July 16, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State cross country and track & field head coach John Gondak and the Nittany Lion coaching staff have completed its incoming class with the addition of 35 student-athletes.
"Penn State cross country and track & field is thrilled to announce our incoming class for next fall," Gondak said. "Our coaches did another outstanding job identifying talent from around the world to join us here in Happy Valley. Once again, we have a well-balanced recruiting class that will help our program continue to be competitive in the Big Ten and NCAA across all of the event areas.
"I want to thank all of the coaches and staff members that helped us secure this class," Gondak added. "The time and effort they put into helping keep Penn State cross country/track & field one of the premier programs in the country is endless. I believe their efforts paid off with this outstanding recruiting class."
The class is comprised of 19 female student-athletes and 16 male student-athletes. Not only does the class include Nittany Lions from Pennsylvania, but the class reaches nationally to California and internationally to the United Kingdom.
Women's Incoming Class
Julia Baxter
Hometown: Butler, Pa. | High School/Previous School: Butler/Butler Community College
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): High jump-5-7
Antoinette Bradley
Hometown: Fort Washington, Md. | High School: Friendly
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 300-41.71/400-56.86/500-76.17/600-1:36.68/800-2:18.00/300IH-44.43/400IH-60.90
Highlights: U.S. No. 15 in the 400IH…2018 Maryland outdoor state champion in the 300IH…Took runner-up in the 400 at the 2018 Maryland outdoor state meet…Placed third in the 300IH at the 2017 Maryland outdoor state meet.
Alexis Baublitz
Hometown: York, Pa. | High School/Previous School: Central York/West Virginia University
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Pole vault-12-6
Highlights: 2016 New Balance Nationals Indoor, Penn Relays, and Millrose Games qualifier…Set her high school pole vault record of 12-foot-3…2015 PIAA District 3 bronze medalist.
Ryann Brundage
Hometown: Corry, Pa. | High School: Corry Area
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Javelin-142-10
Highlights: Four-time PIAA District 10 champion in the javelin…Finalist in the javelin at the 2018 PIAA State Championships.
Madison Coppolino
Hometown: Somerdale, N.J. | High School: Sterling
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 1600-4:58.86/3200-10:46.38
Highlights: 2018 NJSIAA Group 2 state champion in the 3,200.
Andrea Demko
Hometown: Hershey, Pa. | High School: Hershey
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 1600-4:56.61/3200-10:49.19/5k (XC)-18:09.00
Highlights: Finished fifth in the 1,600 at the 2018 PIAA State Championships.
Katie Gallagher
Hometown: Frederick, Md. | High School: Linganore
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): High jump-5-7
Highlights: 2018 MPSSAA state champion in the high jump…2018 MPSSAA 3A West Region meet high jump champion.
Breana Gambrell
Hometown: Athens, Pa. | High School: Athens Area
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 100-11.83/Long jump -20-8.5/Triple jump-38-8.75
Highlights: Four-time PIAA state meet long jump champion…Two-time PIAA state meet triple jump champion…2018 PIAA state champion in the 100…2018 Penn Relays high school long jump champion.
Rachel Gearing
Hometown: Cleveland, Ga. | High School: White County
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Long jump-18-6.5/Triple jump-39-8.75
Highlights: Region 7-AAAA champion in the 400, long jump, and triple jump.
Taylor Givens
Hometown: State College, Pa. | High School: State College Area
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Long jump-19-9
Highlights: 2018 PIAA state champion in the long jump…Two-time PIAA District 6 champion in the long jump.
Alexis Holmes
Hometown: Cheshire, Conn. | High School: Cheshire Academy
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 200-23.46/400-51.21
Highlights: US #1 400…US# 13 200…2018 New Balance Nationals Outdoor champion in the 400…New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet record holder in the 400 (51.21)… 2018 Gatorade Connecticut Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year…2018 New England prep school champion in the 100, 200, and 400…2018 New Balance Nationals Indoor runner-up in the 400…Finished third in the 200 at the 2018 New Balance Nationals Indoor meet.
Ekaterina Hupalo
Hometown: Mission Hills, Calif. | High School: Bishop Alemany
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 100HH-14.36
Piper Klinger
Hometown: Selinsgrove, Pa. | High School: Selinsgrove
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Discus 160-0/shot put-42.7.25
Highlights: 2018 Indoor PA State Championships shot put finalist…2018 PIAA District 4 champion in the shot put…Finished third in the shot put at the 2018 PIAA State Championships…2018 PIAA District 4 champion in the discus…Placed third in the discus at the 2018 PIAA State Championships…Took third in the discus at the 2017 New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet.
Payden Montana
Hometown: Berwick Pa. | High School: Berwick
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Discus-164-11/Shot put-51-0
Highlights: Pennsylvania state record holder in the shot put…2018 PIAA discus champion…2018 New Balance Nationals Outdoor champion in the shot put…2018 New Balance Nationals bronze medalist in the discus…2018 Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year…2017 Indoor PA State Championships shot put champion…Two-time PIAA champion in the shot put.
Carena Nottoli
Hometown: Hempfield, Pa. | High School: Hempfield
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Pole vault-12-9
Highlights: Placed ninth at the 2018 New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet…Finished fourth at the 2018 PIAA State Championships…Took third at the 2018 Indoor PA State Championships…Two-time runner-up at the PIAA District 3 meet…2017 PIAA champion…2017 Indoor PA State Championships runner-up.
Julia Paternain
Hometown: Cambridge, England | Previous School: Hills Road Sixth Form College
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 1500-4:29.12/3k-9:23.07/5k-16:43
Highlights: Two-time 3,000 English Schools champion.
