ERIE, Pa. – Penn State Behrend senior Rachel Pell (Elizabeth, PA/Elizabeth Forward) and junior Haley Yenchik (Cecil, PA/Canon McMillan) are making their first-ever appearance at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships held Thursday May 24 through Saturday, May 26 at the Veteran's Memorial Field Sports Complex in La Crosse, Wisconsin hosted by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
This marks the first time in track & field history that two female student-athletes will represent Behrend at nationals. Pell qualified for the 400m hurdles and Yenchik will compete in the pole vault.
Pell is seeded 16th with her qualifying time of 1:01.95 recorded at the Ashland Alumni Open on April 28. That time also set a new Behrend school record.
Yenchik broke the school and Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) record in the pole vault with a height of 12'2.75 to punch her ticket to the NCAA Championships. She is seeded 19th in the event.