800U Gains Speed, But Don't Forget The Others!

Isaiah Harris and Rachel Gearing made appearances in the 800M Semis at the USATF Championships in Eugene yesterday.  Rachel was there following her School Record 2:01.24 in the Prelim Round.  And this continues Isaiah's streak of never failing to make the Finals in the 800M since his Freshman season at PSU.

But there are plenty of others in the mix at Tracktown:

• Danae Rivers, former 800M School Record Holder ran 2:03.90
• Terrance Laird in the 100M  8th in 10.18, upcoming in 200M
  
• Evan Dorenkamp in the 1500M  26th in 3:44.31
  
• Tyler Merkley in the Hammer
• Morgan Shigo in the Hammer
• Michael Shuey in the Javelin
• Rachel Fatherly in the Shot Put
• Mallory Kauffman in the Shot Put
• Darrell Hill in the Shot Put
• Joe Kovacs in the Shot Put
  

A Real Alumni Singlet Spotted In New York

 A few Penn State Track and Field Alumni (Golfers) were featured at the USATF NY Grand Prix.

• Morgan Shigo was 7th in the Hammer   231' 7"
• Michael Shuey was 6th in the Javelin  236' 6"
• Darrell Hill was 3rd in the Shot Put   70' 2.25"
• Isaiah Harris was 2nd in the 800M   1:45.11

And Darrell came through with his real Alumni Singlet in the action!!! Thanks, Darrell.

 

More Alumni Action Post World Championships

There are alums in action even following the World Championships. 

Joe Kovacs will continue his season in Europe, joined by Darrell Hill.  They placed first and third at the recent American Track League meet.

 

Brannon Kidder (4th) and Isaiah Harris (8th) also mixed it up at the same meet in the 800M.  The Womens 800M had Danae Rivers placing 8th.

And Doreen McCoubrie was the 5000M USATF (60-64yo) National Champion at the Masters Nationals in Kentucky.

Nittany Lions In The Top Ten For 2021 According To TFN

 The Bible of the sport...

American Top Ten Performers:

• 200M        Terrance Laird     #6
• 800M        Isaiah Harris        #4
• 800M        Brannon Kidder   #5
• Shot Put    Joe Kovacs          #2
• Shot Put    Darrell Hill          #3
• Hammer    Morgan Shigo     #6
• Javelin       Michael Shuey    #2
• 400H          Kiah Seymour    #10
• Shot Put     Rachel Fatherly  #9

World  Top Ten Performers:

• 200M         Terrance Laird    #9
• Shot Put     Joe Kovacs         #2
• Shot Put     Darrell Hill         #7

Athlete Of The Year:

•  Joe Kovacs         #7
  

Top Nittany Lion Finishers At American Track League

 

Thanks to Matt Groves for alerting me to this meet.

2

Evonne Britton USA

12.72 +3.6 m/s

1       100MH

1

Brannon Kidder USA

1:45.26

1     800M

1

Darrell Hill USA

21.35m 70' 0½"

1       Shot Put

Comparison Of Top 12 Nittany Lion Performances At The Olympic Trials

 *This is using the 2017 revision of the IAAF Scoring Tables.

1.   Joe Kovacs               Mens Shot Put             22.34M             1261 pts.

2.   Darrell Hill               Mens Shot Put             21.89M             1234 pts.

3.   Terrance Laird          Mens 200M                 20.15                 1196 pts.

4.   Isaiah Harris             Mens 800M                 1:44.58              1187 pts.

5.   Brannon Kidder        Mens 800M                 1:45.08              1171 pts.

6.   Evonne Britton         Womens 100H             12.95                 1156 pts.

7.   Kiah Seymour          Womens 400H             55.84                  1147 pts.

8.   Morgan Shigo           Mens Hammer            74.39M               1107 pts.

9.   Michael Shuey          Mens Javelin               79.24M              1091 pts.

10.  Joe White                 Mens 800M                 1:48.57               1067 pts.

11.  Maddie Holmberg    Womens Heptathlon    5895 pts.            1054 pts.

12.  David Lucas             Mens Discus               58.99M               1042 pts.

Olympic Team Qualified

An Update on Nittany Lions' Final Placing At The USATF Olympic Trials

 These are only the placings of those that have completed their competition as of Sunday morning.