Gianna Rao
Hometown: Ponaganset, R.I. | High School: Ponaganset
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Hammer throw-189-1/Weight throw-63-2
Highlights: Two-time Rhode Island state champion in the hammer throw…Two-time Rhode Island state champion in the weight throw…Two-time silver medalist in the weight throw at the New Balance Nationals meet…2018 USATF Junior Nationals finalist in the hammer throw.
Amariah Thomas
Hometown: Gahanna, Ohio | High School: Gahanna Lincoln
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 60-7.70/100-11.91/200-24.22/400-56.77
Highlights: Placed sixth in the 60 at the 2018 Ohio indoor state meet…Took seventh in the 100 at the 2017 Ohio outdoor state meet…Finished eighth in the 200 at the 2018 Ohio indoor state meet…Took ninth in the 200 at the 2017 Ohio outdoor state meet.
Maggie Welty
Hometown: Butler, Pa. | High School: Butler
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 1600-5:06
Highlights: 2018 New Balance Nationals Indoor All-American in the 4x800.
Men's Incoming Class
David Bolles
Hometown: Malvern, Pa. | High School: Malvern Prep
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): High jump-6-6/Long jump-22-11
Highlights: Took fifth in the pentathlon at the 2018 New Balance Nationals Indoor meet.
Ben Bulkeley
Hometown: Fairport, N.Y. | High School: Fairport
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 800-1:50.96/1000-2:26.78/1600-4:19.07
Highlights: 2017 NYSPHSAA state champion in the outdoor 800…2017 NYSPHSAA state champion in the indoor 1,000.
Elijah Claiborne
Hometown: Northport, N.Y. | High School: Northport
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 800-1:52.24/1600-4:10.01
Highlights: 2018 NYSPHSAA outdoor state champion in the 800/1,600…A member of the 2017 and 2018 4x800 New Balance Nationals Outdoors championship team.
Isaiah Claiborne
Hometown: Northport, N.Y. | High School: Northport
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 800-1:51.62/1,000-2:26.95/1600-4:10.96/3200-8:58.33/5k (XC)-15:32.06
Highlights: 2018 NYSPHSAA indoor state champion in the 1,000…A member of the 2017 and 2018 4x800 New Balance National Outdoors championship team.
Gavin Darcy
Hometown: Dunmore, Pa. | High School: Dunmore
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Javelin-212-10
Highlights: 2017 PIAA state champion in the javelin…Two-time PIAA District 2 section javelin champion…Finished third in the javelin at the 2017 New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet.
Isaac Davis
Hometown: Jersey Shore, Pa. | High School: Jersey Shore Area
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 3200-9:24.25/5k (XC)-15:39.00
Highlights: 2017 PIAA AA Cross Country state champion.
Hudson Delisle
Hometown: Quakertown, Pa. | High School: Quakertown Community
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 800-1:52.01/1600-4:18.73
Highlights: Finished third in the 800 at the Indoor PA State Championships…Placed third in the 800 at the 2018 PIAA State Championships.
Isaiah Dillard
Hometown: Solon, Ohio | High School: Solon
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): High jump-6-8/110mH-14.47/300MH-39.26
Highlights: Took second in the high jump at the 2018 Ohio State Indoor Championships…2018 Greater Cleveland Conference champion in the high jump.
Chase Ebersole
Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Pa. | High School: Cumberland Valley
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 400-48.99
Highlights: Finished seventh in the 400 at the 2018 Indoor PA State Championships…Took seventh in the 400 at the 2018 PIAA state meet.
Chris Hughes
Hometown: Glens Falls, N.Y. | High School: Glens Falls
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 3200-9:16.13
Highlights: 2017 NYSPHSAA Class C cross country state champion.
Drew Maher
Hometown: West Long Branch, N.J. | High School: Shore Regional
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 800-1:49.16/1600-4:08.80
Highlights: 2018 NJ Group 1 800/1600 state champion…2018 1,600 champion at the NJ Meet of Champions…Runner-up in the 800 at the 2018 New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet.
Kristian Marche
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa. | High School: Imhotep Institute Charter
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 60-6.85/100-10.67/200-21.67
Highlights: Runner-up in the 100 at the 2017 PIAA state meet…Placed third in the 100 at the 2016 PIAA state meet…Finished fourth in the 100 at the 2018 PIAA state meet…Took fourth in the 60 at the 2017 Indoor PA State Championships…Finished fifth in the 60 at the 2017 Indoor PA State Championships.
Wesley Matsuka-Williams
Hometown: Norwich, England | High School: Notre Dame
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): Triple jump-50-7.50
Highlights: 2016 UK school games champion…2016 English schools' champion…2016 England U-17 champion…2016 SIAB international champion…2016 No. 1 ranked U-17 in the UK…2016 No. 5 ranked U-18 in Europe…2016 No. 23 ranked U-18 in the world…No. 7 All-Time U-17 in British history.
Malual Mu
Hometown: Trenton, N.J. | High School: Trenton Central
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 800-1:51.14/1600-4:14.38/5k (XC)-15:48
Highlights: Took third in the 800 at the 2018 New Jersey Meet of Champions…2017 New Jersey Group 4 800/1,600 state champion.
Justin Ofotan
Hometown: Washington, D.C. | High School: The Field School
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 100-10.40/200-21.46
Highlights: 2018 Washington D.C. state champion and record holder in the 100m and 200m…Runner-up in the 100 at the 2018 New Balance Nationals…Field School record-holder in the 100, 200, 400 and 4x1…2018 Washington Post All-Met first team honoree…D.C. Gatorade Athlete of the Year nominee.
Rick Zink
Hometown: Downingtown, Pa. | High School: Bishop Shanahan
Event(s)-Personal Best(s): 200-21.68/400-47.92
Highlights: 2018 PIAA state champion in the 400 and 4x400…Runner-up in the 400 at the 2018 Indoor PA State Championships.