UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Director of Penn State track and field/cross country John Gondak has announced the signing of 14 student-athletes during the initial signing period for the upcoming 2020-21 school year.
The initial class is made up of 10 female student-athletes and four male student-athletes.
Head coach John Gondak said of the initial class, "I am thrilled with the incoming class of 2020 we have assembled so far. Our coaches have spent a lot of time helping the individuals who are joining us learn about our program and University. Penn State is an amazing institution for both academics and athletics and this is the main reason our incoming class has chosen to be a Nittany Lion!"
The Nittany Lions are coming off another impressive season in track & field/cross country. On the cross country course, the women's program won its fourth Mid-Atlantic regional title in five years and ran to its fifth consecutive Top-20 finish at the NCAA Cross Country championships. During the 2019 track & field indoor and outdoor seasons, Penn State won seven Big Ten individual championships, earned five All-America first-team honors and crowned the first women's indoor national champion in program history.
The list of the initial signing class is below.
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida | High School: St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Events – Personal Bests: 100m: 11.81, 200m: 24.27, 400m: 54.96
Highlights: 2019 – State medalist in the 100m…2018 – 400m State Champion…2018 – 100m State Runner-up…Honor Student.
Hometown: Ballston Spa, New York | High School: Ballston Spa High School
Events – Personal Bests: Cross Country 5K: 18:03.27, 2000m steeplechase: 6:51.67, 3000m: 9:47.92, 1500M outdoor: 4:35.18, 2-mile indoor: 10:39.01
Highlights: 7x State Medalist…Holds seven Ballston Spa HS school records.
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia | High School: South County High School
Events – Personal Bests: 55m: 7.28, 300m: 39.77, 500m: 1:14.75
Highlights: Ranked Top 10 nationally in 500m…4x State Medalist…3x All-American.
Megan Grube
Hometown: Lancaster, Pennsylvania | High School: Hempfield High School
Events – Personal Bests: 400m: 58.3
Highlights: Member of the National Honor Society…Track & Soccer Team Captain…Academic All-Star…2x State Qualifier…State semifinalist in soccer.
Lyric Janosik
Hometown: Cresson, Pennsylvania | High School: Penn Cambria
Events – Personal Bests: Long Jump: 18-9.5
Highlights: Named 2x Altoona Mirror first-team All-Star…Won 2019 District 6 Long Jump championship…Won 2019 LHAC Long Jump and 100m dash.
Tori Mathiew
Hometown: Houston, Texas | High School: Travis High School
Events – Personal Bests: 100mH: 13.65, 300mH:42.84
Highlights: 3rd-place finish at 2018 & 2019 Texas State Championship in 300mH…Finalist in the 100mH at 2019 Texas State Championships…Named 2x Travis High School Team MVP.
Leena Morant
Hometown: Cedar Grove, New Jersey | High School: Union Catholic High School
Events – Personal Bests: 400m: 56.55, 600m: 1:34.07, 800m: 2:08.91, 5k: 18:40.00
Highlights: SMR Indoor National Champion…4x800m Outdoor National Champion…3x Outdoor NJ Group State Champion–800m…Indoor NJ Group State Champion–800m…3 School Records.
Sophia Toti
Hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania | High School: Carlisle High School
Events – Personal Bests: 1600m: 4:54.36, 3200m: 10:23.84, 5k: 18:00.80
Highlights: 4th place at 2019 State XC Championships…3x State Medalist at State Track Championships…2019 XC District 3 Champion…4x Team MVP…Holds 3 School Records.
Hometown: Mason, Ohio | High School
Events – Personal Bests: 400m: 56.55, 800m: 2:09.95, 1600m: 5:01, 5k XC: 17:57
Highlights: 2x GMC Athlete of the Year…2x All-State in Cross Country…3x All-State in Track & Field… 4x800m State Champion…Named 2x Conference Runner of the Year.
Victoria Vanriele
Hometown: Berkeley Heights, New Jersey | High School: Governor Livingston High School
Events – Personal Bests: 400m: 54.33, 600m: 1:30.36, 800m: 2:05.15, Mile: 4:55.85, 5k XC: 18:26
Highlights: 2x New Jersey Gatorade Athlete of the Year…4x All-America…10x State Champion…6x New Jersey Meet of Champions Winner.
Behailu Bekele-Arcuri
Hometown: Warwick, New York | High School: Warwick Valley High School
Events – Personal Bests: 1600m: 4:17, 3200m: 9:15, 5k: 15:07
Highlights: 2019 Class A XC State Champion…4x XC State Medalist…4x T&F Sectional Champion.
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | High School: Harrisburg High School
Events – Personal Bests: 100m: 10.48, 200m: 21.96
Highlights: 2019 100m Mid Penn Champion…2019 PIAA State Medalist – 100m…First Team All-State – Football.
Tyler Shue
Hometown: Ephrata, Pennsylvania | High School: Ephrata High School
Events – Personal Bests: 800m: 1:50.39, 1600m: 4:15.20
Highlights: 2019 New Balance Outdoor National Champion – 800m…2019 Indoor and Outdoor State Champion – 800m…2018 Indoor and Outdoor State runner-up - 800m…Holds eight Ephrata school records.
Henry Zimmerman
Hometown: New Albany, Ohio | High School: New Albany High School
Events – Personal Bests: Discus: 168', Shot Put: 50', Weight Throw: 70', Hammer Throw: 204'4
Highlights: 4x National Qualifier (Weight Throw, Hammer Throw, Discus)…3x All-State (Shot Put, Discus, Weight Throw).
Penn State returns to action on January 11 as the Nittany Lions host the Nittany Lion Challenge at the Multi-Sport & Horace Ashenfelter Indoor Track.
For more information on Penn State track & field/cross country, visit gopsusports.com or follow on Twitter - @PennStateTFXC, Instagram - @PennStateTFXC and Facebook at Penn State Cross Country and Track and Field.
Penn State track and field is celebrating its 20th season of competition at the Multi-Sport Facility & Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Trackin 2020.