Maryland at Nittany Lion Challenge
January 18, 2025
State College, PA
10:00 AM
COLLEGE PARK, MD – This weekend, the Terps track and field squad resumes competition for the 2024-25 indoor season at the Nittany Lion Challenge in State College on Saturday, January 18. The event is scheduled to commence at 10 AM at the Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. Maryland is set to face teams from across the region, which include Army, Bucknell, Georgetown, Loyola, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Robert Morris, Saint Francis, Syracuse, and UMBC.
An overview of the schedule
- This competition marks the second event of a three-month indoor season, leading up to the Big Ten Championships in Indianapolis, IN on February 28 and the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, VA on March 14-15.
- The Terps will participate in some of the most challenging events on the collegiate indoor track and field calendar, encompassing the Penn State National Open, the Clemson Tiger Paw Invite, and the Valentine Invitational in Boston, MA.
The Terps aim to compete in eight events this season to prepare for the Big Ten and NCAA Championships.
Navy Invitational Summary
- Armanie Coleman established a new program benchmark for the 200 meters with a time of 23.69
- Chioma Njoku secured first place in the weight throw with a distance of 20.66
- Samantha Payne triumphed in the 500 meters clocking in at 1:13.57, the fourth swiftest in Terps history.
- Simone Cooper claimed victory in the shot put during her inaugural collegiate competition with a throw of 13.3 meters.
- Katerina Talanova (2:56.45) took first in the 1,000 meters, while Kami Joi Hickson (2:58.07) earned second place.
- Reese Delp finished second in the 800 meters with a time of 2:16.03
- Emmi Simon secured second place in the 3,000 meters clocking in at 9:59.10
- Isabella Castillo achieved third place in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.91
- Nyla Cherry recorded a new personal-best jump of 5.67 meters in the long jump, earning third place.
Previous Participation at the Nittany Lion Challenge
- Eric Albright placed fifth in the mile with a record of 4:09.56
- Andrew Harmon achieved fourth position in the weight throw with a distance of 57-03.50
- In the 60 meters, Victoria Teasley captured second place clocking in at 7.54
- During the 400 meters, three Terps secured spots in the top 10: Madison Depry in third (57.19), Maya Mosley in fifth (57.30), and Lydia Robling in sixth (57.74)
- Kami Joi Hickson finished fifth in the 600 meters with a time of 1:33.68, marking the sixth-fastest time in the Maryland Indoor Record archives.
- The Terps ranked fifth in high jump, with Jennessa Wolfe clearing a height of 5-feet, 6.25 inches.
- Tolu Akinduro secured second place in the triple jump with a distance of 40-feet, 2.25 inches.
Current Terps in the Indoor Record Archives
- 14 Terps are featured among the program’s all-time top 10 on the women’s indoor team.
- Victoria Teasley holds the program record for the 60-meter dash (7.45 seconds), while Armanie Coleman is noted for having the ninth-fastest time (7.58 seconds).
- Coleman achieved a new program record in the 200 meters (23.69 seconds) this past December during the Navy Invitational.
- Lydia Robling and Madison Depry are ranked sixth (39.77 sec) and eighth (39.96 sec) in the 300 meters, respectively.
- Robling also places ninth all-time in the 400 meters (55.45 sec).
- Samantha Payne ranks fourth all-time in the 500 meters (1:13.57) – a record she established in December at the Navy Invitational.
- Kami Joi Hickson holds the sixth-fastest time in the 600 meters (1:33.68), the fourth-best performance in the 800 meters (2:09.51), and the eighth-fastest mark in the 1,000 meters (2:52.56).
- Katie Turk is just trailing behind.
- Hickson sits in ninth on the 1,000-meter ledger (2:52.60).
- Katie Altieri holds the fifth position all-time in the 3,000 meters (9:38.42) and third in the 5,000 meters (16:45.03).
- The team of Turk, Maya Mosley, Emma Pegg, and Emmi Simon are jointly ranked 10th all-time in the distance medley relay (11:45.76).
- Jennessa Wolfe occupies the 10th spot in the high jump (5′ 8.75″).
- Tolu Akinduro is positioned fourth in the triple jump (41′ 11.75″).
- Chioma Njoku is second in the weight throw (69′ 9.00″).
Olympians in Paris
- A trio of Terps participated in the 2024 Olympic Games held in Paris this past summer. Maryland rejoiced as Thea LaFond secured Gold in the triple jump, marking the first time a Track Terp has medaled in the Olympic competitions. LaFond achieved a distance of 15.02 meters (49-feet, 3.5 inches) – setting a new national record for Dominica in the event. She was the 10th Gold medalist in the history of Maryland athletics and the first Terp student-athlete to win Gold since Vicky Bullett in 1988.
- With a throw measuring 77.92 meters, Maryland track and field assistant throws coach Rudy Winkler secured sixth place in the hammer throw finals. This distance marked his best performance at the Olympic games following previous attempts of 71.89 meters in 2016 (Rio) and 77.08 meters in 2021 (Tokyo). The sixth-place result was also his highest at the Olympics, surpassing his prior best of seventh in Tokyo.
- In the discus, Chioma Onyekwere represented Nigeria, marking her second appearance in the Olympic Games.
- Furthermore, assistant coach Danielle Siebert took on the role of Women’s Head Manager for Team USA – her second consecutive Olympic Games in that position.
Four Terps represented Maryland Track & Field at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.