LEWISBURG, Pa. – A record-breaking pole vault performance from Katie Jones highlighted the final day of a three-day meet Saturday as the Penn State track and field teams wrapped up the Bison Outdoor Challenge.
The Nittany Lions racked up 24 total top-three event finishes and multiple personal-best performances throughout the weekend.
Already the current indoor program record holder for pole vault, Jones continued her record-breaking 2022 season by shattering the outdoor program record in the event after clearing a height of 4.28m (14-0.5). Her historic mark surpassed the previous best mark of 4.17m (13-8.25) set in 2021 by her teammate Hailey Zurich, who finished Saturday's meet right behind her in second place.
Madison Smith kicked off the meet finale earlier in the day for the Nittany Lions when she launched a season-best throw of 50.04m (164-2) in women's javelin to place second.
In the men's hammer throw, freshman Collin Burkhart finished in second place with a new personal-best mark of 63.87m (209-6).
Mallory Kauffman picked up another field victory in women's shot put with her winning throw of 16.07m (52-8.75). The junior ended her weekend with two event wins.
Gianna Rao closed out the day on the field with a mark of 59.38m (194-10) in women's hammer throw to place third. Rao finished two spots behind Nayoka Clunis, Operations Assistant for the Nittany Lions, who won the event competing unattached with a throw of 62.12m (203-10).
The Nittany Lions began Saturday's competition on the track with the men's 4x100 team of Khalid Mahamat, Ka'mere Day, Savion Hebron, and Korbin Martino. The relay team clocked a season-best time of 40.72 seconds to finish in second place.
In the women's 800m, Victoria Tachinski came in second with a time of 2:05.90 to lead the Nittany Lion women. Rachel Gearing finished right behind in third place, running a new outdoor season-best time of 2:07.09. The duo also competed in the women's 400m dash, with Gearing setting a new personal record of 56.02 en route to a second-place finish. Tachinski finished fourth with a time of 56.37.
Freshman Darius Smallwood won the men's 800m with a new personal best time of 1:48.65, and teammate Olivier Desmeules finished in third with a time of 1:49.86.
Fellow freshman Korbin Martino led the Nittany Lions in the men's 400m dash with a second-place time of 48.18 seconds.
Penn State saw a successful day in the hurdles that began with Chibugo Obichere placing second in the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 14.05 seconds.
Freshman Allen Taylor had two personal-best performances throughout the day, running a career best 14.64 in the men's 110m hurdles and a time of 54.65 in the 400m hurdles.
Senior Antoinette Bradley clocked a time of 1:02.33 to finish second in the women's 400m hurdles.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions will return to action next weekend with a trip to Virginia for the Virginia Challenge.
