Penn State Is 800U - Penn Relays 2022 Edition

 

Penn State showed up in fine shape for the return of the Penn Relays 4 x 800M Championships of America.  The Women showed everyone what they can do at the big meets by winning the race in splendid fashion.  Ohio State put up a good fight, but the deep Lady Lions prevailed in 8:24.49.  I am trying to verify the actual order of athletes, but Rachel Gearing, Allison Johnson, Victoria Tachinski and Victoria Vanrielle  Victoria Vanriele (2:08.37), Rachel Gearing (2:04.27), Madaline Ullom (2:06.92), and Victoria Tachinski (2:04.95)were listed.  This was PSU's second wheel of the meet! (with the Sprint Medley Relay on Friday, another fine performance for 800U)  Madeline Ullom is an Ohio hs star coached by teammate Tom Rapp!

Splits in reverse order were: 2:08.37 / 2:04.27 / 2:06.92 / 2:04.95

The Men followed that up with a second place finish to the overwhelming favorite Ole Miss. They were rumored to be eyeing the Penn Relays Record of 7:11.17 of the 1985 Penn State squad, but came up short.  Two members of that 85 squad were in the stands enjoying the Carnival; Steve Shisler and  Vance Watson.  PSU ran to a fine 7:17.86 time, a time that has won quite a few Championships in the past.  Listed as running were Olivier Desmeules, Darius Smallwood, Evan Dorenkamp, and Domenic Perretta. Yukichi Ishii, Olivier Desmeules, Darius Smallwood and Domenic Perretta

Splits in reverse order were:   1:48.85 / 1:49.98 / 1:48.67 / 1:50.37

PSU Is 800U: XX Chromosome Division*

*Labeling people as either Men or Women isn't easy anymore, and gets you in trouble with someone no matter how you try to do it.  As a Biology PSU grad, I tend to think in terms of 2 sexes.  As a skinny geek back in the day, I was extremely good at not being able to get the time of day from one of those sexes.  I only discovered the key to getting younger members of the one sex to talk to me in my late 30s while walking my Shih Tzu puppies on Campus from my Efficiency apartment on College Avenue.  Those were the days.  Puppies, nerds, puppies.

But if we can pretend to all agree that there are 2 divisions of athletes in the NCAA that compete against each other, things become a little clearer.  Let's call them Men and Women just so old-timers can be in on the discussions.

For a sizable time frame, the Men at PSU have been the prime drivers of the PSU is 800U phenomenon.  This entails not only the 1980s Penn Relays Record Holders, and the 2000s or so School Record holders, but NCAA champions going back to the 1920s.

It sure is fun seeing what's happening with the Womens 800M runners this year at dear ole State. This is quite literally one of the great outcomes from the 1970s adoption of the Title IX legislation.

Four Nittany Lions have been ranked among the best in the NCAA so far this year in the Indoor Track rankings.

2

Johnson, Allison

FR-1

Penn State

2:02.84

Music City Challenge

8

Tachinski, Victoria

SR-4

Penn State

2:03.83

Music City Challenge

14

Gearing, Rachel

SR-4

Penn State

2:04.22

Music City Challenge

27

Vanriele, Victoria

SO-2

Penn State

2:04.96

Music City Challenge

Looking forward to the Penn Relays!  Hope they bring out the old school singlets for this one!

Some Notes On The Early Indoor Season Happenings

 I haven't been able to get to any meets yet this year, but there are some interesting things happening already with the teams and alums.

• Women's 800M - Freshman Allison Johnson ranks #1 in the early season with her 2:04.03 and Senior Victoria Tachinski right behind her in 6th with 2:04.68
• Rachel Gearing and Victoria Vanriele add 21st and 23rd rankings in the 800M which makes for a very robust 4 x 800M relay squad.
• Allison Johnson backs up her 800M with an additional #1 ranking in the 1000M and a #17 in the Mile!
  
• The Men have 2 Freshman 800M runners with 1:49 times in their young seasons, Olivier Desmeules and Darius Smallwood.
• Evan Dorenkamp won a highly contested 1 Mile with the nation's #14 time with a Nittany Lion #3 all-time of 3:57.15. He also has the nation's #2 time in the 1000M!
• Freshman Korbin Martino blistered a 46.57 400M for an 11th NCAA best.
• Alum Colin Abert ran a 7 second PR in the 3000M, dipping under 8:00 for the first time.
  

It Was A Banner Weekend For 800U

 

Wow.  There was finally a lot going on.  There was a School Record in the Pole Vault and a second place finish at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.  Luke Knipe scaled the heights to 17' 4.5"!!!  Sincere Rhea leaned better than all the rest to snag the 60HH Championship.  Whoa.

There were a few other finishes for the scaled-down teams sent to Geneva, Ohio.  But mostly, the 800U dominance continued for the Men and Women.

• Dom Perretta overcame injuries, Covid, surgeries and his recent 300-game bowling incident to return to the top of the Podium in the 800M .  He did it in a fashion favored by Yevgeni Arzhanov in the 1972 Olympic Finals.  Only this time Yevgeni holds on!  I have been thinking that this would happen each of the last 100 times I have watched that race, but here it is many years later with one of our own striking gold.  (12 of the last 14, and 5 in-a-row B1G)
  
• The dual Victorias medaled in the Womens 800M.  Not to be outdone by Dom, Victoria Vanriele channeled Dave Wottle instead and caught everyone at the tape.  Victoria Tachinski held on for 3rd.(5 in-a-row B1G titles)
  

 

 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1365704786625105926

Still, the Alumni provided even more 800U goodness.

• Instead of racing, Danae Rivers danced for the duration in the Dance Marathon to benefit the Four Diamonds Fund.
• Isaiah Harris bounced back from his disappointing opening season race to win the 800 in Autin, Texas  with a 1:46 and change.  He says he is confident on 1:43 when the time comes at the Olympic Trials...

Tim McGowan, Billy Cvecko and Isaiah Harris in Texas.

 

Two Meets In A Row! (But The Next One Postponed...)

 

The February 6 meet at the new facility in Michigan has been postponed indefinitely due to the Pandemic. But for the second week in a row, Maryland, Ohio State and Rutgers joined the fun at the Horace Ashenfelter III complex.   

Results

Highlights included Breanna Gambrell winning both horizontal jumps including an effort of 20 feet 8 inches in the long jump (#8 in NCAA, #1 B1G).

And 800U reappeared with Victoria Tachinski (2:06.71) and Victoria Vanriele (2:08.45) placing 1,2 in the 800 M and setting PRs in the process. Tachinski's time currently ranks No. 6 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the Big Ten. Vanriele is close behind, ranking No. 13 in the NCAA and No. 3 in the Big Ten. 

For the Men's 800U contingent, Will Ashenfelter ran a PR 1:51.00 800M and Dom Perretta won the Mile in 4:11.61.