Penn State has Balanced Team Efforts on Final Day at Duke and Miami
CORAL GABLES, Fla. / DURHAM, N.C. – The Penn State track and field teams concluded split-squad action on Saturday with strong performances at the Duke Invitational and Miami (Fla.) Alumni Invitational, highlighted by three more event victories and four top-10 program finishes.
The Nittany Lions totaled seven total victories, two event sweeps and numerous top-10 program finishes over the two-day action at Duke and Miami (Fla.).
MIAMI ALUMNI INVITE
The day began with a Nittany Lions sweep in the men’s javelin throw. Freshman Collin Burkhart spearheaded the group with a distance of 65.85m (216-0) to win the event. Fellow freshman Tristan Schmidt set a new personal-best mark with a throw of 63.96m (209-10). Kevin Bartosh rounded out the trio with a toss of 63.66m (208-10). In women’s javelin, Madison Smith finished in third place with a throw of 49.67m (162-11).
Mallory Kauffman continued her strong weekend with a toss of 16.42m (53-10.5) in women’s shot put. Thomas Bojalad followed his men’s discus victory on Friday with a strong 16.95m (55-7.5) mark on the men’s side.
Chloe Royce completed her first heptathlon of the outdoor season, finishing in fourth place with a total of 5,062 points. She scored 825 points in the long jump, 343 points in javelin, and 786 points in the 800m to close out the event. Her performance places her eighth all-time in program history for the event.
Breana Gambrell won the women’s long jump with her leap of 6.17m (20-3). Tesia Thomas finished in third, setting a new personal-best mark with her jump of 5.96m (19-6.75).
In triple jump, Thomas saw her second third-place finish of the day with a jump of 12.50m (41-0.25) that just missed her career best.
DUKE INVITE
Yasmin Brooks had a standout performance in the hurdle events at Duke. In the 100m hurdles, she clocked a new personal-best time of 13.04, making her just 0.01 seconds behind the second-fastest time in program history as she improved on her third all-time standing in the program record books.
Her time ranks as the third-fastest wind-legal time in the NCAA, and the fastest in the Big Ten. It also set a new Duke meet and facility record in the process.
Brooks followed that performance with a third-place finish in the 400m hurdles, finishing with a time of 59.53 seconds.
Jane Madson finished with a personal-best time of 55.46 in the women’s 400m. Sophomore Jermecia Brown ran a 55.85, barely missing out on her own personal record.
Sophomore Ka’mere Day sprinted to a personal-best time of 10.41 to finish third in the 100m dash. It now ranks as the sixth-fastest time in program history.
Domenic Perretta led Penn State in the men’s 800m by finishing second with a season-best time of 1:48.55, which is his fastest race in the event since the 2019 Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Following his indoor NCAA Championship appearance, Evan Dorenkamp ran a 1:49.74 to open his outdoor season. Freshman Darius Smallwood ran a new outdoor personal-best time with a 1:50.17.
To close out weekend competition in Durham, Victoria Vanriele ran an outdoor personal-best 2:05.95 to finish second in the women’s 800m. That time improves upon her tenth all-time standing in program history.
Check out day one’s recap here.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions will return to action next weekend with an interstate meet at the Bison Outdoor Challenge in Bucknell.
