCAA EVENT RANKINGS
Penn State boasts 15 marks that rank in the nation's top-20 including two NCAA leading time. All-American Isaiah Harris posted a nation leading 1:45.64 in the 800-meters when he took home the gold at Florida Relays. This past weekend at the Virginia challenge, the sophomore out of Lewiston, Maine lowered his nation leading time running a Penn State school record 1:45.12. The old record was held by Casimir Loxsom, the current World Record holder in the 600-meters - broken earlier this year at the Penn State Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.

 LATEST USTFCCCA RANKINGS
Penn State checked in at No. 16 & No. 22 on the men and women's sides, respectively, in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) rankings.

The Penn State men's team jumped from No. 29 to No. 16, while the women's team jumped into the top-25 for the first time since the final week of the 2014 campaign checking in at No. 22.

Penn State currently boasts 17 top-25 performances in the nation over 15 events though seven meets this season, leading the NCAA in the men's 800-meters (Isaiah Harris) and the women's 4x800-meter relay.

Ten of the aforementioned 17 performances were set this past weekend at the Virginia Challenge where Penn State recorded 13 first-place finishes as well as 62 top-10 finishes.

NEXT TIME OUT
 The Nittany Lions host their lone home meet of the outdoor season in the annual Jim Thorpe Invite May 5 starting at 2 p.m. at the newly renovated Penn State Nittany Lion Outdoor Track.

For more on Nittany Lion track & field, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter @PennStateTFXC.