UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State cross country and track & field Head Coach John Gondak and the Nittany Lion coaching staff have completed its incoming class with the addition of 25 student-athletes.
"Penn State Cross Country/Track and Field is excited to announce our incoming class for the fall. The coaching staff once again did amazing work recruiting athletes that are going to help continue the academic and athletic success of our program. While I know their seasons were cut short this year, you can still see their performance level from spring of 2019 and winter of 2020 is extremely impressive. They all continued to train hard this spring and will be well prepared to join the program and continue their development. The coaching staff is excited to get to work with our incoming class" Coach Gondak said of his incoming class.
Jermecia Brown
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL | High School: St. Thomas Aquinas
Personal Best Marks: 100m - 11.81, 200m - 24.2, 400m - 54.9
Highlights: Earned four varsity letters in track and field…Won the state championship in the 400m event...Named All-Boward in the 4x400m event.
Faith DeMars
Hometown: Ballston Spa, N.Y. | High School: Ballston Spa
Personal Best Marks: XC 5k - 18:03.27, 2000mSC - 6:51.67, 3000m - 9:47.92, 1500m - 4:35.18
Highlights: Earned seven state medals ...Holds seven Ballston Spa school records...Earned five Suburban Council All-Star honors...Named New York Sportswriters All-State in cross country...Won USATF JO national championship in 2000mSC...Earned five varsity letters in indoor and outdoor track & field...Earned four varsity letters in cross country...Named team MVP three times in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.
Elizabeth Gilpatrick
Hometown: Boalsburg, PA | High School: State College
Personal Best Marks: 800m – 2:21, Mile – 5:12, 2 Mile – 11:25, XC 5k – 18:58
Earned seven varsity letters…Member of 2019 Cross Country state championship runner-up team…Won 4x800m district championship and team district championships in track and cross country…Was 1600m district runner-up…Finished as team state runner-up in both indoor and outdoor track in 2018.
Zoey Goldstein
Hometown: Fairfax, VA | High School South County
Personal Best Marks: 55m - 7.28, 300m - 39.77, 500m - 1:14.75
Highlights: Named a three-time All-American...Named All-State three times...Earned All-Region honors three times...Won four district championships...Collected four region titles...Holds five school records...Earned National Honors Society plaudits...Earned Scholar Athlete Award.
Megan Grube
Hometown: Lancaster, PA | High School: Hempfield
Personal Best Marks: 200m - 26.3, 300mH - 47.6, 400m - 58.3
Highlights: Earned four varsity letters in track & field and four letters in soccer...Named a two-time captain...Named a first-team All-Star in soccer.
Lyric Janosik
Hometown: Cresson, PA | High School: Penn Cambria
Personal Best Marks: Long jump - 18-9.5
Highlights: Collected three varsity letters in track & field...Won District 6 long jump championship...Won LHAC long jump and 100m championships...Named to the Altoona Mirror first-team All-star twice.
Victoria Mathiew
Hometown: Houston, Texas | High School: Travis
Personal Best Marks: 100mH - 13.65, 300mH - 42.84
Highlights: Placed third at the 2018 and 2019 Texas State Championships in the 300mH...Named Travis High School Team MVP twice...Finalist in the 100mH at the 2019 Texas State Championships.
Kaylee McCullough
Hometown: Feasterville, PA | High School: Neshaminy
Personal Best Marks: 3k – 10:12, 3200m – 10:55
Highlights: Earned four varsity letters in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track…Was twice named Buck Country Runner of the Year…Earned All-State honors twice…Named Neshaminy High School's Outstanding Female Athlete.
Leena Morant
Hometown: Cedar Grove, N.J. | High School: Union Catholic
Personal Best Marks: 400m - 56.55, 600m - 1:34.07, 800m - 2:08.91, 5k - 18:40.00
Highlights: Won SMR Indoor National Championship...Won 4x800m Outdoor National Championship...Ran to four 800m New Jersey state championships...Holds three Union Catholic school records.
Tesia Thomas
Hometown: York, PA | High School: West York
Personal Best Marks: Triple jump - 40-5, Long jump - 18-9
Highlights: Earned four varsity letters in track, swimming and volleyball...Named to four first-team all-state teams in track & field...Earned all-state honors three times in volleyball...Earned all-state honors in swimming and diving...Won district championships in long jump and triple jump...Won volleyball state championship.
Sophia Toti
Hometown: Carlisle, PA | High School: Carlisle
Personal Best Marks: 1600m - 4:54.36, 3200m - 10:23.84, 5k - 18:00.80.
Highlights: Ran to three state medals at State Track Championships...Placed fourth at the 2019 State Cross Country Championships...Earned All-State honors in cross country (2019)...Won 2019 Cross Country District 3 Championships...Named four-time team MVP...Holds three school records.
Maddie Ullom
Hometown: Mason, Ohio | High School: William Mason
Personal Best Marks: 400m - 56.55, 800m - 2:09.95, 1600m - 5:01, XC 5k - 17:57
Highlights: Earned four varsity letter in track and field and two letter in cross country...Named GMC Athlete of the Year twice...Earned two All-State honors in cross country...Ran to three All-State honors in track and field...Won 4x800m state title...Named conference Runner of the Year twice.
