SHIPPENSBURG WINS EIGHTH STRAIGHT MEN'S TITLE AND SEVENTH STRAIGHT WOMEN'S TITLE
MANSFIELD, Pa. - For the eighth straight year, the Shippensburg men’s outdoor track and field won the PSAC Championship. On the women’s side, the Raiders were again victorious, winning their seventh straight conference title.
Shippensburg’s Dru Adighibe was named the PSAC Championships’ Most Outstanding Track Athlete and the Overall Most Outstanding Athlete. Individually, Adighibe won the 100m and the 200m, he was also the anchor in the winning 4x400m relay team. His Raider teammate Bryan Pearson won the Most Outstanding Field Athlete, winning the conference title in both the shot put and discus.
Millersville’s Erin Madison was named the PSAC Championships’ Most Outstanding Track Athlete and the Overall Most Outstanding Athlete. Madison was the champion in both the 100m hurdles and the 400m hurdles. Shippensburg’s Tamara Ovejera was named the Most Outstanding Field Athlete, winning the conference title in both the shot put and the discus.
Slippery Rock’s Adam Leeper hit the lone provisional mark in the triple jump (15.0m) and won the event.
In the 4x100m relay, California was able to claim victory with the team of James Wheeler, Joe Vedilago, Montre Tates, and Jae’Len Means.
Austin Cooper from IUP repeated as the 1500m champion, finishing with a time of 3:56.53.
East Stroudsburg’s Steven Morgan was the favorite entering the 110m hurdles and was able to win his third straight conference title, finishing in 14.43.
ESU also won the 400m for the second straight year as Derrick Washington was able to defend his title with a time of 47.83.
The 4x800m relay was won by the Kutztown team of Devonte King, Jared Luckanitz, Naeb Mengisteab, and Andrew Thompson.
The favorite coming into the 400m hurdles, Slippery Rock’s Jacob VanHouten won the event with a provisional time.
Edinboro’s Elliott Martykiewicz was dominant in the 5000m, winning by nearly 15 seconds.
For the third straight year, East Stroudsburg’s Will Berry was the high jump champion.
Shippensburg solidified its spot on top with the field events that closed out the final day, not only getting Pearson’s win in the discus, but also rounding out the top three. Derek Nothstein also won the javelin for SU.
Adighibe got another win at the meet, closing out the day as the anchor leg on the winning 4x400m team. Timmy Usher, Ricky Meriwether, and Ori Rinaman also won the gold for Shippensburg in that race.
Slippery Rock’s Kennedy Evans, Jasmine Bailey, Jaiah Williams, and Katelyn Wetzel were victorious in the 4x100m relay.
California’s Summer Hill had the best 1500m time during the season and was able to earn the conference crown, pacing the field the entire way and finishing with a time of 4:32.62.
Slippery Rock’s Bailey won her second title of the day, this time an individual championship, in the 400m. Bailey also won the indoor title in the 400m this season.
Last year’s javelin runner-up and this year’s top-seed was, Slippery Rock’s Samantha Taylor, was able to win the event this season with an automatic qualifying mark of 49.63m.
For the third straight year, Millersville’s Kiara Allen won the 100m dash. In her senior season, Allen finished with a time of 12.03.
In the pole vault, Slippery Rock’s Kaitlyn Clark continued to stand above the field, entering as both the top seed and the defending champion and winning the title once again.
The California team of Summer Hill, Jaclyn Reinbold, Alex Zanella, and Alyson Pierce won the 4x800m relay with a time of 9:18.95.
Freshman Ameriah Walters won the 200m for Seton Hill with a provisional time of 24.50.
Ida Narbuvoll, the 2015 PSAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year, won the 5000m, leading the whole way and finishing in 17:08.20, for Edinboro.
Shippensburg got a win in the triple jump from Sarah Hunt with a provisional leap of 12.0m.
West Chester’s Dara Lindsey, Emily Dusellier, Janna Wilson, and Emily Magnant won the 4x400mm relay after a Slippery Rock disqualification.
FRIDAY RESULTS
After the second day of events at the PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Shippensburg men and women each sit atop the standings.