Mens Hammer Throw:

14)  Tyler Merkley         68.56M   224'11"

Mens Shot Put:

2)  Joe Kovacs         22.34M   73'3.5"   Olympic Team

4)  Darrell Hill         21.89M   71'10"  (3cm short of 3rd)

Mens 800M:

19)  Joe White        1:48.57

Mens Javelin Throw:

16)  Mark Porter      66.96M   219'8"

Joe Kovacs is the "little fella" on the left.

The Ultimate Interns Guide To Nittany Lions At The 2021 USATF Olympic Trials

 Friday June 18:

3:00PM ET

Mens Shot Put Qualifying:

2.  Joe Kovacs 

3.  Darrell Hill

3:05PM ET

Mens Hammer Throw Qualifying:

 7.  Morgan Shigo

22. Tyler Merkley

5:26PM ET

Mens 800M First Round:

7.  Brannon Kidder

9.  Isaiah Harris

14.   Joe White (Volunteer Assistant from Georgetown)

9:30PM ET

Mens Shot Put Final:

Pending Qualification  (Joe Kovacs, Darrell Hill)

Saturday June 19:

5:15PM ET

Mens Javelin Throw Qualification

2. Michael Shuey

19. Mark Porter

8:04PM ET

Womens 100M Hurdle First Round:

 16. Evonne Britton 

10:04PM ET

Mens 800M Semi-Finals

Pending Qualification (Brannon Kidder, Isaiah Harris)

Sunday June 20:

7:25PM ET

Mens Hammer Throw Final

Pending Qualification (Morgan Shigo, Tyler Merkley)

9:03PM ET

Womens 100M Hurdle Semi-Final

Pending Qualification (Evonne Britton)

9:35PM ET

Womens 3000M Steeplechase First Round

26. Tori Gerlach

10:43PM ET

Womens 100M Hurdle Final

Pending Qualification (Evonne Britton)

Monday June 21:

7:15PM ET

Mens Javelin Finals

Pending Qualification (Michael Shuey, Mark Porter)

8:25PM ET

Mens 800M Finals

Pending Qualification (Brannon Kidder, Isaiah Harris)

Thursday June 24:

4:30PM ET

Womens Shot Put Qualifying

5.  Rachel Fatherly

21. Payden Montana  (transfer)

9:04PM ET

Mens 1500M First Round

8.  Brannon Kidder

10:05PM ET

Mens Discus Qualifying

19. David Lucas

11:00PM ET

Womens Shot Put Final

Pending Qualification (Rachel Fatherly)

11:47PM ET

Womens 3000M Steeplechase Final

Pending Qualification (Tori Gerlach)

Friday June 25:

4:00PM ET

Womens Javelin Qualification

21.  Madison Smith 

4:30PM ET

Mens Long Jump Qualification

22. Malik Moffett

6:30PM ET

Mens Discus Final

Pending Qualification (David Lucas)

6:35PM ET

Womens 400M Hurdle First Round 

8.  Kiah Seymour (Transfer)

7:05PM ET

Mens 1500M Semi-Final

Pending Qualification (Brannon Kidder)

8:04PM ET

Mens 200M First Round

          3  Terrance Laird (transfer now with Adidas)

Saturday June 26:

Womens Heptatlon Day 1

17. Madeline Holmberg

Sunday June 27:

Womens Heptathlon Day 2 

Madeline Holmberg

7:00PM ET

Mens Long Jump Finals

Pending Qualification (Malik Moffett)

7:20PM ET

Womens 400M Hurdles Final

Pending Qualification (Kiah Seymour, Transfer)

 8:10PM ET

Mens 1500M Finals

Pending Qualification (Brannon Kidder)

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Kovacs and Darrell Hill Won't Be Able To Attend Our Golf Outing And Reunion In August

 

Something as trivial as the first Olympics in 5 years may keep them away from Happy Valley around then!  Thanks to Ken Brinker for alerting us to this.

When your second best ever "throw" is 74 feet, 6 1/2 inches or so, that is saying a lot for Joe Kovacs. And at more than 73 feet, things are looking good for Darrell Hill, too.  We wish them both luck on making the team.

Joe's Monster Series

 

Championship Season Is Here

Kevin Kelly O'Brien has a lot of time on his hands following his complete body transplant. (I suppose it only feels like that, Kelly?)  So he did the work of all 5 Basement Interns and came up with the complete list of PSU qualifiers for the upcoming USATF Olympic Trials in the refurbished Hayward Field. 

