CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Penn State track & field team's successful Saturday afternoon at the Hurricane Invitational was highlighted by Cecelia Bacon's career effort in the women's high jump.
The Nittany Lion senior high jumper cleared the bar at 5-11.25 (1.81m) to set an outdoor personal-best mark and tie the No. 3 mark in Penn State history. Bacon improved her own NCAA No. 2 mark this season and currently leads the Big Ten in the event based on marks entering competition this weekend.
Additionally, this meet saw the return to the track of Penn State's 2022 Big Ten Indoor Freshman of the Year Allison Johnson. Johnson, who ran the 1500m today, took to the track for the first time since her injury at the end of her 2022 indoor campaign.
Penn State had an excellent all-around showing, with members of the jumps, sprints, throws, and distance squads all recording event wins and personal-best marks this afternoon.
EVENT SUMMARY
Bacon started Penn State's day strong, with her third-best high jump mark in program history. Chloe Royce (5-5.25 (1.66m)) and Gwen Cudmore (5-5.25 (1.66m)) each placed in the top-five in the event as well. For the men, freshman Timothy Watson earned the event win with a 6-5 (1.96m) clearance, with Isaac Osifo (6-5 (1.96m)) coming in second place.
Hailey Zurich (12-9.5 (3.90m)) followed with a third-place finish in the pole vault in her first outdor competition of the 2023 season.
Johnson finished second in her outdoor debut in the women's 1500m, posting a 4:24.20. Freshman Lea Hatcher finished fifth overall with a 4:29.39. In the men's 1500m, the Nittany Lions posted a 1-4 sweep with Evan Dorenkamp (3:49.51), Jonah Powell (3:51.05), Christopher DeSousa (3:55.28), and Josh Lewis (3:55.92 PR) solidifying the outstanding finish.
Rachel Gearing set a new PR in the 400m, running a 54.54 to slot in at fifth overall in her first action since winning the 2023 Big Ten Indoor Championship in the 800m. Additionally, five Nittany Lion men ran under 0:48 in the distance, with Callum Dodds (47.36) claiming third place overall. 800-meter All-American Handal Roban (47.37), along with Darius Smallwood (47.81), Korbin Martino (47.83), and Olivier Desmeules (47.91) joined Dodds under 0:48.
Freshman Audrey Friedman continued the Nittany Lions' outstanding afternoon in the field events with a first-place finish in the women's javelin throw. Her 148-0 (45.13m) effort claimed the top spot, with Lauren Shedleski (128-2 (39.08m)) finishing fifth.
Lucciano Pizarro went over 60 feet in the shot put for the first time this season, posting a 60-8 (18.49m) effort to come in second place, with Dylan Lambrecht's 57-3 (17.45m) PR slotting in at third.
In the sprints, a majority of the times for all athletes this afternoon were altered by wind.
However, Lauren Princz' 100m time of 11.92 counts as her new PR in the event. Jermecia Brown's 24.12 PR in the women's 200m stands as the only other non-wind assisted PR for for Penn State short sprinters on the afternoon.
Allen Taylor ran a new PR in the 400mH as well, clocking a 53.37 to finish sixth overall.
In the distance events, Penn State's 3-4-5 finish in the women's 800m consisted of a personal-best 2:12.98 for Isabella Culver and a third-place 2:08.46 from Maddie Ullom. For the men, Jonah Powell also set a new PR, crossing the line in 1:51.36.
UP NEXT
Penn State will head back down to the sunshine state next weekend, this time to Gainesville for the Florida Relays, set to take place from March 31 to April 1.
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