CLEMSON, S.C. – The Penn State track & field program opened competition at the Tiger Paw Invitational on Friday, Feb. 14. The Tiger Paw Invitational saw several personal-best and season-best performances from the Nittany Lions.
Sophomore Katie Jones continued her dominance in the pole vault event during her 2019-20 indoor season. Jones won her fourth pole vault event of the indoor season by clearing 13-8.25 (4.17m) during Friday's competition. Jones has won back-to-back pole vault events as she won the pole vault at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge. Jones set an indoor personal-best mark of 13-8.5 (4.18m) to tie the No. 2 all-time mark at Penn State last weekend.
TIGER PAW INVITATIONAL
— Penn State Track & Field/Cross Country (@PennStateTFXC) February 14, 2020
Women's Pole Vault | Final 🦁
Katie Jones wins her fourth pole vault event of the season by clearing 13-8.25 (4.17m). #WeAre #PSUTF 🦁 pic.twitter.com/xjeATf0Dj3
In the men's weight throw, senior David Lucas turned in the best performance to date. Lucas placed second with a season-best toss of 73-10.75 (22.52m). Lucas has placed in the top-two in all four of the meets he has competed in this season with a pair of wins.
TIGER PAW INVITATIONAL
— Penn State Track & Field/Cross Country (@PennStateTFXC) February 14, 2020
Men's Weight Throw | 🦁
David Lucas finishes 🥈in the men's weight throw with a season-best toss of 73-10.75 (22.52m). Tyler Merkley finishes fifth with a top throw of 67-4.25 (20.53m)#WeAre #PSUTF 🦁 pic.twitter.com/cxoCsBMAMB
Senior captain and multi-eventer Maddie Holmberg had a pair of season-best marks in the 60m hurdles and the long jump. Holmberg ran 8.60 for her season-best mark in the 60m hurdles in her first event of the day. Holmberg's second competition of the game saw a season-best jump of 20-3.5 (6.18m) to place eighth in the women's long jump.
The women's 400m event saw a season-best performance by Kiara Lester and a personal-best performance by Antoinette Bradley. Lester clocked a time of 53.82, which currently ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten in the 400m race. Bradley's personal-best mark of 55.62 surpassed her previous personal-best mark of 55.97. A time that she set a last season's Tiger Paw Invitational.
Freshman Savion Hebron and Karl Johnson each set personal-best marks in the men's 400m race. Hebron ran 47.80 and Johnson clocked a time of 47.86. The Nittany Lions saw another season-best performance in the women's shot put event by sophomore Payden Montana. Montana season-best toss of 51-4.5 (15.66m) placed her sixth in the women's shot put final.
Penn State continues competition Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Tiger Paw Invitational.
SEATTLE, Wash. - Penn State also opened the Husky Classic hosted by the University of Washington on Friday for the Nittany Lions.
Ben Bumgarner competed in the men's 5000m race on Friday evening. Bumgarner turned in a personal-best mark of 14:20.44 in the second heat of the men's 5000m race. Bumgarner's cut over five seconds off his previous personal-best time that he set in 2019.
The Nittany Lions wrap up competition on Saturday, February 15 at the Husky Classic.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Three Nittany Lion alums competed on Friday at the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships.
Current Penn State volunteer assistant coaches Morgan Shigo, Malik Moffett and Isaiah Harris each competed in their respective events on Friday.
Moffett placed second in the men's long jump with a huge final jump of 26-0.25 (7.93m). Shigo finished fifth in the men's weight throw with a top throw of 74-4.5 (22.67m).
Harris qualified for the Nike men's 800m final by winning his heat, running 1:49.42. Harris will compete in the 800m final Saturday, Feb. 15 at 4:33 p.m. ET.
For more information on Penn State Track & Field, visit gopsusports.com/tf.