Slippery Rock’s Sabrina Anderson, a two-time indoor pentathlon champion, won her first outdoor championship with 4951 points. That is tied for the 13th-best total in the country.
The top seeds were lived up to that billing in the women’s shot put and the women’s high jump. In shot put, Tamara Ovejera from Shippensburg was the only one to clear 14 meters, finishing at 14.44m.
In the high jump, Slippery Rock’s Paige Kassab won the event in her senior year with a clearance of 1.69m.
California’s Alex Zanella also defended her 800m title with a time of 2:14.03. She is also a two-time 1500m champion. Zanella was the PSAC Most Outstanding Track Athlete and the PSAC Overall MVP at last year’s championships.
Bloomsburg’s Kaylee Caruso hit an NCAA automatic qualifying mark in the long jump, defending her title from last year’s outdoor meet. She was also the indoor champion this year.
Millersville’s Vanessa Hower was the only one the hammer throw to hit a provisional mark this year. That continued to be the case on Friday, as she once again met the provisional standard and repeated as champion.
Julie Friend from California is a former 5000m champion and added a steeplechase champion plaque to her trophy case with a resounding victory. She was the top seed entering the event.
In the men’s long jump, freshman Arthur Quaye from Bloomsburg took the top prize with a leap of 7.11m. That was his best mark of the season.
With a provisional time of 1:52.30, Corey Wefing of Edinboro won the 800m for the second straight year.
Travis Toth from East Stroudsburg kept up the trend of the favorites earning first place, getting the win in the hammer throw. Toth has now placed in the hammer all four years.
D.J. Horton, the PSAC Indoor Freshman of the Year and indoor pole vault champion, won the outdoor crown as well, clearing 4.9m.
In the shot put, Shippensburg got both first and second place. Bryan Pearson, who had the second-best mark coming in, beat out teammate Alec Rideout for the top spot.
Shippensburg’s Chris Mullin won the 3000m steeplechase one year after finishing as the runner-up. Mullin has placed in the steeplechase four times in his career.
Lock Haven freshman Tyler Burger was able to capture the decathlon title in his debut season, scoring 6451 points.
Full team standings can be found below.
MEN
1. Shippensburg - 84
2. Slippery Rock - 40
T3. IUP - 39
T3. East Stroudsburg - 39
5. Kutztown - 27
6. Lock Haven - 26
T7. California - 15
T7. Bloomsburg - 15
9. West Chester - 14
10. Edinboro - 10
11. Seton Hill - 3
WOMEN
1. Shippensburg - 52
2. Bloomsurg - 39
3. Slippery Rock - 37
T4. California - 34
T4. Millersville - 34
6. East Stroudsburg - 26
7. Edinboro - 22
8. Seton Hill - 19.5
9. West Chester - 13.5
10. Clarion - 10
11. Kutztown - 8.5
12. Lock Haven - 7
13. Cheyney - 13.5
14. Pitt-Johnstown - 2
15. IUP - 1
THURSDAY RESULTS
Through the first four events in the heptathlon, Sabrina Anderson from Slippery Rock is out in front and looking to win the outdoor crown to go along with her indoor title.
East Stroudsburg's Allison Decker led the entire way in the 10k for the women, winning with a time of 37:47.43
In the decathlon, Lock Haven's Tyler Burger leads with 3636 points after five events.
In the 10k, Shippensburg's Austin McGinley won with a time of 31:23.23, edging out Kutztown's Steve Maine and IUP's Hutson Baumann.
CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
The 2016 PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be the final conference championship of the season. It will take place on the campus of Mansfield University, and links to follow the event (both live results and live video) can be found on psacsports.org.
On the men’s side, Julius Rivera from IUP returns to defend his 100 meter dash title from last year, returns, but the top time in the league in 2016 belongs to his Shippensburg’s Dru Adighibe.
The top two finishers in last year’s 200 meter dash have graduated. California’s Jae’Len Means, just a freshman, holds the top 200m time in the PSAC this season, running 21.16 at Slippery Rock just last weekend. Adighibe has the second fastest time.
