Four Track & Field Athletes Set for NCAA Championships

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend track and field teams will have four student-athletes representing the Lions at the 2017 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships this Thursday through Saturday, May 25-27 at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

Senior Mitchell Obenrader (Fryburg, PA/North Clarion) will be making his fourth straight appearance at the championships. He took home the bronze in the shot put a year ago, while claiming the individual championship and silver in the javelin from his first two seasons. Entering the weekend, Obenrader is seeded third in the shot put with a school-record throw of 17.61m and is 13th in the javelin (61.42m).

Senior Paige Allen (Butler, PA/Butler) and senior Luke Patten (West Middlesex, PA/West Middlesex) are returning to the championships for the second year in a row. Allen qualified in the 100m and 200m, while Patten will compete in the pole vault. Allen is seeded seventh in the 200m with a school-record time of 24.39 and 13th in the 100m (12.00). Patten qualified with the seventh-best height in the nation in the pole vault at 5.01m.

Senior Matt Grafton (Worthington, PA/Kittanning) is a first-time participant at the NCAA Championships. He is seeded 11th in the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.95.

The schedule for the national championship participants:

Thursday, May 25
3:15 p.m. – Men's 400m hurdles prelims
3:30 p.m. – Women's 200m dash prelims
5 p.m. – Men's javelin

Friday, May 26
10:30 a.m. – Men's shot put
3:15 p.m. – Women's 100m dash prelims

Saturday, May 27
12 p.m. – Men's pole vault
1:30 p.m. – Women's 100m finals
2:25 p.m. – Men's 400m hurdles finals
2:40 p.m. – Women's 200m finals