UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State track & field team received outstanding performances from both its Blue and White squads during its annual intrasquad scrimmage on Friday and Saturday.
In the men's competition, the Blue team took home the win with 68 points, edging the White squad's 64 points. On the women's side, it was the White team that earned the 64-51 win.
Penn State athletes set impressive benchmarks in the December competition that bode well for the future of the 2023-24 campaign. Cheickna Traore clocked a 32.72 in the men's 300m, a time that, if recorded in NCAA competition, would be the best mark ever recorded by a Penn State athlete. Additionally, Isaac Osifo cleared 6-10.75 (2.10m) in the high jump, tying his best mark ever. Mallory Kauffman posted a 56-11.75 (17.35m) shot put, a mark which would have put her at the No. 2 spot in the NCAA this season.
TRACK EVENT SUMMARY
On the track, multi-event athlete Chloe Royce (Blue team) took the women's 60m hurdles win with an 8.75. In the women's flat 60m, Lauren Princz earned the top spot for the White team with a 7.58. Wrapping up the short sprints was the men's 60m which Patrick Abel won for the White team with a 6.74.
Team White won both the men's and women's 500m races, with Victoria Vanriele clocking a 1:12.58 for the win on the women's side while Olivier Desmeules (1:01.62) edged out Darius Smallwood (1:02.63) at the line for the men.
Traore's blazing win highlighted the 300m competition for the men's Blue team while Zoey Goldstein clocked a 38.10 to earn the win on the women's side for the White squad.
Yukichi Ishii went 2:56.97 over 1200m to claim victory for the men's White team, a win that was followed up by a women's Blue team win by Maddie Ullom (6:00.81) in the 2,000m. Ryan Watson won the men's 3,000m for the Blue team with an 8:14.14.
In the final track events of the day, the 4x400, the top women's squad won the race with a 3:49.67 while the top men's group posted a 3:10.53.
FIELD EVENT SUMMARY
On Friday night, the meet began with competition in two non-traditional indoor events, the javelin and discus throws. Audrey Friedman won the women's javelin competition for the Blue team with a 142-5 (43.42m) throw. Chris Fredericks won the men's side for the Blue squad as well, recording a 204-10 (62.45m) best mark. While the Blue squad won both javelin competitions, it was the White team that took the top spots in the discus throw. For the women, Kauffman won with a 164-10 (50.25m) effort while Duane Knisely posted a 168-11 (51.50m) to win the men's competition.
Saturday's field events kicked off with the shot put, pole vault, and long jump competitions. Kauffman's shot put win was the first victory for the White squad on Saturday, which was followed up by a win by Hailey Zurich in the pole vault (12-11.5, 3.95m). Tesia Thomas won the women's long jump with a 19-0.5 (5.80m) leap, taking the top spot for the Blue team. On the men's side, Knisely (White team) won the shot put with a 60-1.75 (18.33m) heave. The men's White team took another victory in the pole vault with Tristan McGarrah clearing the bar at 15-7 (4.75m). Ahmad Fogg earned the long jump win for the men's Blue team, leaping 22-8 (6.91m).
Collin Burkhart posted a 67-9 (20.65m) throw to win the men's weight throw for the White team while Samaria McDonald won the women's competition with a 61-4 (18.69m) throw.
In the final two jump events, Thomas earned the win in the triple jump for the women's Blue team, leaping 41-3 (12.57m). Emi Erekosima finished with the win for the White squad on the men's side, going 46-3.5 (14.11m). In the high jump, Gwendolyn Cudmore earned the win for the women's White team with a 5-4.25 (1.63m) clearance while Osifo's outstanding 6-10.75 mark won the competition for the men.
UP NEXT
Penn State will resume its regular season action on January 13 when they host the Nittany Lion Challenge at home in the Multi-Sport Facility & Horace Ashenfelter Indoor Track.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateTFXC) and X/Instagram (@pennstatetfxc).
