Pitt track and field finds success late in season

Despite the academic year coming to a close, the men and women of Pitt track and field have been busy. The Panthers have been traveling around the country, competing, winning and breaking records along the way.

ACC Championships 

From May 9-11 the Panthers competed at the ACC Outdoor Championships in Atlanta, finding much success along the way.

In the men’s 4×100 relay, sophomore Darren McQueen Jr., junior Nigel Hussey, junior Stephon Brown and graduate student Clement Campbell reinforced their legendary status in Pitt history as the only relay to record a sub-40 second time. The quartet earned a silver medal while breaking the school record they set at the ACC Championships last year by .06 seconds with a time of 39.67. 

For the women’s team, sophomore Niya Crawford marked a personal-best distance of 51.83 meters in the women’s hammer throw, which allowed her to move up to ninth in the record book at Pitt. 

On Friday, the heptathlon continued with senior Ilse Steigenga proving victorious in the long jump with a jump of 6.11 meters. Steigenga finished fourth in the javelin throw with a throw of 32.36 meters and second in the 800-meter race. Steigenga’s 5,637 point performance crowned her as the first Panther to win an event at the outdoor ACC Championships. Graduate student Lydia Bottelier took home the bronze in the event as well, earning the women’s team 16 of their 37 points. 

Steigenga continued her dominance with a silver medal finish in the women’s long jump with a 6.29 meter jump. Steigenga became the first Panther in women’s team history to finish on the podium in more than one individual event. 

WVU Last Chance

Multiple Panthers competed at the WVU Last Chance meet on Saturday, May 4. 

Sophomore Jana Bruses took home her first gold medal of her college career in the women’s 100-meter hurdle with a personal best time of 14.19. Bruses’ time also set the facility record at Mylan Park.

Junior Peyton Geehrer made his steeplechase debut at the WVU Last Chance meet. Geehrer didn’t let his inexperience show at the event, finishing with a silver medal in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:05.00. 

Penn Relays

On April 25-27, Pitt raced in the Penn Relays where it would stuff the record book with new additions.

Sophomore Devin Nugent appreciated a hometown atmosphere as the Abington, Pennsylvania, native took home first place in the men’s 400-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 50.84. The time was good enough to finish 27th best in the country and fourth best in program history. 

In the women’s 4×400 relay, junior Caleia Johnson, junior Logan Neely, sophomore Success Duruzor and Bottelier finished the event with a time of 3:38.11, placing themselves at 10th best in Pitt’s history. 

Benson Hodge Memorial Invitational

On April 19, many Pitt athletes took home top finishes at the Benson Hodge Memorial Invitational in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. 

For the men’s team, Maher took home the gold in the men’s 5000-meter race, recording his first sub-15 minute time in his career with a mark of 14:55.98. 

The most impressive showing for the Panthers was in the women’s 1500-meter race, with five placements inside the top 10. Cagliola took home a silver medal with a time of 4:39.62. First-year Christina Elliott was right behind her, taking home bronze with a time of 4:42.50. Junior Sarah Hurst placed fourth with a mark of 4:45.84 and sophomore Anna Cohen crossed the line at 4:46.53 for fifth place. Sophomore Alex Fleck finished 10th, stopping the clock at 4:53.88.  

Wake Forest Invitational

A group of Panthers traveled to the Wake Forest Invitational on April 19 as well, which had Pitt’s record-keepers scrambling with multiple placements inside the top 10 of the program. 

Walsh, the holder of the second-best time in Pitt’s history for the men’s 1500-meter at 3:42.56, finished just shy of breaking that record with a time of 3:42.92.

Miller, the previous holder of the fourth-best placement in program history in the men’s 5000-meter, finished just short of a school record with a time of 13:53.80, which earned him 19th overall in the meet.

For the women’s team, junior Winnie Incorvaia finished with a time of 16:19.16, and senior Sadie Carey-Tharp with a mark of 16:32.81. Incorvaia etched her name in the record book, jumping up to third in program history from fifth, and Carey-Tharp put herself at sixth. 

Virginia Challenge

At the Virginia Challenge on April 19 and 20, several Panthers brought a title back to Oakland in a variety of events.

In the women’s hammer throw, senior Foluke Olujide-Ajibade broke Andin Fosam’s 61.67-meter school record that has stood since 2017 with a distance of 62.68 meters. The mark was more than enough to earn her a gold medal in the event. 

Junior Caleia Johnson also took home gold in the women’s 400-meter race with a personal-best time of 54.29.

In the same event on the men’s side, three Panthers placed in the top 10. First-year Thomas McDonough placed first with a personal-best time of 47.64. 

Senior Ardonntrell Williams stood at the top of the podium for the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.95. His mark places him just inside the top 10 in program history. 

Steigenga earned a gold medal in the women’s long jump with a jump of 6.43 meters and Campbell earned a silver medal in the men’s long jump with a jump of 7.48 meters. 

Bison Outdoor Classic

Pitt track and field traveled to Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, to compete in the Bison Outdoor Classic from April 12-14.

Pitt’s distance athletes had an incredible meet with eight personal records broken at the Bison Outdoor Classic. 

Panthers dominated the men’s 1500-meter race with three placements in the top 10 for the event. Senior Jack Miller took home the silver medal in the 1500-meter race with a record time of 3:45.37. Miller’s mark makes him eighth all-time in Pitt’s top 10 for the event. Junior Finn Walsh finished right behind Miller and took home a bronze medal with a time of 3:46.17.

Senior Ethan Maher joined the personal-best club with a time of 15:04.78 in the men’s 5000-meter race.

The best finish for the women’s team came from junior Caroline Rusinski with her sixth place finish in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Rusinski recorded a time of 11:11.48. Sophomore Gianna Cagliola finished in 12th place with a time of 11:22.49.

Catch the Panthers at the NCAA East Regionals on May 22 and at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 5.