Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU track & field team returned to action for its 2021-22 indoor season Saturday by taking part in the Nittany Lion Challenge, hosted by Penn State, in University Park, Pa.
YES
Graduate student
Yessie Valencia took home top honors for the Colonials in the weight throw as RMU returned to indoor action Saturday, finishing fourth in the event thanks to a toss of 17.27 meters (56'8"). She trailed only Angel Nkwonta (21.02) and Alice Barnsdale (19.15) of Miami (Ohio) and Gianna Rao (18.92) of the host Nittany Lions. Finishing sixth in the same event was fellow grad student
Keturah Hunter, who unleashed a hurl of 17.15 meters (56'3.25").
OTHER FIELD HAPPENINGS
Elsewhere in the throws, graduate student
Estelle Katende and freshman
Maizee Fry each garnered top 10 performances in the shot put. Katende notched a distance of 12.75 meters (41'10") to finish eighth among collegiate entrants, while Fry finished one spot behind Katende at 12.66 meters (41'6.50"). In the jumps, junior
Lauren Chappell posted the top mark for the Colonials in the long jump thanks to a leap of 5.04 meters (16'6.50"), while freshman
Rayna Todero placed eighth in the triple jump with a distance of 11.15 meters (36'7").
RESULTS: Nittany Lion Challenge (1/15/22)
ON THE TRACK
Sophomore
Gracie Parker posted RMU's top time in the 60-meter hurdles at the Nittany Lion Challenge, clocking in at 9.34 seconds to finish 15th among collegiate entries. Chappell also competed in the event for the Colonials, crossing the finish line in 9.60 seconds, while rookie
Bethany Naughton recorded a time of 9.75 seconds.
RATED ROOKIES
In the 60-meter dash, a trio of freshmen competed for RMU, with
Maddie Raymond posting the top time for the Colonials at 8.01 seconds. Raymond battled with Judith Walker of Saint Joseph's in the event, with Walker finishing at 8.001 and Raymond crossing at 8.009. Elsewhere, freshman
Hannah McDanel notched a time of 8.08 seconds and rookie
Erissa George clocked in at 8.42. The veteran of the group to compete for RMU in the 60-meter dash was senior
Tara Gologram, who finished at 8.28 seconds. McDanel, meanwhile, posted RMU's top time in the 200-meter dash, finishing at 26.54 seconds to claim 14th. One spot behind her in the event was junior
Elicia Moore, who crossed the finish line in 26.63 seconds.
GO THE DISTANCE
Freshman
Grace Mason made her collegiate indoor debut Saturday at the Nittany Lion Challenge and finished with a time of 3:06.53 in the 1,000-meter, claiming 15th. She already ranks seventh in the indoor record book for the Colonials in the event, with her time just outside of the top 10. In the same event, freshman
Laura Croco recorded a time of 3:15.58.
UP NEXT
RMU continues its 2021-22 indoor campaign Saturday, Jan. 22, by competing in the Gulden Invitational in Lewisburg, Pa., on the campus of Bucknell University. The Colonials will conclude the month of January Friday, Jan. 28, and Saturday, Jan. 29, by returning to Youngstown State for the YSU National Mid-Major Invitational.
Follow The Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | RMU Athletics Gameday App