That is, of course, subject to change.  Please chime in with any updates or changes!

First, Morgan Shigo (6) in the Hammer. Then, 2 in the 800M, Isaiah Harris (5) and Brannon Kidder (7). Third, 2 more in the Javelin, Mark Porter (7) and returning Champion Michael Shuey (1).  Finally, two more in the Shot Put, Diamond League Champion Darrell Hill (4)and World Champion Joe Kovacs (2).

And last week, the USATF Road Mile Championships were held, with Colin Abert finishing in 6th place with 4:00.7. 

2021 Results - USATF 1 Mile Road Championships presented by Toyota

• Eric Avila. 3:59.0.
• Craig Engels. 3:59.2.
• Clayton Murphy. 3:59.5.
• Abe Alvarado. 4:00.4.
• Daniel Herrera. 4:00.5.
• Colin Abert. 4:00.7.
• Brett Meyer. 4:01.1.
• Clayton Young. 4:02.8.

The final 600 M were on the track!
 And he backed it up today at the Drake Relays with a Mile PR in 4:00.65 after a warm-up 1500M yesterday 3:41.73 to pace the college division.

Additional Entries via Flotrack:

 Rachel Fatherly has qualified in the Shot Put!

SP

9

18.44

Rachel Fatherly

AUTO (17.70)

Evonne Britton in the 100H!

100H

18

12.81

Evonne Britton

AUTO (12.84)

(Transfer) Kiah Seymour in the 400H!

400H

8

55.41

Kiah Seymour

AUTO (56.50)

(Transfer) Byron Robinson in the 400IH

400H

10

49.09

Byron Robinson

AUTO (49.50)

Brannon Kidder in the 1500M!

1500

6

3:35.27

Brannon Kidder

AUTO (3:37.50)

Tori Gerlach in the 3000SC!

3K SC

22

9:51.31

Tori Gerlach

FILL THE FIELD (24)

Nittany Lions In The Top Athletes Of The Decade

Well, it turns out that Penn State has 3 athletes that have made the Track and Field News Athlete of the Decade lists.  Two are former student-athletes and one is a former volunteer Assistant Coach.  And all 3 are Shot Putters!

• Number 4    Joe Kovacs
• Number 6    Ryan Whiting   (Assistant Coach)
• Number 10  Darrell Hill

Penn State Track Alumni (Golfers) In The Top Ten USA Rankings 2019

It was a very good year for PSU, with some very good rankings in the 2019 year-end review by Track and Field News (The Bible of the Sport).

1.   Javelin        Michael Shuey

2.   SP                Joe Kovacs

3.   SP                Darrell Hill

5.   800 M          Isaiah Harris

6.   800 M          Brannon Kidder

7.   HT              Morgan Shigo

7.   400 H          (Byron Robinson, transfer)

8.   SP               Rachel Fatherly

9.   1500 M       Brannon Kidder

Top Performances by Events 2019:

1.   Shot Put                Joe Kovacs                    22.91 M    75' 2"
1.   Javelin                  Michael Shuey              83.21 M    273' 0"
3.   Shot Put                Darrell Hill                    22.35 M    73' 4"
3.   SMR Women        PSU                               3:45.25
4.   4 X 800 M Men     PSU                               7:19.50
7.   Shot Put                Rachel Fatherly             18.48 M     60' 7.75"
8.   Hammer               Morgan Shigo               72.64 M    238' 4"
12. Mile                      Danae Rivers                 4:29.47
20. Long Jump           Malik Moffett               7.92 M      26' 0"
20. 400 M                  (Alexis Holmes, transfer)  51.52

Inconceivable!

If I would tell you that the Shot Put Finals ended at the World Championships with the top 3 throwers within less than an inch AND all three threw further than anyone since 1990 (90s throws = tainted? cough, cough) you would probably say something like  "Inconceivable!"

And if I then said that a Nittany Lion came out on top of all three, you may say "Inconceivable" again.  There was another Nittany Lion just out of the medals in 5th too.

Inconceivable!

and yet it just happened...

