UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State track & field had a historic day to kick off the 2026 portion of its indoor season the Multi-Sport Facility & Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track.
In the first home event of the young season, Hayley Kitching ran the best collegiate 1000-meter race of all-time at 2:38.45. She beat out former Penn Stater, Danae Rivers who set the record in 2019.
On the men’s side of the 1K, four Nittany Lions ran top ten all-time NCAA marks with Allon Clay, Handal Roban, Yukichi Ishii, and Nick Sloff running the fourth, eighth, ninth, and tenth fastest collegiate times ever. Clay’s 2:18.09 becomes the new Penn State school record while Roban, Ishii, and Sloff are each in the top five in school history after today.
Making record times in her first collegiate race as a Nittany Lion, rookie Boh Ritchie secured a first-place finish and the second fastest 600-meter time in program history. The freshman ran a 1:28.21, good for a program top 10.
In the men’s 600-meter, a powerhouse duo of Niko Schultz and Kaleb Nastari also broke into the program top ten. Schultz notched a second-place finish with a time of 1:16.35, good for sixth in program history. Nastari took fourth after crossing the line at 1:16.89, good for ninth in Penn State history.
In the field portion of the day, Dylan Lambrecht and Ryan Henry each threw 63-9.0 (19.43) in the shot put to move into a tie for fourth on the program’s al-time list. They each would win the event for Penn State as well.
Sophomore Ajani Dwyer also made history in his prelims 60-meter run with a time of 6.55, setting a new Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track facility record.
EVENT SUMMARY
To start the day, Sasha Garnett finished third in the women’s shot put, throwing a 47-10.5 (14.59m), followed by Skye Petrie-Cameron who came in fourth in the event with a 47-6.5 (14.49m).
In the women’s mile, the Nittany Lions swept the top four spots with Katie Dallas leading the way running a 4:43.85. She was followed by Claire Zubey, Charlotte Costich, and Claire Daniels who each ran personal bests.
In the men’s pole vault, three Penn Staters took the top three spots with Tristan McGarrah winning the event, vaulting a 16-6.75 (5.05m). Mason Bucks and Breckin Swope tied at 15-70 (4.75m).
In the men’s mile, two Nittany Lions finished in the top three while both running personal bests. Brian DiCola was the runner up with a time of 4:06.8 while Logan Strawser was just behind him, running a 4:06.51 to finish third in the event.
In the women’s long jump, the top two finishers were Nittany Lions as Maddie Pitts won it with a jump of 19-4.75 (5.91m) and Elizabeth Schreiber was second with a jump of 18-9.25 (5.72m).
After setting a facility record in the 60-meter prelims, Dwyer took the final with a time of 6.70 while Scotty Coffi ran a 6.78 to finish third in the event.
In the men’s long jump, Joe White finished in second place, jumping a 22-11.25 (6.99). That event was followed by Maddie Pitts placing fourth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.50.
In the field, Elizabeth Schreiber won the women’s triple jump with a 42-6.25 (12.96m). Amelia McBain would take the women’s pole vault with a vault of 12-3.5 (3.75m).
In the women’s weight throw, Alex Pancoast continued her stellar start to the season, winning the event with a 60-10.5 (18.55m) while Gabby Cope improved upon her personal best with a throw of 59-10.5 (18.24m).
In the men’s high jump, Tripp Campbell and Robert Allen took first and second in the event with Campbell scoring a personal best with a jump of 7-0.5 (2.15m).
To end the day, the foursome of Addyson White, Mimi Duffy, Kylie Jacoutot, and Alexandria North won the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:43.55 as North closed the gap between them and the Pitt relay team. On the men’s side of the 4x400, the team of Joshua Stolarski, Matt DeMatteo, Luke Seymour, and Jake Palermo finished third, running a 3:15.11.
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