Pitt
YSU Icebreaker
Panthers Claim 11 Event Wins in Season Opener
12/6/2024 11:13:00 PM | Track & Field
Youngstown, Ohio – The Pitt track and field teams got off to a hot start at the season opening YSU Icebreaker, claiming 11 event wins and setting one meet record on the day.
Sophomore Norrah Lemongo collected the first individual win of the 2024-25 season with a first-place finish in the women's elite weight throw. Lemongo threw for 18.63m and bested the second-place finisher by nearly 2.5 meters. Lemongo recorded a new personal record and inserted herself into the indoor top ten list at Pitt, with the sixth best throw in program history. Junior Niya Crawford took third in the same event, with a mark of 16.03m.
Junior Alesia Rengle won the women's high jump with her personal best mark of 1.75m. Rengle cleared 1.72m and 1.75m on her third and final attempts. Rengle attempted 1.80m, but was unsuccessful. Eva Baldursdottir took second place, as she cleared 1.72m, but was unable to clear 1.75m.
On the track, Endeyah Lane, Hayzes Robinson, Maya Maycock, Jana Bruses and Taylor Forbes advanced from the 60m qualifying round to the preliminary round, joining Logan Neely, Caleia Johnson, Faith Dennis, Je'Nyia Burton, Alma Evuna Eki, Sydney McCallum, and Ilse Steigenga, who had already qualified based off of previous times. Seven Panthers, Lane, Dennis, Burton, Evuna Eki, Johnson, McCallum, and Robinson advanced to the eight person final. In the final, Faith Dennis came out on top with a 7.57 personal record, followed by Endeyah Lane in 7.59, also a personal record, and Alma Evuna Eki in third at a clip of 7.67. Evuna Eki was just shy of her 7.66 personal record which came in the preliminary round.
On the men's side, Thomas McDonough and Jaden Shelton advanced from the preliminary round to the finals with new personal records under their belt. McDonough stopped the clock in 6.81, which is tied for the sixth best speed in program history. Shelton's time of 6.84 is ninth best all time. Malik Ricketts just missed out on qualifying, finishing ninth in the prelims with a personal best of 6.95. In the finals, Shelton would improve his pace to 6.80 to take second and jump ahead of McDonough to fifth in the Pitt record books. McDonough claimed the bronze in the finals with a time of 6.84.
Jana Bruses and Ilse Steigenga made it to the 60m hurdles final, with respective times of 8.60 and 9.03 in the prelims. Bruses would record a personal record 8.59 for third place in the final heat. Steigenga finished in fifth with a time of 8.95.
Two men qualified for the 60m hurdles final, Jaden Shelton and Mikhi Anderson. Shelton finished in 8.05 and Anderson in 8.06 in the prelims. In the final, Shelton recorded a 7.92 personal best and finished in second place. 7.92 is the ninth fastest time in program history. Anderson took seventh in 8.14.
Je'Nyia Burton won the women's 400m and recorded the eighth fastest 400m time in program history in her first meet as a Panther. Burton crossed the finish line in 54.39. Caleia Johnson followed in second place with a time of 54.76, the tenth fastest time recorded by a Pitt Panther.
In the men's 400m final, Malik Ricketts and Isaac Kane finished in second (47.66) and third (48.04) places, respectively.
Mackenzie Sullivan claimed her third consecutive YSU Icebreaker 800m win, crossing the line in 2:22.11.
Norrah Lemongo notched her second event win of the day, this time in the women's elite shot put. A personal best toss of 15.23m was the best throw in the competition by nearly 1.5m. Niya Crawford took third with a mark of 13.02m and Alexa Brown followed in fourth with her mark of 12.83m.
The Panthers continued their field successes as Uri Arnon won the men's triple jump with a personal best 14.71m leap.
Pitt continued to have success back on the track as well. Faith Dennis claimed her second victory of the day, this time winning the 200m with her time of 24.96. Logan Neely secured second place in 25.03. Thomas McDonough and Devin Nugent went 1-2 in the 200m as well. McDonough's time was 21.18 and Nugent had a personal best 21.61.
The meet concluded with the men's and women's 4x400m relays, in which both the Pitt men and women were victorious. The quartet of Caleia Johnson, Logan Neely, Faith Dennis and Je'Nyia Burton clocked in at 3:46.84. The men's squad of Thomas McDonough, Nigel Hussey, Devin Nugent and Malik Ricketts set a YSU Icebreaker meet record with their 3:11.31 effort.
Players Mentioned