Victoria Vanriele
Hometown: Berkeley Heights, N.J. | High School: Governor Livingston
Personal Best Marks: 400m - 54.33, 600m - 1:30.36, 800m - 2:05.15, Mile - 4:55.85, XC 5k - 18:26
Highlights: Named three-time New Jersey Gatorade Athlete of the Year...Earned five All-America honors...Won 10 state titles...New Jersey Meet of Champions winner seven times...Named to the Mu Alpha Theta Honors Society, Spanish Honor Society and Athletic Honor Society...Named a National Merit Scholar...Named National AP Scholar
Kevin Bartosh
Hometown: Blandon, PA | High School: Fleetwood Area
Personal Best Marks: Javelin – 194-11
Highlights: Holds Fleetwood Area school record in the javelin…Earned All-League honors three times…Member of the 100 point club…Named team MVP…Served as team captain for two years…Earned four varsity letters in track and field, also earned varsity letters in football, baseball and cross country...Named team Offensive Player of the Year in football.
Behailu Bekele-Arcuri
Hometown: Warwick, N.Y. | High School: Warwick Valley
Personal Best Marks: 1600m - 4:17, 3200m - 9:15, 5k - 15:07
Highlights: Named USATF NY Youth Cross Country High School Boys Athlete of the Year in 2016 and 2018...Won 2019 Class A cross country state championship...Earned four state medals in cross country...Won four track & field sectional championships.
Ka'Mere Day
Hometown: Harrisburg, PA | High School: Harrisburg
Personal Best Marks: 100m - 10.48, 200m - 21.96
Highlights: Won 2019 100m Mid Penn championships...Finished as 100m PIAA state medalist...Named first team All-State as a member of the football team...Earned track & field All-Star honors in 2019...Earned three varsity letters in both track & field and football.
Dan Dean
Hometown: Langhonre, PA | High School: Neshaminy
Personal Best Marks: Pole Vault – 15-6
Highlights: Earned four varsity letters in track & field and one varsity letter in swimming and diving…Placed third in the pole vault at the 2019 PIAA Class 3 state championships…Holds Neshaminy school record in the pole vault event.
Joe Kearney
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA | High School: North Catholic
Personal Best Marks: Long jump - 23-6
Highlights: Won WPIAL long jump championship...Placed third at PIAA State Championships in the long jump...Won three long jump district titles...Holds WPIAL long jump record.
Duane Knisley
Hometown: Alum Bank, PA | High School: Chestnut Ridge
Personal Best Marks: Shot put - 58-9, Discus - 187-11
Highlights: Won two district titles in the shot put and discus...Holds Chestnut Ridge school records in the discus and shot put...Earned All-State honors in both track and football...Won 100 matches as a wrestler.
Tanner Piotrowski
Hometown: Columbia, MD | High School: Arundel
Personal Best Marks: 800m – 1:57.31, 1600m – 4:21.56, 3200m – 9:28.98, 3 Mile – 15:01.61, 5000m – 15:21.60
Highlights: Won indoor 800m state championship in 2018…Won two team county championships in 2019 & 2020…Won county championships in indoor 800m, outdoor 1600m, 4x400m and cross country…Won regional championship in 1600m…Named all-county in cross country three times…Awarded all-county honors in indoor track & field three times and was All-Baltimore Sun in indoor track and cross country in 2019.
Donovan Sanders
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA | High School: Girard College
Personal Best Marks: 200m - 21.51, 300m - 33.98, 400m - 48.04
Highlights: Won 200m indoor state championship in 2020...Finished as the state runner-up in the indoor 400m in 2020...Finished as the state runner-up in 400m outdoor in 2019...Ranked in the top 15 nationally in the 200m, 300m and 400m.
Tyler Shue
Hometown: Ephrata, PA | High School: Ephrata
Personal Best Marks: 1:50.39, 1600m - 4:15.20
Highlights: Won 2019 800m New Balance outdoor National Championship...Won 2019 indoor and outdoor state title in the 800m event...Finished as 2018 indoor and outdoor state runner-up in the 800m...Holds eight Ephrata school records.
Sami Tauofik
Hometown: Butler, PA | High School: Butler Area
Personal Best Marks: High jump – 6-8, Long Jump – 21-7
Highlights: Earned four varsity letters in track & field, one in basketball and one in golf…Won high jump district championship…Graduated with honors from Butler Area Senior High School.
Henry Zimmerman
Hometown: New Albany, Ohio | High School: New Albany
Personal Best Marks: Discus - 168', Shot put - 50', Weight throw - 70', Hammer - 204-4
Highlights: Qualified for nationals four times in the weight throw, hammer throw and discus...Earned All-State honors three times...Won regional and state championships as a freshman and a sophomore at Hackett Catholic Prep...Named Team MVP in 2019.
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