AUSTIN, Texas – 13 members of the Penn State track & field team are set to compete at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by the University of Texas, from Wednesday, June 7 to Saturday, June 10.
QUALIFIERS
Men: Austin Gallant (4×400), Savion Hebron (4×400), Callum Dodds (4×400), James Onwuka (4×400), Olivier Desmeules (800), Handal Roban (800), Evan Dorenkamp (1500), Luke Knipe (Pole Vault), Tyler Merkley (Hammer Throw)
Women: Rachel Gearing (800), Hayley Kitching (800), Faith DeMars (5000), Mallory Kauffman (Shot Put)
The men’s qualifying group will begin competition on Wednesday, June 7 on collegiate track & field’s biggest stage. On Thursday, June 8, the women’s squad is set to go.
FAMILIAR FACES
The 13 combined qualifiers that Penn State is sending to this season’s championship meet is its largest combined contingent since it sent 21 in 2017. For the men, five of the nine members have competed at the Outdoor National Championships before, with two out of the four women also repeat qualifiers.
Last season, Tyler Merkley Finished as the national runner-up in the hammer throw, earning All-American recognition for his efforts. Additionally, true freshman Handal Roban achieved All-American status for the Nittany Lion men during this year’s indoor season, finishing as the NCAA bronze medalist in the 800-meter run.
James Onwuka, Savion Hebron, and Olivier Desmeules return to the National Championships this season following last year’s qualification in the 4×400 relay. Onwuka and Hebron will go in the 4×400 again, while Desmeules has qualified in the 800 this year. Evan Dorenkamp rounds out the Nittany Lion returners to the outdoor championships, although the Nittany Lion middle distance star is competing in the 1500 meters at the championships for the first time in his career following his qualification in the 800 during the 2021 season.
For the women, Mallory Kauffman in the shot put and Rachel Gearing in the 800 are both set to make repeat appearances at the National Championships following their qualification last year.
NATIONAL NEWCOMERS
Luke Knipe travels to Austin for the National Championships as the first male pole vaulter in school history to qualify for the NCAA finals. The State College native, and pole vault program record holder, makes his first trip to the…
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