Handal Roban Season 2025-26

TFRRS PAGE

COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BESTS: 400m – 47.37, 600m – 1:16.91, 800m – 1:45.95, 1000m – 2:24.08
 
CAREER RECORDS, AWARDS, AND NOTES
 
RECORDS: Owns the No. 4 outdoor 800-meter time in Penn State history…No. 3 in school history in the indoor 800…On the No. 3 4x800 group in Penn State history that finished second in the Penn Relays 4x800 Championship of America in 2023…Broke his own St. Vincent & the Grenadines 800-meter national record at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
AWARDS:
2x NCAA Bronze Medalist (’23 outdoor 800, ’23 indoor 800)
2x First Team All-American (’23 outdoor 800, ’23 indoor 800)
1x Second Team All-Big Ten (’23 indoor 800)
1x Big Ten Bronze Medalist (’23 outdoor 800)
2x USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year (’23 outdoor, ’23 indoor)
2x Big Ten Freshman of the Year (’23 outdoor, ’23 indoor)
1x Big Ten Athlete of the Week (’23)
1x USTFCCCA All-Academic Team (’23)
 
NOTES: 2023 World Athletics Championships qualifier in the 800, following a summer where he was the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games 800-meter champion with a lifetime-best 1:45.93 time, the fourth-fastest mark in school history…Went on to win the NACAC Championship in the 800 later in the summer with a 1:47.43...Became the first Penn State athlete to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year awards after both the indoor and outdoor seasons in the same year…Along with teammate Hayley Kitching, who swept the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award on the women’s side, made Penn State the only school in Big Ten history to sweep all four track & field Freshman of the Year honors in the same season.
 
2023 Outdoor
Season: Finished as the NCAA Broze Medalist in the 800 once again, setting the No. 4 time in school history in the event in another All-American outing…Big Ten Bronze Medalist in the 800…Earned one event win over the course of his first outdoor campaign in the Blue & White…Won Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week after the LSU Lloyd Willis Invitational (4/8).
 
Hurricane Collegiate Invitational (3/25): Clocked a 47.37 in the 400 in his first outdoor meet, finishing fourth overall. Florida Relays (3/31-4/1): Finished third in the 4x400 with a 3:08.57…Placed sixth in the 800 with a 1:48.63. LSU Lloyd Willis Invitational (4/8): Won the 800 with a 1:47.29, earning Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week honors. Penn Relays (4/27-29): Set the No. 3 4x800 mark in school history along with teammates Evan Dorenkamp, Olivier Desmeules, and Darius Smallwood…The Nittany Lion group finished second in the Championship of America event. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/12-14): Finished with the bronze medal in the 800 with a 1:47.59 in the event finals. NCAA East Prelims (5/25-27): Cruised to an automatic NCAA Championships-qualifying position in the 800 semifinals, earning top-three in his heat with a 1:51.67. NCAA Outdoor Championships (6/7-10): Advanced to the 800 finals with a 1:47.66…In the finals, Roban exploded, racing to the tune of a 1:45.95 collegiate-best mark, winning third place overall…Earned his second First Team All-America honor of 2023, repeating from indoor season as the 800-meter bronze medalist.
 
2023 Indoor
Season: NCAA Bronze Medalist in the 800-meter run…Big Ten Silver Medalist in the 800…Earned four event wins during the regular season…Set the No. 3 800 time in school history.
 
Nittany Lion Challenge (1/14): Ran the 1000m in his first indoor meet for the Nittany Lions, going 2:24.08 for fourth place…Took to the track with the 4x400 group, helping the squad to a second-place finish in the event with a 3:14.09. Penn State National Open (1/27-28): Won the 600 with a 1:16.91…Finished fifth in the 800 with a 1:49.01. Sykes & Sabock Invitational (2/4): Set his season-best time in the 800 with a 1:47.01 to win the event. Music City Challenge (2/10-11): Won the 4x400 with a 3:10.85. Penn State Tune-Up (2/17): Won the 800 with a 1:47.63. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/24-25): Finished second to teammate Olivier Desmeules in the 800 with a 1:47.88. NCAA Indoor Championships (3/10-11): Advanced to the 800-meter final as the last qualifier…Finished third in the nation with a 1:47.28, bringing home First Team All-America honors in his first collegiate indoor season.
 
PRIOR TO PENN STATE
HIGH SCHOOL PRs: 400m - 47.50, 800m - 1:47.03*
*Indicates then-national record
Ran for Jamaica College High School...Was middle-distance team captain 2021-22...Named 2022 Penn Relays Most Outstanding Athlete for fastest 4x800 split time ever (1:48.12) for a high school boy in event's history...Was a U20 World Athletics Championship semifinalist in the 800m...Set St. Vincent and the Grenadines national record in 800m at 1:47.03 before joining the Nittany Lions...National junior record holder for 1500m...Carifta 2018 under 17 800m gold medalist...Carifta 2019 under 20 800m bronze medalist...Nacac under 18 800m bronze medalist...Nacac under 20 800m gold medalist and 400m silver medalist....Nacac senior open championships 800m silver medalist. 

PERSONAL 
Mother is Vanelisa Roban...Studying psychology...Born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.