By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's track and field team wrapped up the outdoor regular season last weekend capturing its fourth Big Ten title and vaulting several athletes into this week's national rankings.

The women's team captured the title with 133 points, 13 points ahead of second place finisher Illinois.

Redshirt junior Mahagony Jones played a huge role in helping the women capture the Big Ten crown, bringing in 18 points. Jones sprinted to an event victory in the 100 meters in a personal best of 11.32. Her win secured 10 team points. She then followed it up with a second place finish in the 200 meters, clocking in at 23.37, good for another eight points.

Jones is back in the national rankings for the first time since week three when she came in at No. 22 in the 200. This week she is ranked No. 14 nationally in the 100 meters and No. 2 in the Big Ten. In the 200 meters she comes in at No. 17 and No. 2.

Hurdler Evonne Britton had an outstanding performance, claiming her first Big Ten victory in the 100-meter hurdles. The redshirt juniors' time of 13.13 was a new season best. Britton ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 16 nationally.

Senior Natalie Bower continued her strong season in the steeplechase bringing in six points in her third place finish. Bower ran the race in 10:12.42, a season-best time. Bower is now the third ranked steeplechaser in the Big Ten and No. 19 in the nation.

Junior Laura Loht improved her rank at the Big Ten championships during her second place performance. Loht launched a throw of 168-9, good for No. 13 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten, just behind team mate Lauren Kenney.

On the men's side javelin thrower Michael Shuey improved his rank nationally. Shuey's toss of 227-11 landed him in third place at the Big Ten championships and now has him at No. 24 in the nation.

In the team standings the men's team slipped two spots from last week and are now ranked No. 13. Despite the strong showing, the women's team has yet to crack the top 25, sitting just outside at No. 27. 

Men's Rankings

Women's Rankings

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State's track and field teams had a quite weekend in the national rankings with only a three athletes improving their rank while hosting the Jim Thorpe Open last Friday.

Sophomore thrower Darrell Hill improved on his Big Ten lead in the shot put with a new personal record. Hill bested the competition with a toss of 62-9.25. Hill will head into the Big Ten Championships this weekend as the No. 1 competitor for the title. He currently sits at No. 4 nationally.

Jon Hendershot's outstanding performance at the Jim Thorpe Open has him sitting at No. 3 in the Big Ten. The junior tied a longstanding school record when he cleared the bar at 7-3.25. His jump lands him at No. 10 nationally.

On the women's side junior Laura Loht improved her standing in the javelin. Loht hit a season best 166-3 in the event. She remains the No. 2 ranked thrower in the Big Ten, behind teammate Lauren Kenny, but now has jumped from No. 22 to No.12 nationally.

In the team standings, the men jumped two spots from last week to come in at No. 11.  Both teams are in Columbus set to kick off the Big Ten Championships later today.


Men's Rankings as of May 8, 2013

Women's Rankings

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State hosted the Jim Thorpe Open, its only home meet of the season, Friday night at the outdoor track.

It was a relatively small meet with only three other teams - University of Buffalo, Shippensburg University, and Monroe College, competing.

However, that didn't stop Penn State high jumper Jon Hendershot form having an outstanding performance. The junior tied the school record in the event clearing the bar at 7-03.25. The record Hendershot tied has been standing since 1985 and currently has him sitting at No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 10 in the nation.

Hendershot wasn't the only field athlete to have a good night. Redshirt junior Will Barr captured two victories. In the discus, Barr won the even with a toss of 180-06, a season best. He took the hammer with a throw of 204-00.

The Big Ten leader in the shot put, Darrell Hill, further distanced himself from the competition setting a new personal best. Hill won the event with a toss of 62-09.25.

Melissa Kurzdorfer replicated Barr's performance on the women's side. She tossed 165-1 in the discus to win the event. Then tossed the hammer 195-08.

On the track the women's team was lead by strong performance by junior Mahagony Jones and sophomore Dynasty McGee. Jones took the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.74. McGee would win the 200-meter dash in 24.93.

The men were equally as successful posting victories in the 400 meters and 110-meter hurdles.  Junior Bernard Bennett-Green lead in the way in the 400 clocking in at 47.90, a full second ahead of the second place finisher.  Sancho Barrett capture a victory in the hurdles. The sophomore won the race in 14.28.

The Nittany Lions will be back in action next weekend as they travel to Columbus, Ohio for the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. The meet is schedule to open Friday and is a three-day event.  

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State track and field teams had a superb weekend at the prestigious Penn Relays Carnival at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa., coming away with five championships.

Junior Brittany Howell started the meet off for the Nittany Lions on Tuesday with the heptathlon. Howell had a comfortable lead after day one of the two-day event. She cruised to a victory Wednesday with a season-best of 5,084 points.

Laura Loht followed up Wednesday securing her first collegiate Penn Relays title and her second ever, the first coming as a high school senior. The junior's first throw of the day was the winning effort sailing 154-6.

On the track Wednesday Natalie Bower posted a personal best in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.  Bower's time of 10:13.58 is the eighth fastest time posted at the relays and third fastest in the Penn State record books. The senior's time was good enough to rank her No. 20 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten.

The men's team was able to come away with its first distance medley relay victory at the games since 1959. The team of freshman Brannon Kidder, junior Brandon Bennett-Green, senior Casimir Loxsom and sophomore Robby Creese won the event in 9:24.68. Their time now ranks them No. 1 in the school record books.

Creese, Kidder and Loxsom followed up their record setting performance with a second consecutive victory in the 4x800-meter relay during the final day of competition.  Adding freshman Za'Von Watkins, the group finished the race in 7:14.14.

The men's 4x400-meter relay team also had a strong performance at the relays. Sophomore Matt Gilmore, freshman Alex Shizler, juniors Bernard and Brandon Bennett-Green posted a time of 3:06.21. The result was good enough for the group to be ranked No. 17 nationally and No.3 in the Big Ten.

The women's team also put its 4x400-meter relay team into the national rankings at the relays.  Freshman Kiah Seymour, redshirt junior Mahagony Jones, redshirt freshman Shelley Black and sophomore Dynasty McGee raced to a time of 3:33.47 good enough for No.20 in the nation and second in the Big Ten.

Senior Evonne Britton makes her first appearance in the national rankings after her performance at the Penn Relays. Britton clocked in with a time of 58.56 in the 400-meter hurdles, good enough for No. 24 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big Ten.

The men's team slipped slightly in the national rankings this week, dropping down two spots to No. 13.

Despite outstanding performances, Penn State was not ranked in the DMR and the 4x800-meter relay because the two are not official NCAA outdoor track events.

Men's Rankings as of April 30, 2013

Women's Rankings

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Freshman Rachel Fatherly made her Penn Relays collegiate debut Thursday competing in the shot put, discus and hammer throw.

However, Fatherly isn't a rookie when it comes to the prestigious games. At last year's event she took the women's high school title in the shot put with a toss of 47-5.

"Coming in, I took an indoor mark, so coming in I wasn't seeded very high," said Fatherly. "It was good to come out as an underdog. It was one of the best competitions of my life."

"We literally went back and forth," said Fatherly of the competition between her and Theresa Picciallo of Immaculate Heart in New Jersey. Picciallo was one of the top high school throwers in the nation in 2012.

"It showed competitiveness and who wanted it more," added Fatherly.

This year in the shot put, Fatherly wasted no time showing she'll be a force to reckon with the next few years. Last year's Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state champion captured third-place with a toss of 47-11.25.

The Williamsport, Pa. native's success began earlier in the day when she placed sixth in a field of 24 girls in the hammer toss. Not bad for an event she's still learning to master. Fatherly's best throw came in at 173-0.

"It was very interesting because I didn't grasp the concept very well," Fatherly said about learning the weight toss, and indoor event similar to the hammer toss. "I started out with hammer pretty well and I'm excited to see where I can be because I had a good start. Just listening to my coach and following him, I think the sky is the limit."

In her final event of Thursday's action, Fatherly finished at No. 11 in the discus with a recorded throw of 151-0.

Fatherly attributed her ability to find success so early in her career to a smooth transition into college. With her hometown being roughly an hour away, for her it feels like she never left.

"It feels like home, so I don't have to worry about thinking about my parents because they can easily come up," she said. "I feel like the Williamsport community is behind me and supporting me 100 percent of the way."

It has helped her focus in on her goal of hitting the 50-foot mark in the shot put and qualifying for the NCAA first rounds in all three of her events.

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERISITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State track and field team split up on the road again last weekend, sending runners to the SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. and to the Bucknell Team Challenge in Lewisburg, Pa.

The team that traveled to Mount San Antonio College had a successful weekend. Casimir Loxsom impressed in his first 800 meters of the season posting a time of 1:46.77. The senior middle distance runner's time has him ranked No. 2 in the nation and No.1 in the Big Ten.

Freshman Brannon Kidder posted a lifetime-best in the same event with 1:47.23. He remains in the rankings, however, dropped a few spots. He is now ranked No. 4 nationally and No.2 in the Big Ten behind Loxsom.

Ricky West saw his stock rise in the 800 meters. The senior won his heat in 1:48.49, a season best, and finished seventh overall. West moved up two spots in both the national and Big Ten rankings coming in at No. 12 and No. 3.

The Penn State men's team continues its rise in the rankings this week coming in at No. 11 in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings. The women's team, however, fell from the rankings after coming in at No. 25 last week.

Men's Rankings as of April 23, 2013

Women's Rankings

* New times/results 

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - The Penn State track and field team had another successful weekend on the road with six athletes, four on the men's team and two on the women's, cracking the top 25 national rankings. 

Darrell Hill catapulted his way into the top 10 shot putters in the nation. The sophomore locked up an event victory with his toss of 62-07.26. Not only was Hill's throw a new personal best, but it was nearly four feet longer than the second place finisher. He is currently ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big Ten.

Senior Sean Reilly set a new personal best in the high jump en route to winning the event. Reilly's jump of 7-2.25 puts him fourth all time in Penn State history. It was also good enough for a No. 12 ranking nationally and No. 3 in the Big Ten.

Redshirt junior Mahagony Jones had an outstanding weekend for the women. Jones was able to secure an event victory in a loaded 100-meters field. Her time of 11.55 is a new personal best.  Jones came away with a second place finish in the 200 meters. She was just edged out by the events returning national champion, Kimberlyn Duncan. Jones ran the 200 meters in 23.43. Jones is currently ranked No.22 nationally and third in the Big Ten.

Natalie Bower jumps into the rankings at No. 24 after a strong weekend at Bucknell's Bison Outdoor Classic. The senior clocked a season best in of 10:16.79 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Bower secured the victory easily, finishing 10 seconds before the second place runner.

After last weekend's action the men's team is ranked No. 15, moving up four spots from last week's No.19 rank. The women's team has cracked the top 25 for the first time this season coming in at No. 25.

Men's Rankings as of April 15, 2013

Women's Rankings

*First appearance in the rankings  

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State track and field team had a successful weekend at the Crimson Tide Invitational coming away with the women's team title and a third place finish by the men's team.

The event was highlighted by several strong performances by both the men and women's team. Sophomore Lauren Kenney started her season off with a bang launching a personal best of 176-11 in her first javelin throw of the meet. Kenney, who finished fourth in the javelin last year, ranks second in the nation after her performance at the invitational.

Brannon Kidder also started the season off strong. The freshmen notched a new PR in the 800 meters, clocking in at 1:47.71. His time is the second fastest time in the NCAA and currently leads the Big Ten.

Freshman Robbie Creese turned in a top 10 performance nationally in the 800 meters. Creese came in second at the invitational with a time of 1:48.98, just being edged out by Kidder.

Several other Nittany Lions turned in performances that have them ranked in the Track & Field Results Reporting System's top 25 nationally.

After this weekend's action the men's team is currently ranked No.19 in the nation. The women's team has yet to crack the top 25.

Men's Rankings

Women's Rankings

By Kyle Lucas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - True freshman Brannon Kidder hopped up to the starting line, set himself and waited for the official's gun to start the biggest relay race of his young career.

Kidder and fellow true freshman Za'Von Watkins were both making their first appearance on the national stage, competing in the distance medley relay finals.

The two are part of school record setting and second fastest ever collegiate DMR relay team. Kidder, Watkins, junior Brandon Bennett-Green and sophomore Robbie Creese's time of 9:26.60 at the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame earned them the No. 1 seed heading into nationals. However, despite this ranking the team would just be edged out of first place in the finals.

It's a race that has left the two hungry heading into the outdoor season.

"We were so close to being national champions," said Kidder. "It would have been pretty awesome. It definitely motivated me."

Watkins and Kidder came to Penn State as two highly touted distance runners. Watkins, a middle-distance runner from Liverpool, N.Y., owns the 10th-best time in the high school record books in the 600 meters. In 2012, he clocked a 1:19.20 in the race.

Kidder's high school career was very successful. The Lancaster, Ohio native was consistently one of the best high school runners in the country. During his senior season Kidder won three state championships in the 800, 1600, and the 4x800 meter relay.

Despite their high school success there wasn't any pressure to immediately succeed in college.

"At first I had expectations for myself coming in," said Watkins. "Then again I just thought this is my freshman year, there's room for improvement still. I have four years here."

"I didn't feel there was an expectation on me to perform well this year," said Kidder. "Obviously, I had expectations for myself. As far as just running with these high caliber guys, that just even raises my expectations."

While one of Kidder's expectations may have been to win the DMR at nationals, he still had very successful indoor season. Kidder became the fourth member of Penn State's sub 4-minute mile club. He accomplished this feat at the Penn State National, where he clocked in with a time of 3:59.48.

"It's awesome," said Kidder on joining the exclusive group. "That was always a goal of mine through high school and just a long term goal. I went into that race not necessarily expecting to do it; just kind of hoping it was a possibility. When I did it, it was just surreal."

Watkins also saw success during his rookie indoor season. He was part of the 4x800 meter team to win at the prestigious Millrose Games in New York. Watkins was joined in the race by seniors Casmir Loxsom and Ricky West and Kidder. The team's time of 7:21.37 not only broke the meet and facility record but also tied the school record.

Now the two are hoping their indoor experiences and success transfers over to the outdoor season.

"It was definitely an experience I'll carry on through the rest of my years here," Watkins said on competing at nationals. "To see those athletes at that level competing, and we're competing with them, it allows us to almost level ourselves out and see where we stand with these guys during our freshman year."