UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State track & field wrapped up a successful first day at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships Friday afternoon with several strong performances.
Nolan Carey turned heads with his performance in the men’s javelin. The true freshman posted a 245-2.00 (74.72m), moving him into second in program history and becoming the third Nittany Lion to throw over 240 feet. Carey’s mark also earned him fourth place for the meet.
A pair of student-athletes also qualified for Sunday’s finals with their performances on the track. Marie-Eloise LeClair was the first to advance, clocking a 22.86w in the women’s 200-meter dash. Nick Sloff joined her in punching a ticket to Sunday after he ran a 3:43.49 in the men’s 1500-meter run, the second-fastest qualifying time.
EVENT SUMMARY
The day began in the throws, where four Nittany Lions competed across both hammer events. Collin Burkhart earned a spot on the podium with his 215-6.00 (65.68m) in the men’s hammer, placing seventh.
Three Nittany Lions competed in the women’s hammer as well. Alex Pancoast delivered a 184-3.00 (56.16m), Gabi Deglau recorded a 181-6.00 (55.32m), while Gabby Cope 175-6.00 (53.49m).
Audrey Friedman was the lone Penn State student-athlete in the women’s javelin, turning in a 154-10.00 (47.20m). In addition, Avery Miller completed the first four events in the women’s heptathlon, headlined by a 24.75w in the 200-meter run.
Moving back to the track events, Matt DeMatteo matched a personal best with a 52.17 in the men’s 400-meter hurdles. The women’s event saw Abasiono Akpan run a 59.74, while Addyson White finished at 1:00.33.
The women’s 1500-meter run saw Katie Dallas and Lea Hatcher both finish in the women’s 1500-meter run Top 20. Dallas turned in a 4:24.44 and Hatcher a 4:27.92.
A weather-delayed women’s 10,000-meter run featured Claire Daniels recording the fastest time among the Nittany Lions in the field at 35:34.63. Eva Kynaston and Claire Zubey ran at 35:43.12 and 35:48.60, respectively.
UP NEXT
The blue and white continue competing in the Big Ten Outdoor Championships Saturday. The day’s events featuring Nittany Lions begin with Miller continuing in the heptathlon, as she takes part in the long jump at 10 a.m. ET.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages: Facebook (PennStateTFXC), X and Instagram (both @pennstatetfxc). Live updates on meet day regarding weather, start times and other important notes will be posted on X.