April 27, 2017
RESULTS
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Penn State continued its trend of setting school records Thursday night at Franklin Field as the Nittany Lions wrapped up the opening day of the 123rd Penn Relays.
Tori Gerlach (3:23.24), Tichina Rhodes (53.77), Rachel Banks (2:08.02) and Danae Rivers (4:31.05) combined to run 10:56.07 erasing the old mark of 11:08.41 set by Rebekka Simko, Ije Iheoma, Marta Klebe and Kara Millhouse from 2012. The relay finished second trailing only Villanova in the Championship of America DMR and was anchored by the fastest split in the event (Rivers).
The women's 4x100-meter relay of Quenee Dale, Keianna Albury, Kiara Lester and Tichina Rhodes qualified for tomorrow's final with a season best time of 45.05, which stands at the sixth-fastest time of the day. Tomorrow's final is slated for a 12:35 p.m. start time.
Alyssa Robinson and Obeng Marfo took silver and bronze in the women's shot put with marks of 53'-1.75" (16.20m) and 52'-4" (15.95m), respectively. The duo returned in the women's hammer throw to post marks of 184'-7" (56.27m) and 166'-5" (50.73m), with Robinson taking seventh-place. Marfo also competed in the women's discus finishing sixth with a best of 163'-0" (49.69m).
Madeline Holmberg had a career day in the long jump, posting a lifetime best in the event and taking second-place in the College Women's Long Jump Championship. Holmberg jumped out to a mark of 20'-4.25" (6.20m) that is tied for the eighth-best jump in program history matching the mark set by Monique Gillman in 1997.
Greta Lindsley ran her way to a huge personal best in the women's 3,000-steeplechase finishing 21-seconds faster than her previous best of 10:48.58 as she finished her race Thursday night in a quick 10:27.57 for 11th-place.
Tessa Barrett finished third (16:15.35) in the women's 5,000-meters leading teammates Kathryn Munks (16:33.99) and Noemie Noullet (17:37.09) while John McGowan posted a new personal best in the men's 5,000-meters with his time of 14:18.03.
Elizabeth Chikotas, Lisa Bennatan and Marissa Sheva combined for three top-20 finishes in the women's 3,000-meters crossing the line in ninth, 11th and 19th with Sheva's time coming as a new personal best competing in the event for the first time as a Nittany Lion.
Rachael DeCecco and Elyse Skerpon each finished fifth in their heats of the 400-meter hurdles running 1:00.64 and 1:02.03 in first event of the day.
Kaitlyn Lopez, Dannielle Gibson and Kelsey Vieira recorded fifth, ninth and 18th-place finishes led by Lopez who finished with a mark of 19'-2.75" (5.86m).
Rounding out competition for the Nittany Lions on the opening day of the Penn Relays were the women's vaulters who posted a 3-4-5-6 finish in the pole vault with the indoor/outdoor school record holder Lexi Masterson leading the way with her clearance of 12'-7.50" (3.85m). Following Masterson were Hannah Mulhern (12'-7.50" (3.85m)), Kasey Kemp (12'-1.50" (3.70m)) and Megan Fry.
Penn State returns for day two of the Penn Relays Friday April 28th starting at 9 a.m. with the men's 400-meter hurdles and the men's discus. The prime time hours for tomorrow's TV coverage have been shifted, allowing spectators the opportunity to watch the Penn State men's DMR as well as the Nittany Lion SMR featuring the current NCAA leader at 800-meters Isaiah Harris.
For more on Nittany Lion track & field, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter @PennStateTFXC.