April 11, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bolstered by a school-record performance from junior Bridget Franek (Hiram, Ohio), the Nittany Lion track and field notched five NCAA regional-qualifying marks on the opening day of the Bison Outdoor Classic, hosted by Bucknell University. Franek - who bettered the field by nearly 40 seconds - cruised to a personal-best 9:53.7 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, breaking her own Penn State record of 9:58.56 while also bettering her own Christy Mathewson Stadium record of 10:16.4, set in 2007. Franek's PR - her second regional performance of the season - is also a new NCAA leader as well as the top time in the world according to the IAAF.
Junior Cheryl Spring (The Woodlands, Texas) would also tip under the NCAA standard, going 10:37.6 to take second overall, thanks to an outstanding finishing lap. Senior Mike Syrnick (Philadelphia) turned in a stellar performance in the men's steeplechase, clocking a regional-qualifying 9:03.6, good for third-place overall.
The Lions got a pair of NCAA performances in the pole vault, as Caitlin Fairbairn (Coatesville, Pa.) and Jocelyn Witmer (Lancaster, Pa.) both cleared 12-7.50 (3.85), tying for first place in the competition and punching their tickets to the regional championships next month.
Freshman Caitlin Lane (Greenwich, N.Y.) also impressed, taking top honors in the 1500-meters in 4.29.68 to outlast a solid field. The Lions also saw notable results in the men's 1500, as Tim Johnson (New Cumberland, Pa.) finished fourth in the invitational section, clocking a career-best 3:28.50 - less than a second off the NCAA standard. In the longer distances, Janelle Young (Lemoyne, Pa.) recorded a top five finish in the 5,000-meters, posting a personal-best 17:19.31 for fourth place, while Dennis Pollow (Ransomville, N.Y) finished sixth in the men's 5K in 14:27.44.
Senior Emma Schmelzer (Bloomington, Ill.) was the Lions' top finisher in the throws, as she took second in the hammer, posting a mark of 164-4 (50.08). On the men's side, Joe Gingerelli (Wood-Ridge, N.J.) captured fifth place in the javelin, with a personal collegiate-best toss of 185-1 (56.41).
The meet continues on Saturday, beginning with the women's shot put at 10 a.m. Follow www.gopsusports.com for full results and Nittany Lion recap following Saturday's events.