EUGENE, Ore. – Penn State track & field legend Isaiah Harris, claimed the silver medal in the men's 800-meter run at the USATF Championship finals on Sunday. Harris' medal-winning run caps off an excellent showing by past and present Nittany Lions at the 2023 U.S. Championships.
Harris advanced from the first round on Thursday to the semifinals on Friday, then finished off his championship run with a 1:46.68 to take the title on Sunday. The Nittany Lion 800-meter record holder earns his second silver medal in the 800 and his first since 2018. With the finish, he secured a spot for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary from August 19-27.
It wasn't just Harris that showed out and represented the Blue & White well in Oregon. Harris, Joe Kovacs, Darrell Hill, and Michael Shuey all posted outstanding marks to finish top-eight in their events at this year's championships. In addition to the top finishers, Rachel Gearing, a member of the current Nittany Lion squad, broke her own school record in the women's 800 by over a second with a 2:01.24 in the first round of the event on Thursday.
2022-23 NITTANY LIONS
Six athletes from Penn State's 2022-23 roster competed at this year's USATF Championships.
- Rachel Gearing, Women's 800 meters
- Broke her own school record in the 800, went 2:01.24 in the first round on Thursday…Finished 14th overall in the semifinals.
- Tyler Merkley, Men's Hammer Throw
- Finished 11th overall with a 71.24m best throw.
- Evan Dorenkamp, Men's 1500 meters
- Finished 26th overall with a 3:44.31 in the first round.
- Mallory Kauffman, Women's Shot Put
- Came in 13th place, throwing 16.74m.
- Austin Gallant, U20 Men's 400
- Clocked a 47.14 in the 400 in the prelims to finish ninth, just narrowly missing a spot in the final round.
- Audrey Friedman, U20 Women's Javelin Throw
- Recorded a best throw of 139-4 (42.47m) for eighth place.
Merkley and Gearing finished their Penn State careers with their outdoor campaigns this year, and the foursome of Dorenkamp, Kauffman, Gallant, and Friedman will return to compete next season for the NIttany Lions.
ALUMNI CONTENDERS
Several prominent Nittany Lion alumi competed in Eugene this week. Their performances were highlighted by Harris' silver in the 800 and Joe Kovacs' fourth-place finish in the shot put.
- Joe Kovacs, Men's Shot Put
- Finished fourth place in the nation with a 21.90m throw.
- Darrell Hill, Men's Shot Put
- Came in eighth with a 21.38m throw.
- Isaiah Harris, Men's 800 meters
- Silver medal, recorded a 1:46.68 in the 800 final for second place.
- Rachel Fatherly, Women's Shot Put
- Recorded a 17.06m throw for 12th place.
- Morgan Shigo, Men's Hammer Throw
- Threw 68.46 for 14th place.
- Michael Shuey, Men's Javelin
- Qualified for the finals, finished eighth with a best throw of 235-0 (71.64m).
- Danae Rivers, Women's 800 meters
- Clocked a 2:03.90 in the first round of the 800, coming in 23rd.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateTFXC) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatetfxc).