PHILADELPHIA – The Penn State track & field team set a school record and placed top-three in two Championship of America relays on the second of three days in Franklin Field at the 128th Penn Relays.
Highlighting an exceptionally strong day of competition for the Nittany Lions on Friday was the school record-setting women's sprint medley relay. Maddie Pitts, Jermecia Brown, Zoey Goldstein, and Hayley Kitching took down the five-year-old Penn State school record in the sprint medley relay, becoming the first Nittany Lion group ever to go sub 3:45, with a 3:44.66.
Led by Cheickna Traore's mind-blowing 44.44 anchor split, Penn State's men's 4x400-meter relay squad clocked a 3:05.92, the fifth-fastest mark in school history. Traore ran the final leg for the team of Austin Gallant, Olivier Desmeules, and Darius Smallwood.
Outside of top-ten program marks, sophomore Tim Watson won the college section of the men's high jump with an outdoor PR 6-11 (2.11m) clearance, a mark he reached on his first attempt.
TRACK EVENT SUMMARY
In Penn State's first event of the day, the men's distance medley relay group of Kevin Haas, Luke Seymour, Antonio Abrego, and Tanner Piotrowski posted a 9:43.45 in the college division of the event to claim third place.
The Nittany Lions' women's 4x200-meter relay team of Pitts, Brown, Kylie Jacoutot and Goldstein finished in third place in Penn State's first Championship of America event. The group recorded a 1:36.89.
Traore's absurd 44.44 anchor leg fueled the Penn State men's 4x400-meter relay team to the fifth-fastest mark in school history. The group of Austin Gallant, Olivier Desmeules, Darius Smallwood, and Traore clocked a 3:05.92, qualifying for tomorrow's Championship of America finals with the fifth-best time in the field. The mark is the Nittany Lions' fastest 4x400 mark since 2018 and the group became just the fifth team in school history to record a sub-3:06 mark in the event.
The women's sprint medley squad took the track next, breaking Penn State's school record in the event with a 3:44.66. The team of Pitts, Brown, Goldstein, and Kitching placed fourth overall in the Championship of America with their record-setting mark.
Penn State closed it down on the track with a second-place finish in the men's sprint medley relay. Gallant, Matt DeMatteo, Traore, and Handal Roban clocked a 3:19.38 to finish just shy of a Championship of America wheel.
FIELD EVENT SUMMARY
Watson earned the win in the college division of the men's high jump, setting an outdoor PR with a 6-11 (2.11m) clearance. He cleared the height on his first attempt to earn the win. Teammate Robert Allen placed tenth with a 6-5 (1.96m) mark. In the women's high jump college division, Gwen Cudmore finished eighth overall with a 5-5 (1.65m) clearance.
Pitts placed ninth in the women's long jump college division, leaping 18-9.75 (5.73m). In the men's college section, Emi Erekosima recorded a season-best mark, jumping 23-2.75 (7.08m) for fifth overall. Ahmad Fogg placed seventh with a 23-0 (7.01m) mark.
In the college division of the men's shot put, Jakub Korejba recorded a 53-11 (16.43m) heave to take eighth place.
Lizzie Schreiber also placed eighth in the women's triple jump college section with a 39-7.25 (12.07m) best jump.
Concluding Penn State's field events for the day was Lauren Shedleski in the college division of the women's javelin throw. Shedleski recorded a 122-8 (37.40m) for tenth place.
UP NEXT
Penn State will conclude competition at the Penn Relays on Saturday.
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