Joe Kovacs, 22.91M ON HIS FINAL THROW

Ryan Crouser, 22.90M

Tomas Walsh, 22.90M

1	1908	Joe Kovacs	USA	22.91	CR	20.90	21.63	21.24	21.95	21.94	22.91
2	1879	Ryan Crouser	USA	22.90	PB	22.36	X	22.36	22.71	X	22.90
3	1504	Tomas Walsh	NZL	22.90	AR	22.90	X	X	X	X	X
4	334	Darlan Romani	BRA	22.53		21.61	22.53	22.03	22.13	X	X
5	1893	Darrell Hill	USA	21.65		20.58	21.38	21.65	X	21.23	X

Over 75 feet  (just short of 75' 2")

It's Mid-Season For XC, And There Still Is Track!!!

The early cross country season is over.  The tune-up meets and time trials are long gone.  We move on to the meat of the season getting ready for the championship season.

And yet there is still one more Track Meet to go.  The biggest in the world for 2019.   Schedule HERE

And the Nittany Lions have 4 Men representing us in Doha, Qatar starting on Friday:

• Joe Kovacs                Shot Put     Starting Thursday, October 3
• Darrell Hill                Shot Put                       "
• Brannon Kidder        800M        Starting  Saturday, September 28
• Michael Shuey           Javelin      Starting  Saturday, October 5

XC Season/Track Season, Duck Season/Rabbit Season:

 

Another Intern Has Been Sacked: The Updated Penn State Track and Field Alumni Outdoor Records For Each Event Rated By The IAAF Scoring Tables

Yeah, it was an honest mistake.  The IAAF Scoring Tables are confusing and the Intern forgot that there were both Male and Female Charts.  So when he looked up the 10000M record of James Carney, he somehow used the Female table, giving him many more points.  The time still ranks 4th in the updated standings.  Not too shabby.

The Intern involved has been sacked according to tradition.  But don't fear, he easily found a paid-for gig with the current Administration in Washington.  I think he's in charge of entitlements or something.  No harm, no foul.

That means my suspicion all along was correct.  The shot put mark of Joe Kovacs back in 2017 is the top mark.  At the time, it was the longest throw in many years.  And has been topped only once since then.  We'll see what he can do at the World Championships.  And Darrell Hill's recent throw to win The Match against Europe is only a little behind!  Michael Shuey also moved up with his recnt javelin toss at The Match.




1.  Joe Kovacs            2017 2019       Shot Put       74' 0.25" 75' 2"(22.91M)   1275 1335
2.  Knut Hjeltnes       1985                Discus          228' 5"  (69.62M)      1238
3.  Casimir Loxsom   2015                800M            1:44.92                     1176
4.  James Carney         2007              10000M         27:34.62                   1172
5.  Brannon Kidder    2019                1500M          3:35.27                     1171
6.  Barney Ewell        1948                100M            10.1 (ht)                   1170
7.  Mike Shine           1976                400M IH      49.30                         1159
7.  George Malley     1978                 3000M SC   8:21.72                      1159
8.  Lennart Hedmark  1973                Decathlon     8,188 pts.                 1155
9.  Casimir Loxsom  2013                600M            1:14.84                    1154
10. Mike Shuey         2019                 Javelin          273' 0"  (83.21M)    1147
11.  Mike Sands         1975                200M             20.5                         1141
12.  George Adu        1999                 Long Jump    25' 10.75" (7.89M) 1114
13.  Larry Mangan     1983                Mile               3:56.90                    1113
13.  Alan Scharsu       1985                3000M           7:50.40                    1113
14.  Mike Sands         1976                 400M             46.01                       1111
15.  Mike Shine          1979                110M HH       13.80                      1103
16.  James Carney      2008                5000M           13:31.61                  1097
17.  Casimir Loxsom  2014                1000M           2:19.16                   1092
18.  Ricardo Hall        1995                Triple Jump    53' 7.75" (16.22M) 1082
19.  Dave Kriz            1996                High Jump      7' 0.75" (2.15M)    1046
20.  Dave Masgay       1987                Pole Vault      16' 8.75"                 1021
21.  Alvin Jackson      1979                Hammer         211' 11" (64.60M)   957    

If A National Champion Wants An Alumni Singlet, So Should You

Darrell Hill already has an Alumni Singlet and he is on the US team travelling to Qatar for the World Championships.  And now, National Champion Michael Shuey has invested in one.   You read that right!  Michael won the National Championship in the Javelin with his best ever toss of 82.85 meters (271' 10").  With that toss, Michael missed the World Championship Standard by 0.15M.  He still can make the US World team with a toss over the standard until early September or remaining in the top 32 ranking in the IAAF (Or whatever it is now...). 

