UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State women's track & field program remained at No. 14 in the latest NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Nittany Lions opened the season at No. 14 in the preseason Rating Index and the men's program entered the season at No. 25.
Both men's and women's programs are ranked No. 1 in the Mid-Atlantic Region following their meets at the Dr. Sander Invitational and the Rod McCravy Memorial last weekend.
The Nittany Lions recently swept the women's Big Ten Athlete of the Week Awards as Danae Rivers (Track) and Maddie Holmberg (Field) took home the honors.
Holmberg, a native of Greensburg, Pa., improved on her already NCAA-leading score in the pentathlon event last weekend at the Dr. Sander Invitational at the Armory. Holmberg won the event with a total of 4,171 points, winning three of the five events. Holmberg is no stranger to the national stage in the pentathlon, earning first-team All-America honors with a seventh-place finish in 2018 and a ninth-place finish in 2019. Her personal-best mark in the event is 4,227 points, which ranks second all-time in Penn State history.
Rivers adds to her already impressive resume with her sixth Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week honor of her career. Rivers opened her season at the Armory in the 800m event, racing against five professionals in the women's 800m invitational. Rivers ran the third-fastest time in the NCAA, clocking 2:05.20 in her first race of 2020. Her time ranks first in the Big Ten and is over three seconds faster than all conference other student-athletes who have competed in the 800m. Rivers is the reigning 800m indoor national champion and the three-time defending 800m indoor Big Ten champion.
The Nittany Lions continue competition this weekend at their home track with the National Open on Jan. 31-Feb. 1.