June 9, 2017
RESULTS
EUGENE, Ore. - Day two of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships saw five Nittany Lions compete at Historic Hayward Field with one student-athlete advancing to the finals in her event Thursday afternoon.
Tori Gerlach started the day for the Blue & White as she competed in the prelims of the 3,000-meter steeplechase, an event Gerlach is ranked No. 2 in program history in (9:50.60). Gerlach entered the prelims looking to make her first NCAA final in the event after finishing 14th as a junior in 2015. The fifth-year senior advanced to the final finishing in auto-qualifying position taking second in her heat and posting the second-fastest time of the prelims running 9:50.54 - the No. 2 time in program history.
Danae Rivers stepped to the track for the prelims of the women's 800-meters. Rivers, the school record holder in the event both indoor and outdoor for Penn State, entered with a season best of 2:02.53. The freshman from Derby, Conn. finished fourth in her heat with a time of 2:07.07 to place 19th-overall in her first appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Obeng Marfo made her debut at the NCAA meet in the women's shot put finishing 19th-overall. The junior from Toronto, Ontario posted a mark of 53'-0.75" (16.17m) just a few inches short of her season best and the No. 5 mark in program history of 53'-11" (16.43m) set earlier this season.
Jillian Hunsberger took to the track in the finals of the 10,000-meters finishing with the No. 2 time in program history. Hunsberger, a junior from Pittsburgh, Pa., crossed the line at Hayward Field in 33:29.40 finishing 10th to earn Second-Team All-American honors for the Blue & White.
Hannah Mulhern competed in the pole vault bowing out of the competition with the bar set at 13'-1.50" (4.00m). Mulhern set the school record at the NCAA East Preliminary with her clearance of 13'-5.25" (4.10m) in Lexington, Ky.
Madelin Holmberg will get things started for Penn State tomorrow afternoon as she begins competition in the heptathlon with the 100-meter hurdles. Nittany Lions Isaiah Harris (800-meters), David Lucas (discus) and Bryce Williams (triple jump) will also compete for the Blue & White on the final day of the men's meet.
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