May 15, 2018
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Isaiah Harris (Lewiston, Maine) has been tabbed the Big Ten Men's Track Athlete of the Championships, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday. Harris receives the award after winning the men's 800-meter run with a meet, and facility, record time of 1:45.31 at the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships Sunday, May 13, at the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex.
With his honor, Harris is one of three Nittany Lions on the men's side to garner Big Ten Athlete of the Championships plaudits (Darrell Hill - 2014 & Malik Moffett - 2017), and he is the first Nittany Lion to receive Big Ten Men's Track Athlete of the Championships honors.
With his title on Sunday, Harris has been a part of the Penn State men's track program that has won eight 800-meter run titles in the past 10 years (2009-12, 15-18). Casimir Loxsom held the previous Big Ten Outdoor Championships 800-meter run record when he took first in 2012 with a time of 1:46.12.
As a Nittany Lion, Harris has won six of six men's 800-meter run titles between the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Along with Harris, Michael Biddle (Williamsburg, Pa.) and Maddie Holmberg (Greensburg, Pa.) were named Big Ten Sportsmanship honorees. Biddle won the men's javelin throw with his personal-best toss of 239-7 and Holmberg captured silver in the heptathlon with her school-record score of 5,976 points.
Penn State track & field now travels to Tampa, Florida, for the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary Round.
The 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary Round takes place at the USF Track & Field Stadium on the campus of the University of South Florida, May 24-26. To qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Round, the top-48 declared individuals and top-24 relays are selected.