ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Penn State track & field program crowned three individual champions Saturday during the final day of the Big Ten Indoor Championships at the U-M Indoor Track Building.
Junior Danae Rivers captured her third consecutive Big Ten Indoor 800-meter Championship in a meet record time, freshman Alexis Holmes won the women's 400-meter dash with a Penn State school record effort, and junior Dom Perretta won the men's 800-meter run to highlight the Nittany Lions' performances.
The Nittany Lion men finished in seventh place with 63 points and the women's squad placed eighth with 57.5 points.
"Danae is such a great competitor," said head coach John Gondak. "We asked her to run the 800 and both relays this weekend; she was really aggressive today and got the meet record. For Alexis to win the 400 title in her first Big Ten meet; I'm really proud of her. Alexis and Kiara (Lester) both made great strides in their careers this weekend. I thought our vaulters did really well; we were a little short-handed on the women's side."
"Dom has run really well the past two years and he stepped up in a big way to win the 800; he's a great competitor," Gondak added. "Bryce Williams had a nice weekend (placing in men's long jump and triple jump) and Tim McGowan gave us a very inspiring performance in the 5K, (finishing sixth) after having to go to the medical center Thursday night because he was sick."
Rivers delivered her third consecutive Big Ten Indoor Championship in the 800-meter run in a meet record time of 2:03.45. Ranked third nationally in the 800, she broke the mark held by Katie Borchers (Ohio State) of 2:04.31 in 2015. Rivers is just the third woman to win three consecutive Big Ten Indoor 800 titles, joining Michigan's Geena Gall (2007-09).
Perretta won the men's 800 final with a time of 1:48.24, giving the Penn State men their fourth consecutive Big Ten Indoor title in the event and the 10th in the last 12 years. Isaiah Harris, the 2018 NCAA Outdoor 800 champion, had won the last three Big Ten men's Indoor 800 crowns.
Penn State had a pair of top-5 finishers in the women's 200- and 400-meters. Holmes blazed her way to the women's 400 crown in a school record time of 52.14. The Penn State record had been held by Shana Cox, who ran a 52.31 in 2007. Holmes also placed fifth in the women's 200 in a time 23.74. Junior Kiara Lester was fourth in the 200 with a time of 23.71 and fourth in the 400 in 53.78 to provide the Nittany Lions with additional scoring.
Freshman Alexa Parks finished third in the women's high jump with a top effort of 1.73m (5-08.00). The women's 4x400 relay team of Keianna Albury, Lester, Rivers and Holmes finished fifth in 3:41.39.
Sophomore Gary Ross tied for third in the men's 600 meters with a time of 1:17.82 and senior Bryce Williams was fourth in the men's triple jump with a top effort of 15.42m (50-07.25).
Freshman Justin Otofan scored twice in his first Big Ten meet, placing seventh in the 60-meter dash (6.84) and seventh in the 200 (21.45). Freshman Brandon Hontz was fifth in the men's mile with a personal best time of 4:05.16 and senior Tim McGowan placed sixth in the men's 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:03.20.
Big Ten Network will air highlights from the 2019 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships on Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 5:30-6:30 p.m ET.
Penn State will await the announcement of student-athletes who have been selected to participate in the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in March 8-9 in Birmingham, Alabama.
For more on Nittany Lion track & field, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter @PennStateTFXC.
