AUSTIN, Texas – The men's contingent of the Penn State track & field team competed well on the first day of the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning two All-America honors and advancing two more individuals to the finals in their respective events.
"It was a great day for Penn State Track and Field on day one of the NCAA Finals," said head coach John Gondak. "Tyler [Merkley] earned his second First Team All-America honor in what was the deepest hammer throw competition at the finals in years. We also advanced Evan [Dorenkamp] in the 1500 and Handal [Roban] in the 800 to the finals. They are our first outdoor finalists on the track since 2018 so we are excited to see them compete on Friday."
Tyler Merkley claimed First Team All-America honors for the second consecutive season, joining Morgan Shigo (2018-19) as the only Nittany Lion hammer throwers ever to earn back-to-back First Team All-America nods in the event. Merkley finishes his decorated Penn State career as a three-time hammer throw All-American and owns the Penn State program record in the event. The graduate student posted a 237-6 (72.40m) throw to finish seventh in the nation in one of the deepest hammer competitions in recent memory. Merkley's impressive resume places him among the greatest throwers ever to don the Blue & White.
Luke Knipe, the first male pole vaulter in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships, earned Second Team All-American recognition with a 17-4.5 (5.30m) clearance that tied him for 15th place. Knipe concludes his time at Penn State with a career-defining moment, setting the bar high for future Nittany Lion vaulters.
On the track, Evan Dorenkamp (1500) and Handal Roban (800) qualified for Friday's final rounds in their respective events. For Dorenkamp, it was a split-second finish that pushed him into the finals. He claimed the last at-large qualifying bid by 0.02 seconds, crossing the line in 3:40.34, a mere 0.04 seconds off of his personal-best mark, to move on to the NCAA Finals in the 1500 meters. Roban used a kick in the final 150 meters of the 800 to advance to second place in the third heat, claiming an automatic qualifying bid at 1:47.66. The pair of Nittany Lion finalists are Penn State's first on the track since 2018.
Olivier Desmeules concluded his standout campaign finishing 20th in the NCAA in the 800 meters.
In the final event of the night, the 4x400 relay group of Austin Gallant, Savion Hebron, Callum Dodds, and James Onwuka posted a 3:06.57 to finish 20th in the nation, improving both marks from the group's outing at last season's NCAA Championships.
UP NEXT
Three of the four Penn State women will begin their competition tomorrow on day two of the NCAA Championships. The Nittany Lions are set to go at 10: 14 p.m. ET with Rachel Gearing and Hayley Kitching in the women's 800-meter semifinals and will conclude the night with Mallory Kauffman in the shot put at 10:30 ET.
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