East Stroudsburg’s Derrick Washington will return to defend his 400m title, as will Edinboro’s Corey Wefing in the 800m.
Austin Cooper from IUP will look to win the 1500m for the second straight season and has the fastest qualifying time of all those entered in the event.
Shippensburg’s Kieran Sutton, the Most Outstanding Track Athlete at the PSAC Indoor Championships, will defend his crown in the 5000m. Sutton has the best time in the league this season.
Lock Haven’s Ben Robinson is the defending 10000m champion, but his qualifying time is eighth best amongst the entrants. Slippery Rock’s Jeremy Parsons earned the top seed in the event.
East Stroudsburg’s Steven Morgan won the 110m hurdles last year and has the league’s best time this season.
Slippery Rock’s Jacob VanHouten finished fourth in the 400m hurdles last year, but has the best time in the league this season.
Last year’s 3000m steeplechase runner-up, Shippensnburg’s Chris Mullin, comes into this year’s meet with the only NCAA provisional qualifying time.
At the indoor championship, the final rounds of the high jump captivated the crowd. It should be a similar story in Mansfield, as there have been five provisional marks met this season, and Shippensburg’s Jalen Ramsey is one of only two athletes (Sutton) in the entire conference to hit an NCAA Automatic Qualifying Standard. East Stroudsburg’s Will Berry is the defending champion.
IUP freshman D.J. Horton was PSAC Indoor Champion in pole vault and has the best mark in the league during the outdoor season as well.
Jaquan Stuckey from California has the furthest long jump in the league this season with a mark of 7.19m.
Jeremy Claypoole of IUP has the lone NCAA Provision Mark in the league in the triple jump.
In the shot put, Alec Rideout from Shippensburg has the best league mark, following closely by fellow Raider Bryan Pearson. Pearson has the best discus mark heading into the championship.
Travis Toth from East Stroudsburg is conference’s leader in the hammer throw, and Shippensburg’s Derek Nothstein is the top seed in the javelin.
In the decathlon, Lock Haven’s Tyler Burger has posted the lone NCAA Provisional Mark in the conference this season.
For the women, Kiara Allen from Millersville is defending 100m champion and has the league’s best time this year. Allen currently ranks second in the 200m, behind Seton Hill freshman Ameriah Walters.
The top three finishers from last year’s 400m dash have all graduated. Slippery Rock’s Jasmine Bailey currently holds the top time in the event. She was the PSAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
California’s Alex Zanella is the defending 800m champ and again has the best time this season. Teammate Summer Hill has the best time in the 1500m.
Slippery Rock’s Jenny Picot is the top seed in the 5000m, followed by Edinboro’s Ida Narbuvoll. Narbuvoll also has the top 10000m time, but will not compete in the event. East Stroudsburg’s Allison Decker will be the top seed in the 10k.
Finishing seventh last year as a freshman, Shippensburg’s Danielle Sciremammano is the top seed in this year’s 100m hurdles.
Millersville’s Erin Madison is the defending 400m hurdles champion and has the top league time in 2016.
Julie Friend of California has the top time in the 3000m steeplechase in the PSAC by nearly 20 seconds.
Slippery Rock’s Paige Kassab finished fifth in the high jump last season, but enters this year’s championship with the best conference mark. Her teammate Kaitlyn Clark is back to defend her pole vault title and is the only female competitor in the league with an NCAA Automatic Qualifying Mark.
The long jump is setting up to be a tight race, as Shippensburg’s Sarah Hunt has the league’s best mark, but Bloomsburg’s Kaylee Caruso is the defending champion and also won the indoor crown. Hunt is also the top seed and defending champion in the triple jump.
Tamara Ovejera of Shippensburg is the top seed in both the shot put and the discus, and she is the defending champion in the discus.
Millersville’s Vanessa Hower looks primed to defend her hammer throw title, as she is the only athlete with a provisional mark this season.
After a runner-up finish last year, Samantha Taylor of Slippery Rock is the top seed in the javelin this season.
Slippery Rock’s Sabrina Anderson is the heptathlon favorite entering this championship, putting together the best performance in the league. She is a two-time indoor champion in the pentathlon.