GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Penn State track & field team posted two more school record-setting times on Saturday afternoon at the Florida Relays. The Nittany Lions finished their weekend in Florida with seven top ten program marks, including a total of three school records.
On Saturday afternoon, Hayley Kitching ran a 2:01.17 in the women's 800-meters, setting the school record in her 800-meter season opener. Kitching now owns the indoor and outdoor 800-meter school records for the Nittany Lions. A short time later, Cheickna Traore clocked a 10.26 in the 100-meter dash to set his second school record of the weekend. Finally, Traore anchored Penn State's 4x400 relay group, consisting of Austin Gallant, Carter Fitzgerald, and Patrick Abel to a 3:06.80 mark, tying the ninth-fastest time in Penn State history. In his first season with the Nittany Lions, Traore is putting together one of the most dominant sprint campaigns in school history with over two months still remaining in the collegiate season.
Allison Johnson and Zoey Goldstein each recorded top ten program marks as well, with Johnson's 2:04.61 in the 800-meters ranking seventh in school history and Goldstein's 53.74 in the 400-meters tying the eighth-best mark ever at Penn State.
TRACK EVENT SUMMARY
Kitching and the women's 800-meter squad started off the track events for the Nittany Lions on Saturday. Following Kitching's 2:01.17 school record and Johnston's 2:04.61 mark, Maddie Ullom recorded a 2:05.73 PR in 11th overall. Victoria Vanriele rounded out the group with a 2:07.98.
Handal Roban led the way for the Nittany Lions in the men's 800 with a 1:46.25 in his third-overall finish. Carter Fitzgerald (1:49.06), Kaleb Nastari (1:49.39), and Evan Dorenkamp (1:49.63) all finished in the top 25 on Saturday afternoon.
In the 400-meters, Goldstein's 53.74 highlighted competition. In the men's race, Austin Gallant finished with a 47.03 while James Onwuka posted a 47.21.
Traore then set the 100-meter dash school record with his 10.26 mark in the first heat. Traore now owns Penn State records in the indoor 60 and 200-meters, along with the outdoor 100 and 200-meters.
Penn State wrapped competition this weekend with a fifth-place finish in the Jimmy Carnes College 4x400-Meter Relay, tying the ninth-fastest mark in school history with a 3:06.80. Traore split a 45.14 in the anchor leg, the third-fastest anchor in the meet.
FIELD EVENT SUMMARY
In the women's shot put invite section, Mallory Kauffman finished fifth overall with a 53-10.5 (16.42m) toss.
UP NEXT
Penn State returns to Florida for the third week in a row next weekend when it makes the trip to Coral Gables for the Miami Invitational from Friday, April 5 to Saturday, April 6.
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