Join the nearly 300 Alumni spreading the word of the greatest Track and Field Program in America by purchasing a Singlet or T-shirt like Darrell and Micheal.

Buy A Shirt Here!

Alumni Performances Of Note

The NCAA track season may be over, but the professionals soldier on.  And the two greatest strengths of the recent  Program history are still at it.   PSU is 800U and PSU is Shot Put U...

In Rome, Joe Kovacs and Darrell Hill heaved the metal ball over 21 meters each.  Darrell placed 2nd at the Diamond League Event in 21.71 (71 feet 2.72 inches), while Joe was 4th with 21.46 (70 feet 4.88 inches).

And on the Left Coast at the Portland Track Classic, Brannon Kidder bettered the USATF 800M standard with a 3rd place 1:46.51 time.

2018 Performance of the Year

Wow, it was a glorious year for Penn State Track and Field and all in our Alumni group.  To think that Darrell Hill's USATF Championship in the Shot Put garnered only third place with 13% of the vote this year is sorta kinda unbelievable.  The Big Guys have won the last several years, so I'm sure they won't be too upset.

And to think that an NCAA Championship in the Weight Throw came in second with 26% of the vote is equally astounding.  David Lucas stunned everyone except observant members of our group with his Herculean heave.

But the winner in a runaway was Isaiah Harris's long awaited NCAA Championship in the 800M with 49% of the vote.

PSU IS 800U! 

A Fascinating End To The Track Season Only A Day Before The Beginning Of The Cross Country Season

It was a long season for Darrell Hill.  He began his campaign right in the heart of Happy Valley in the Penn State National while wearing his new Alumni Singlet!  And he kept it going all the way through the Diamond League Final in Zurich.

It was his best and most consistent season, with his first National Title to his credit.  At the Diamond League Finals, he defended his title, coming up just a bit short in second place, but with a truly remarkable series of throws all over 22 meters.  Each of his throws were better than his previous season's best.  He ended with a 22.40 meter heave (73' 6" for Muricans!), which was barely under his all-time best.  Congrats, Darrell.  It's still fun watching all your exploits.

Darrell Hill and the Shot Put Crew in Zurich.

The very next day, the Nittany Lions teams took to the great course at Division II Lock Haven for the Dolan Duels.  The meet is named after Coach Jim Dolan, who helped recruit and coach our very own Greg Fredericks just a few years ago!

Both teams scored perfect wins in the effort:

1 Abert, Colin Penn State 17:41.13 1

2 Wing, Owen Penn State 18:10.13 2

3 Tomasko, Alex Penn State 18:12.87 3

4 McGowan, John Penn State 18:26.29 4

5 Bobbitt, Brady Penn State 18:32.21 5

6 Hontz, Brandon Penn State 18:43.56 6

7 McDevitt, Billy Penn State 18:50.61 7

Photo by Greg Fredericks.

1 936 Paternain-Muniz, J Penn State 13:54.42 1

2 937 Rivers, Danae Penn State 13:58.63 1

3 940 Willingmyre, Aliso Penn State 14:08.76 1

4 935 O'Shea, Moria Penn State 14:15.02 1

5 933 Munks, Kathryn Penn State 14:21.50 1

6 939 Williams, Jordan Penn State 14:26.08 1

7 938 Trucilla, Grace Penn State 14:32.07 1

Photo by Greg Fredericks.

A "Sneaky" Big Man Continues His Track Season!

It has been noted in Track and Field News that B1GHomie, Darrell Hill, has been sneaking up on Shot Put fields all over the world for quite a while now.  He has generated quite a bit of a resume as someone you better look out for whenever he shows up.

He just did it again in a warm-up to the Diamond League Finals, an event he "snuck up" on to win last year!  This time he prevailed in Warsaw, Poland in the Meeting of the Stars with a toss of 21.50 meters, or 70 ' 6.5" to you and I.

Diamond League Shot Put Qualifiers:

USA

CROUSER, Ryan

22.53

22.65

POL

HARATYK, Michał

22.08

22.08

USA

HILL, Darrell

21.72

22.44

BRA

ROMANI, Darlan

21.95

21.95

CZE

STANĚK, Tomáš

21.52

22.01

GER

STORL, David

21.62

22.20

NZL

WALSH, Tomas

22.67

22.67

USA

WHITING, Ryan

20.99

22.28