May 16, 2017
Big Ten Release
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Capturing the Big Ten title in the men's long jump, Penn State's Malik Moffett was named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships. Nittany Lion Head Coach and Director of Track and Field John Gondak was unanimously named Big Ten Men's Coach of the Year after leading Penn State to their first Men's Big Ten title in program history.
Moffett won the 2017 Big Ten long jump title with a mark of 26'-3" (8.00m), a new Penn State school record and currently No. 6 in the NCAA. Moffett becomes just the third Nittany Lion to be tabbed Field Athlete of the Championships, joining Darrell Hill (2014) and Joe Kovacs (2012). Moffett also won the 200-meters in a wind-aided time of 19.87 - the eighth-fastest wind-aided time in NCAA history - and scored in the 100-meter final.
Gondak's Big Ten Coach of the Year honor is the third of his career (Cross Country 2015, Women's Indoor 2017) and comes after leading Penn State to its first Big Ten title in program history on the men's side. Gondak guided Penn State to 117-points including 10 Big Ten medalist and three Big Ten individual champions in the 800-meters (Isaiah Harris), long jump (Malik Moffett) and the 200-meters (Malik Moffett).
Jon Yohman and Madeline Holmberg were named Penn State's Sportsmanship Award Honorees. The Big Ten Conference office recognizes student-athletes from each team as Sportsmanship Award Honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
These student-athletes are now candidates for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the school year.
Penn State will remain home to train for a week before traveling to Lexington, Ky. to take part in the NCAA East First-Round hosted by the University of Kentucky May 25-27.
For more on Nittany Lion track & field, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter @PennStateTFXC.