UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Four Penn State track & field student-athletes have received All-America honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The USTFCCCA chose to award student-athletes All-America honors who had qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships who were listed to compete in individual and relay events prior to the cancellation of the event.
Seniors Maddie Holmberg, Danae Rivers, David Lucas and sophomore Alexa Parks each earned All-America honors in their respective events.
Holmberg entered the NCAA Indoor Championships ranked No. 3 in the pentathlon event. Holmberg was set to compete in her third NCAA Indoor Championships in the pentathlon. She earned first-team All-America honors in the event in 2018 and second-team All-America honors in 2019. Holmberg won just the second Big Ten title in the pentathlon in program history at the 2020 Big Ten Indoor Championships with her personal-best score of 4,274. Her score also ranks second all-time in Penn State history.
Rivers was set to compete in her fourth NCAA Indoor Championship prior to the cancellation. Rivers captured the Penn State program's first women's indoor individual national title in the 800m event in 2019 and earned All-America honors in each of her previous three trips to the Indoor Championships. Rivers was schedule to run in the mile event at the 2020 Indoor Championships and ranked No. 4 in the NCAA. Rivers previously earned All-America honors in the mile event as a freshman in 2017 when she finished third.
Rivers completed her Big Ten indoor career with six Big Ten titles. She became the first female student-athlete in Big Ten history to win four consecutive 800m indoor titles.
Lucas looked to make Penn State history at the 2020 Indoor Championship as he attempted to become the first Nittany Lion to earn three All-America honors in the weight throw event. Lucas won the 2018 NCAA National Championship in the weight throw and placed eighth in 2019.
Lucas ranked sixth in the weight throw event heading into the NCAA Indoor Championships
Parks was set to compete in the first NCAA Indoor Championship of her career in the high jump event. Parks set the Penn State school record by clearing 6-0 (1.83m) in the high jump event. Parks ranked fifth in the NCAA in the high jump event. Parks finished third at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in 2019 and placed fourth in 2020.
The Nittany Lions track & field program has earned 435 All-America honors in program history.