UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State track & field began its 2026 outdoor season with several noteworthy finishes at the Penn Challenge Saturday in Philadelphia.
It was a good day to be a Nittany Lion hammer athlete, with the men’s and women’s teams leaving their marks on the competition. Collin Burkhart took second place in the men's competition, rewriting his own fifth-best mark in program history with a personal record 217-1.00 (66.17m). His teammate Sam Engebretson came behind him in third with a 189-6.00 (57.77m).
On the women’s side, Alex Pancoast claimed third in the hammer throw, finishing with a 179-4.00 (54.66m). Gabi Deglau took fifth at 175-6.00 (53.50m) and Gabby Cope placed seventh with a 171-7.00 (52.30m).
EVENT SUMMARY
In the men’s discus, both Nittany Lion entrants placed in the top three. Engebretson took second with a 168-2.00 (51.26m), while Matthew Sarnowski turned in a third-place 164-3.00 (50.06m), setting a personal record.
The women’s high jump featured four Penn State athletes and two earned top three marks. Gwen Cudmore won the event with a 5-7.25 (1.71m) and Hannah Riolo came in second at 5-5.25 (1.66m).
Other notable finishes included Joe White winning the men’s long jump with a 22-10.75 (6.98m), Audrey Friedman topping the field in the women’s javelin at 141-7.00 (43.15m) and Nolan Carey earning a 213-7.00 (65.10m) in the men’s javelin, placing second.
UP NEXT
Penn State has its first split-squad weekend of the outdoor season when it heads south to compete in two events: the Raleigh Relays, which begin next Thursday in Raleigh, N.C., and the Knights Invite in Orlando, Fla., beginning next Friday. Both events will conclude next Saturday.