UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s track and field team earned its highest NCAA Outdoor Championship finish since 1966 last weekend to become the Nittany Lions’ ninth team to finish in the top 10 during 2014-15.
First-year head coach John Gondak directed Penn State to a tie for 10th place with Illinois, earning the highest finishes by a Big Ten team at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The performance by the men’s track and field team boosted Penn State to its ninth Top 10 finish at an NCAA Championship event in 2014-15:
-- Fall: Women’s volleyball (NCAA Champions), field hockey (Elite 8), women’s soccer (Elite 8).
-- Winter: Fencing (second), men’s gymnastics (third), wrestling (sixth)
-- Spring: Women’s lacrosse (Elite 8), men’s outdoor track and field (10th, tie), men’s volleyball (semifinals).
Twenty Penn State teams competed in their respective NCAA Championships in 2014-15, in addition to the football team winning the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. A total of 30 teams participated in post-season competition this year.
Penn State was ranked No. 3 in the first spring update in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.
In addition to its success on the national stage, Penn State earned Big Ten titles in men’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse and women’s soccer in 2014-15. The Nittany Lions have won 74 national championships and 92 Big Ten titles all-time, including five NCAA titles and 19 Big Ten crowns since September 2012. Penn State student-athletes have an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 89 percent.
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