EUGENE, Ore. – Cheickna Traore capped off one of the greatest sprint seasons in Penn State history Friday evening in Hayward field, winning the 200-meter NCAA title with a time of 19.95.
Traore became Penn State's first outdoor individual champion since Isaiah Harris won the 800-meter run in 2018 with a dominant race. Leading almost immediately out of the blocks, Traore crossed the line as the Nittany Lions' first NCAA outdoor champion in a sprint event since Barney Ewell won both the 100-yard and 220-yard dash events in 1941.
"What a perfect ending to the journey that Coach Rizzo and Cheick have been on this year," said Head Coach John Gondak. "NCAA Champion! I'm so proud of all Cheick did to represent Penn State this year, even though he isn't finished, as he will continue his journey and run at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer."
The Nittany Lion men finished as the third-highest scoring Big Ten team at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Traore's ten points put the Nittany Lions behind Nebraska and Wisconsin in the final national standings, as the Nittany Lions finished tied for 32nd in the country. Ten points is the men's squad's best output at the outdoor national meet since it scored 15 in 2018.
NOTABLES
- Traore is the first 200-meter champion in school history. Barney Ewell won two 220-yard titles in 1940 and 1941 before the race was moved to the modern 200-meter distance in 1976.
- The win by Traore is Penn State's first sprint national title since Ewell won the 100-yard and 220-yard dash events in 1941.
- Traore is Penn State's first individual outdoor champion since Isaiah Harris won the 800-meter run at the 2018 championship meet.
- The Ivory Coast product became the first 200-meter First Team All-American for the Nittany Lions since Ryan Olkowski in 2002.
- Traore is the third First Team All-American in the 200-meter dash since the event moved from 220 yards in 1976, and its eighth ever including marks at the original measured distance.
UP NEXT
Star sophomore Hayley Kitching will run in the 800-meter final at 6:44 p.m. ET Saturday evening to cap off Penn State's outing at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
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