Merkley’s School Record Highlights Day One of Penn Relays

PHILADELPHIA – The Penn State track & field team competed in day one of the 127^th Penn Relays on Thursday, finishing with a school record, multiple personal bests, and a handful of top-ten Big Ten marks.
 
Graduate student Tyler Merkley broke his own school record in the men’s hammer throw, recording a 241-6 (73.61m) heave to claim second place in the College Men’s Hammer Throw Championship. The throw also moves him into the top five in the nation this season.
 
On the track, Makenna Krebs and Josh Lewis posted PRs in their respective steeplechase events, with Krebs increasing her claim to the No. 7 steeplechase mark in school history. Both athletes’ times rank inside the top ten in the Big Ten this season.
 
EVENT SUMMARY
 
Penn State began the 2023 running of the Penn Relays with hammer throw competition. Jean Starr led things off for the Nittany Lions, tying her personal-best mark with a 187-8 (57.20m), the seventh-farthest throw in school history. In addition to Merkley’s school record and second-place finish, Collin Burkhart came in 10^th with a 205-8 (62.70m).
 
The Nittany Lions began action on the track with the men’s and women’s 1500m collegiate championships races. Kileigh Kane took sixth overall in the women’s race, running a 4:18.59. Drew Maher (3:45.45) and Jonah Powell (3:45.95) finished 13^th and 14^th on the men’s side.
 
Penn State athletes turned in personal-best marks in both the men’s and women’s steeplechase championship events. Makenna Krebs ran a 10:15.59 to finish with the seventh-best mark in Penn State history, earning eighth place in the meet. Senior Josh Lewis posted the first sub-9:00 steeplechase of his career, running an 8:54.27 PR, coming in seventh place.
 
Under the lights, Hayden Healey set his personal record in the men’s 5,000-meters by six seconds, running a 14:20.65. Penn State closed out the night with competition in both the men’s and women’s 10,000-meter run events.
 
UP NEXT
 
Penn State will return to action tomorrow for day two of the Penn Relays. The Nittany Lions’ Friday schedule will begin at noon.
 
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