CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Nittany Lions completed the first day of the Virginia Challenge on Friday, April 18 by setting nine personal records in an excellent outing for the men’s and women’s track and field teams.
TOP PERFORMANCES
Freshman sprinter Ajani Dwyer continued his phenomenal season after he recorded the fastest 100-meter time in Penn State history under all conditions, finishing in first place at 10.05 in the preliminaries.
Four Nittany Lions placed within the top-10 in the men's 800-meter race. Olivier Desmeules placed second at 1:47.77 with Allon Clay in third at 1:47.82 to set a PR. Darius Smallwood placed fifth at a time of 1:47.91 while Carter Fitzgerald rounded out the top-10 for Penn State with an eighth-place finish at 1:48.69.
Addyson White set a PR of 1:01.16 in the women’s 400-meter invitational and finished in second place.
Three Nittany Lions placed in the top-10 in the women’s 1500-meter invitational. Kileigh Kane topped her No. 2 program mark after finishing in first at a time of 4:12.49. Maddie Ullom placed third at 4:14.91 and freshman Ada Rand placed eighth at 4:17.69.
Victoria Atkinson placed second in the women’s pole vault to improve her PR with a 4.20m (13-9 ¼) mark to tie for No. 2 all-time with Hailey Zurich, who set the mark in 2024.
The hammer-throwing duo of Nathan Williams and Collin Burkhart struck again as Williams placed fourth with a 65.32m (214-4) throw while Burkhart placed fifth with a 63.50m (208-4) heave.
TRACK EVENTS
Women’s 400-meter Hurdles Invitational
- White set a PR of 1:01.16 and finished in second place
Women’s 800-meter Invitational
- Allison Johnson placed first with a time of 2:06.44
- Tayissa Buchanan placed fourth with a time of 2:07.49
Women’s 1500-meter Invitational
- Kane topped her No. 2 program mark after finishing in first at a time of 4:12.49
- Ullom placed third at 4:14.91
- Rand placed eighth at 4:17.69
- Sarah Pickering placed 14th overall at 4:21.60
- Sophia Toti placed 15th overall, setting a new PR of 4:21.88
Men’s 100-meter Preliminary
- Dwyer placed first in 10.05, recording the fastest in program history under all conditions
Men’s 400-meter Hurdles Invitational
- Matt DeMatteo placed 10th in 54.31
Men’s 800-meter Invitational
- Desmeules placed second at 1:47.77
- Clay placed third behind Desmeules at 1:47.82 to set a new PR
- Smallwood placed fifth at 1:47.91
- Fitzgerald placed eighth at 1:48.69
Men’s 1500-meter
- Christopher DeSousa placed seventh at 3:50.30
- Kevin Haas placed 11th overall at 3:51.22
Men’s 1500-meter Invitational
- Ryan Watson placed 13th overall, setting a new PR of 3:44.51
Men’s 3000-meter Steeplechase
- Logan Strawser set a new PR of 9:05.38 after finishing in sixth place
Men’s 5000-meter Invitational
- Jake Allen placed 10th at 14:07.79
FIELD EVENT SUMMARY
Women’s Hammer Throw
- Gabrielle Deglau recorded a 55.27m (181-4) throw to place seventh
Women’s Pole Vault Invitational
- Atkinson placed second with a 4.20m (13-9 ¼) mark to tie for No. 2 all-time
- Gabriella Recce place eighth with a 4.00m (13-1 ½) mark to set a PR
Women’s High Jump
- Jenna Young set a PR of 1.69m (5-6 ½) to place fourth and set a PR
Women’s High Jump Invitational
- Hannah Riolo tied for sixth place with a 1.75m (5-8 ¾) jump
Women’s Long Jump
- Maddie Pitts placed eighth with a 5.99m (19-8) jump
Men’s Long Jump
- Joe White recorded a 7.04m (23-1 ¼) jump to place 18th overall
Men’s Hammer Throw Invitational
- Williams placed fourth with a 65.32m (214-4) throw
- Burkhart placed fifth behind Williams with a 63.50m (208-4) throw
Men’s Shot Put
- Dylan Lambrecht placed 11th overall with a 17.39m (57- ¾) throw
UP NEXT
The Penn State track and field teams continue competition at the Virginia Challenge on Saturday, April 19 with the Nittany Lion’s first event in the women’s javelin throw at 11 a.m.
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