ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's and women's track and field teams will compete in their second Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship Meet this Saturday and Sunday, May 6-7, hosted by Keystone in La Plume, Pa.
The men and women were picked as preseason favorites to win the conference after they both won the crown last year in their first season in the league.
The men current hold 12 top finishes in the CSAC while the women hold 10 top finishes.
Mitchell Obenrader (Fryburg, PA/North Clarion) is at the forefront of the men's squad, holding the number one spot in the shot put, discus, and javelin throw. Obenrader currently holds the second-best shot put throw in the nation at 17.38 meters and is ninth in the nation in javelin (61.42 meters).
Matthew Grafton (Worthington, PA/Kittanning) also holds three top marks in the conference. The senior has the number one spot in the 100 and 400 meter dash with a times of 11.03 and 53.31 seconds, respectively. He also has the top time in the 110 hurdles with a season-best 14.98 seconds.
Luke Patten (West Middlesex, PA/West Middlesex) holds the eighth-best pole vault jump in the nation and top mark in the CSAC with a height of 4.93 meters.
The 4x100 relay has the fastest time in the CSAC this season at 42.67. Kurt Eberhardt (Gibsonia, PA/Hampton), Grant Rodgers (Oil City, PA/Oil City), Patten, and Grafton will team up in that event while the No. 2 seed 4x400 team will consist of Devin Ross (Shenango, PA/Shenango), Eberhardt, Patten, and Grafton.
On the women's side, Katelyn Hancock (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) and Rachel Pell (Elizabeth, PA/Elizabeth Forward) each own top marks in their respective fields. Hancock's 800 and 1500 meter times are both multiple seconds faster than the next closest athlete. Pell holds the top spot in both the 100 and 400 meter hurdles races, posting times of 16.06 and 1:04.11, respectively.
Paige Allen (Butler, PA/Butler) is the leader in the long jump with a distance of 4.87 meters while holding the second-best 100 and 200 meter dash times.
Haley Yenchik (Cecil, PA/Canon McMillan) vaulted to a personal-best 3.51 meters this past weekend to hold the number one spot in the pole vault.
Allen, Pell, and Yenchik will team up with Ashlyn Carlsson (Butler, PA/Knoch) in the 4x100, where they have the fastest relay with a time of 49.36.
Hancock will take part in the 4x400 relay along with Allen, Carlsson, and Pell. They sit behind Gwyndd-Mercy with a season-best finish of 4:02.98.
To stay up to date with all the weekend action, refer to the link below:
