UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – 30 individual competitors and one relay team from the Penn State track & field squad qualified for the 2023 NCAA Track & Field Championships, as announced by the NCAA on Thursday. The group will begin competition at the East Regional Preliminaries in Jacksonville, Fla. on Wednesday, May 24, with events running through Saturday, May 27.
Penn State's women's squad qualified 14 individuals who will take part in 15 events across the four-day meet in Jacksonville. Mallory Kauffman, the 11th-ranked athlete in the shot put and the 32nd-ranked athlete in the discus throw, will compete in two events for the Nittany Lions. Faith DeMars enters the 5K at seventh in the region, the highest-ranked individual qualifier for the Penn State women. Hayley Kitching (800) and Audrey Friedman (javelin throw) will represent the Nittany Lions' true freshman class at this year's prelims in their first season with the Blue & White.
On the men's side, the group will send 16 individuals and one relay squad to compete in Florida this year. Tyler Merkley (hammer, discus), Collin Burkhart (hammer, javelin), and Callum Dodds (800, 4x400 relay) are all slated to go in multiple events for Penn State. Merkley won last season's hammer throw competition at the prelims and is primed to compete for the top spot yet again as the third-ranked hammer thrower in this year's field. Handal Roban (800), Carter Fitzgerald (800), Austin Gallant (4x400), and Tim Watson (high jump) all head to their first preliminary round as true freshmen for the Nittany Lions.
NCAA East Preliminary participants will compete for a shot to move on to the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas. The top 12 in each event and relay at the prelims will earn their chance to compete for a championship in Texas.
NCAA QUALIFIERS
Below are the Penn State athletes who have qualified for the 2023 NCAA East Prelims, along with their regional seed and qualifying mark from this season.
Women's Team
800 Meters
- 10 – Rachel Gearing – 2:02.96
- 17 – Hayley Kitching – 2:03.31
- 29 – Allison Johnson – 2:05.21
1,500 Meters
- 21 – Maddie Ullom – 4:16.05
- 24 – Kileigh Kane – 4:16.66
5,000 Meters
- 7 – Faith DeMars – 15:44.98
10,000 Meters
- 34 – Sophia Toti – 34:02.31
Steeplechase
- 25 – Makenna Krebs
High Jump
- 11 – Cecelia Bacon – 1.81m
- 48 – Carlie Wilson – 1.75m
Pole Vault
- 32 – Hailey Zurich – 4.10m
Shot Put
- 11 – Mallory Kauffman – 17.19m
Discus Throw
- 32 – Mallory Kauffman – 52.64m
Hammer Throw
- 46 – Jean Starr – 58.75m
Javelin Throw
- 37 – Audrey Friedman – 46.26m
Men's Team
800 Meters
- 10 – Handal Roban – 1:47.29
- 15 – Darius Smallwood – 1:47.67
- 19 – Callum Dodds – 1:47.67
- 23 – Olivier Desmeules – 1:48.13
- 30 – Yukichi Ishii – 1:48.50
- 37 – Carter Fitzgerald – 1:48.65
1,500 Meters
- 22 – Evan Dorenkamp
Steeplechase
- 45 – Josh Lewis – 8:54.27
4x400-Meter Relay
- 12 – 3:06.17
- Austin Gallant, Savion Hebron, Callum Dodds, James Onwuka
High Jump
- 45 – Tim Watson – 2.08m
Pole Vault
- 29 – Luke Knipe – 5.24m
Shot Put
- 6 – Lucciano Pizarro – 19.83m
- 28 – Duane Knisely – 18.22m
- 38 – Dylan Lambrecht – 17.97m
Discus Throw
- 34 – Tyler Merkley – 55.06m
Hammer Throw
- 3 – Tyler Merkley – 73.67m
- 19 – Collin Burkhart – 65.43m
Javelin Throw
- 19 – Collin Burkhart – 70.23m
- 29 – Kevin Bartosh – 67.51m
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateTFXC) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatetfxc).