UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Four Nittany Lions qualified for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., after impressive performances in the field events on Thursday night to kick-off the action at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
Senior Brittney Howell (Wyncote, Pennsylvania) used a lifetime-best jump of 20-10.75 to qualify for the NCAA Championships. The jump was second overall at the NCAA East Preliminary Round and is also third-best all-time at Penn State. With the second-best throw of his career, junior Darrell Hill (Philadelphia, Pa.) moved on to the NCAA Championships in the shot put with a fifth-place toss of 65-9.75. Senior Melissa Kurzdorfer (Lancaster, New York) finished seventh in the hammer with a throw of 197-4 to make it to the NCAA Championships. Senior javelin thrower Laura Loht (McClure, Pennsylvania) qualified for Eugene with a fifth-place toss of 169-4.
It was all prelims on the track with numerous men and women moving onto Friday's races. Women's qualifiers include Evonne Britton (El Paso, Texas), Dynasty McGee (Flint, Michigan), Mahagony Jones (Cleveland, Ohio), Marta Klebe (Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania), and Kiah Seymour (Washington, D.C.). On the men's side, Wade Endress (Altoona, Pennsylvania), Brannon Kidder (Lancaster, Ohio), Za'Von Watkins (Liverpool, N.Y.) also qualified on to Friday's action.
Action at the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Fla., continues Friday.