UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - It's meet week for the Penn State track & field team as the Nittany Lions are set to kick-off the 2021-22 season this weekend at the Bison Opener at Bucknell University. Ahead of the team's season opener, we caught up with the Nittany Lions coaching staff to look back at their groups' 2020-21 seasons and look ahead to the upcoming season.
Up next is Coach Brie Berkowitz, who enters her first season with the Nittany Lions. Brie will work with the Penn State pole vaulters, long jumpers and triple jumpers.
ON JOINING THE NITTANY LIONS:
"It's been wonderful. The athletes and coaches and support staff have been so welcoming. I've enjoyed establishing and building relationships with everyone here. Now that we're getting close to the season it's been cool to see everything come together. The first few weeks of the fall was about the athletes and I getting to know each other. Knowing their learning styles and them knowing my coaching style is really important. They've been wonderful."
KEY RETURNERS:
Pole Vault: "All of our women's pole vaulters have had so much success at both the conference and national level. Katie Jones, Hailey Zurich and Carena Nottoli are all contenders. They work extremely hard to rise to new levels and they really do work well together and push each other. Katie has been a conference champion and held school records, Hailey is the school record holder, Carena is a first round qualifier. They're a really fun group to with.
On the men's side, Luke Knipe is back and he obviously brings a great background as a scorer at the Big ten level and a school record holder. He has a ton of speed and is really coachable and I think he'll be back at the conference and national level.
Dan Dean has been working so hard and we've made some really important strides that I think you will see in competition."
Long and Triple Jump: "Breana Gambrell has seen so much success in her career so far. She established a personal best during the indoor season in the long jump last year and she is a tireless worker. She works with both my group and Coach Tucker's group and it's been cool to see the drive she has to be great. I think she'll be able to build off her success in the past and have great year both indoors and outdoors.
Taylor Givens continues to progress from where she was last year. I think she's going to hit some really good marks and we've seen her continue to push forward in practice.
Tesia Thomas will compete in both the long jump and triple jump. Her fitness is great, and she's had a strong fall. She's so athletic and it's been really great to get to work with her.
On the men's side, Lance Hamilton has been successful in both the long jump and triple jump. I think he'll be back contending at both the conference and NCAA level, especially in the triple jump.
Joe Cardina has been a triple jumper and we've been experimenting with the long jump. It's been fun to see him work at that."
NEW ADDITIONS:
Pole Vault: "Zach Salas and Jonathan Petersen are the freshman joining the group. Jonathan was one of the top pole vaulters in the country and has a diving background. It's so cool to see how well he can control his body and how that helps him as a vaulter. He's a student of the sport and that is a testament to how invested he is at his craft. Zach is as cool of a Cali kid as it comes. He puts in all the extra work without being told to do so. He's going to do some great things.
We've also added Nick Marino as a graduate transfer from Bucknell. He's had a lot of success in the past. It will be nice to see him jump with these guys. It will be great for him to have a bigger group to work with."
Long and Triple Jump: "Emi Erekosima is a freshman who is a fireball of energy. He has so much speed and pop, and now its about figuring out how to work with his athletic ability and master his craft. I think he's going to surprise a lot of people this year in the conference with how well he competes. He's fearless and I can't wait to see him compete."
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE FROM THIS GROUP?
"We talk a lot about staying in the moment and getting 1% better each day. We want to do everything we can to build this program up at the conference and national level, but we can only do that by taking it one day at a time and doing our best to get better today."
