University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Penn State National Open
Olujide-Ajibade Sets School Record, Panthers Win Four Events at PSU National Open
1/27/2024 5:33:00 PM | Track & Field
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – The University of Pittsburgh track and field team had a successful outing at the Penn State National Open, highlighted by four event victories and a new program record in the weight throw.
Foluke Olujide-Ajibade surpassed the previous school record of 21.12m in the women's weight throw with her mark of 21.35m. The historic throw came on her final attempt of the evening. The previous record was held by Amanda Walker and had stood since 2005.
In the first multi-event of the season, Lydia Bottelier captured the pentathlon crown with a personal best of 4150 points. Bottelier won the high jump, leaping 1.77m and the long jump with a mark of 5.84m. The Erwinna, Pa. native came in second in the 800m with a time of 2:17.46 and third in the 60m hurdles, crossing the line in 8.84 seconds. She capped off competition by taking fifth place in the shot put with an 11.17m mark. Bottelier is currently tied for second in the NCAA in the pentathlon.
In his season debut, graduate student Clement Campbell took third place in the long jump, recording a 7.30m mark.
With a time of 4:03.60 in the mile, Finn Walsh rocketed into third in program history in the event. Walsh stands behind Sam Bair's 4:00.14 time set in 2006 and Evan Addison's 4:03.46 pace set more recently, in 2021.
Hurdlers Folake Olujide-Ajibade and Jazmyn Potts advanced out of the first and semi-final rounds to find themselves in the 60m hurdles final. In the final, they finished in fifth and sixth, with times of 8.57 and 8.78, respectively.
Two men's hurdlers, Ardonntrell Williams and Raymond Oriakhi, also advanced to the 60m hurdles final. Williams notched the fifth best time in Pitt history, running a 7.82 speed, for second place at the meet. Oriakhi finished in seventh place with a new personal best of 8.13.
Pitt earned the second victory of the day in the men's 60m dash as Stephon Brown sped through the line in 6.67 seconds. The third event victory came by way of Peyton Geehrer in the men's 5000m. Geehrer recorded a time of 14:36.13 to bring day one of the meet to a close.
Sophomore Devin Nugent opened up the second day of action with a third-place finish and 48.21 time in the men's 400m. Senior Sam Otis kept the podium finishes going with another third-place finish, this time in the men's 3000m. Otis registered a new personal record, 8:16.22.
Eva Baldursdottir bounded 1.76m in the high jump, her highest jump of the season, earning second place in the process. Norrah Lemongo established a new personal best of 15.07m in the shot put. The freshman has recorded a new personal best in every meet of her young career.
In the men's distance medley relay, the quartet of Jack Miller, Darren McQueen Jr., Luke Simpson, and Finn Walsh teamed up to run 9:42.36 in a race that saw the team go from seventh place to second place once Walsh took the reins for the final leg of the medley. The effort currently sits as the second-best time in the NCAA and is the fifth best time in program history.
The Panthers' success continued in the 400m race with Success Duruzor on the women's side and Malik Ricketts on the men's side. Duruzor crossed the line in 54.64 while Ricketts ran for 47.71. Both were rewarded with third place.
Winnie Incorvaia ran for the fourth best program time in the women's 3000m. Incorvaia bested her previous personal record, set two weeks prior at the Nittany Lion Challenge, held on the same track. This time out Incorvaia finished in 9:36.96, which is nearly a seven second improvement from her previous best.
Luke Henseler, Quintin Gatons and Luke Miller finished in the top 15 of the men's 3000m. Henseler finished two seconds shy of his best, in 8:08.05. Gatons moved into sixth all-time with an 8:08.16 pace. Miller was just off of his best, completing the race in 8:12.85.
The meet came to a close with two 4x400m relays. In the women's heat, the foursome of Success Duruzor, Logan Neely, Caleia Johnson and Somiyah Braggs collected second place with a 3:43.79 effort. The men's team of Devin Nugent, Malik Ricketts, Raymond Oriakhi and Stephon Brown came from behind to capture the win in an exciting finish. Brown made up significant time as he ran a team best 47.41 in the last leg of the race and 3:13.34 as a group.
