UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State track and field/cross country program held its sixth annual awards banquet on Thursday, December 12 to honor the achievements of its student-athletes and the program during the 2019 year.
The Nittany Lions continued success was no different in 2019. The women's indoor track and field team placed 11th in the country, the second-highest finishing Big Ten program. Danae Rivers was crowned the 800m NCAA national champion, the first women's individual indoor national champion in program history. Prior to the NCAA Championships, Rivers was named the Mid-Atlantic Track Athlete of the Year for the third time and junior Maddie Holmberg was named Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year.
David Lucas earned his second All-American award after finishing eighth in the men's weight throw at 2019 championships. Lucas won the weight throw national championship in 2018, setting a school record 24.02m in the weight throw. Morgan Shigo capped his indoor career with a fifth-place finish in the weight throw to earn All-American honors.
In total, four Nittany Lions earned first team All-America honors during the indoor season for PSU.
Penn State captured three Big Ten individual titles during the indoor season as Rivers also secured her third-consecutive indoor 800m Big Ten title. Along with Rivers, Domenic Perretta captured the men's 800m indoor Big Ten Championship. This was the fourth-straight 800m indoor title on the men's side for the Nittany Lions, continuing their dominance in the event.
During the outdoor season, another first in program history was achieved for PSU. Morgan Shigo won the program's first Big Ten hammer throw championship and was named Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships. Shigo also became just the second Nittany Lion in history to earn multiple first team All-America honors in the hammer throw event as he finished seventh.
Danae Rivers defended her 1500m Big Ten championship in 2019 as well as winning her second 800m Big Ten title during the outdoor season. In total, the Nittany Lions had 10 medal winners at the Big Ten Outdoor Championship.
30 Nittany Lions qualified for the NCAA East Prelims with five advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
On the cross country course, the women's cross country team secured their fifth consecutive top-20 finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Penn State is one of just seven NCAA Division I schools that have finished in the top-20 each of the last five seasons. Head coach John Gondak earned the fourth Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year award of his career. It was the fourth time in the last five years Gondak has won the award. Gondak and associate head coach Angela Reckart have led Penn State to four Mid-Atlantic Regional crowns and a Big Ten Championship in 2015.
Katie Munks, Danae Rivers, Julia Paternain and Alison Willingmyre earned All-Region honors to help lead Penn State to its fourth region crown.
The men's cross country team won three meets, never finishing lower than sixth. Alex Tomasko earned All-Region honors for the second time in his career.
The track and field/cross country program also excelled in the classroom as the program garnered 58 Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2019.
The full list of awards can be found below.
Penn State Track and Field Most Valuable Athlete – Track (Men's)
Domenic Perretta
Penn State Track and Field Most Valuable Athlete – Field (Men's)
Morgan Shigo
Penn State Track and Field Most Valuable Athlete – Track (Women's)
Danae Rivers
Penn State Track and Field Most Valuable Athlete – Field (Women's)
Maddie Holmberg
Penn State Cross Country Most Valuable Athlete (Men's)
Alex Tomasko
Penn State Cross Country Most Valuable Athlete (Women's)
Katie Munks
Penn State Track and Field Ed Morgan Memorial – Freshman of the Year (Men's)
Justin Ofotan
Penn State Track and Field Freshman of the Year (Women's)
Julia Paternain
Penn State Cross Country Freshman of the Year
Megan Ciasullo
Penn State Track and Field Most Improved
Mark Porter
Kiara Lester
Penn State Cross Country Most Improved
Billy McDevitt
Penn State Track and Field Kevin Dare Most Inspirational
Noah Swaby
Penn State Track and Field Most Inspirational
Madison Smith
Penn State Cross Country Coaches Award
Alison Willingmyre
Penn State Track and Field Coaches Award
Devin Bradham
Brandon Hontz
Tim McGowan
Luke Grodeska
Carena Nottoli
Alexa Parks
Steph Sievers
Penn State Track and Field Nate Cartmell – Captain Award
Morgan Shigo
Penn State Track and Field Captain Award
Maddie Holmberg
Danae Rivers
Penn State Cross Country Captain Award
Owen Wing
Billy McDevitt
Danae Rivers
Katie Munks