Records are made to be broken and Penn State’s Xavier Smith is doing just that.
Sophomore Smith (Daniel Boone) posted a 6.70 time in the 60 meter dash at the season-opening Penn State Relays on Jan. 9 in University Park. His effort bettered the school record (6.76) set in 2003 and broke the meet record (6.74) set in 2014.
Smith returned to the Horace Ashenfelter III track on Jan. 16 and rewrote the record book with a 6.69 victory in the 60 at the Nittany Lion Challenge.
“I feel great,” Smith told the media after the race. “It’s always good when you run a PR (personal record).”
Smith’s 60 time currently ranks 14th in Division I and first in the Big Ten Conference. He’s also a member of the Nittany Lion’s 4×400 relay which stands first in both the NCAA and the Big 10 with a time of 3:09.01.
RYAN SWIMMING FREE >> Sophomore Gillian Ryan is having a standout season competing in distance freestyle events for the Michigan women’s swim team.
Ryan (Kutztown) captured the 1000 freestyle with a time of 9:51.95 to win the event by 10 seconds in the Georgia Tech Quad in Atlanta in victories over the hosts, Duke and 16th-ranked Indiana. She also captured the 500 free` with an NCAA B provisional time of 4:45.97.
Ryan also has the best time in the 1650 free (15:58.54) and is second in the 200 free (1:44.75) for the sixth-ranked Wolverines.
LEENHOuTS COMING ON >> Sophomore Matt Leenhouts (Fleetwood Area) is competing in a number of events with the Kenyon men’s swimming team – mainly the 200 and 400 IM and the 200 and 500 freestyle. He also swims with a number of relays.
“Matt has shown significant improvement all year long and is well poised to be at his best when it matters most – the NCAA Championships,” coach Jess Book said. “He continues to grow as an athlete and is becoming one of our go-to swimmers, both in individual events as well as relays.”
Kenyon is a two-time NCAA Division III champion and was runner-up in 2012-13, Book’s first season as head coach.
RENDA MOVES UP >> After earning a bid to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at 174 pounds as a freshman and sophomore, junior Peter Renda appears on his way to earning a spot in the Nationals at his new weight – 184 pounds – this season.
Renda (Brandywine Heights) helped the unbeaten (18-0) and third-ranked North Carolina State dispatch a pair of Atlantic Conference foes in recent action. He’s ranked 15th in the country and defeated No. 17-ranked Alex Utley 11-7 as the Wolfpack topped No. 14 North Carolina 28-8 last Sunday. Earlier, he pinned Tyler Askey in 2:09 in a 35-7 triumph over No. 17 Virginia.
BIG GAME FOR ALDRIDGE >> Senior Michael Aldridge is having a standout season with the Penn State-Berks men’s basketball team and the 6-foot-5, 220-pound center came up with one of his best efforts to date in a 99-86 victory over Penn College Wednesday night in Reading. Aldridge (Governor Mifflin) had 14 points and a career high 19 rebounds. Earlier this season he had 18 rebounds and 12 points in a 96-72 triumph over Penn College and had his best all-around game in an 83-78 victory over Bryn Athyn recently with 15 points, 17 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Aldridge is averaging 7.6 points and leads the team in rebounding (10.5) and blocked shots (26).
PRIJS OFF AND RUNNING >> Ursinus senior Kristen Prijs (Exeter Township) kicked off the indoor track season by finishing first in the 200 meter dash (27.41), second in the 400 meter dash (1:01.14) and posting a career best time of 8.40 to finish ninth in the 60 meter dash at the Bowtie Classic in Collegeville on Dec. 5. She kicked off the second half of the season by finishing 4th in the 200 (27.74) and ninth in the 400 (1:03.12) at the Bears’ Collegeville Classic on Jan. 22.
SOLID EFFORTS BY MUNDELL >> James Madison junior Tessa Mundell (Governor Mifflin) opened the indoor track season by finishing fifth out of 34 runners in the mile at the Father Diamond Invitational in Fairfax, VA. Jan. 9. Her time was 5:02.14.
Mundell followed that up by finishing fourth out of 57 runners in the 3,000 meter run at the Kentucky Invitational Jan. 16 in Lexington with a time of 10:01.27. She also anchored the distance medley relay which finished seventh with an ECAC qualifying time of 11:58.23.
DUO WITH RAIDERS >> Junior Kaytee Garcia and sophomore Sarah Strause are scoring points for the Shippensburg women’s swim team.
In a 108-97 loss to Edinboro to kick off the second half, Garcia (Daniel Boone) finished second in the 1000 freestyle (11:50.70) and Strause (Schuylkill Valley) was a member of the 200 medley relay which finished third (2:01.90).
In the Bomber Open at Ithaca, N.Y., both swimmers qualified for the PSAC Championships in the 200 breaststroke. Garcia finished 14th out of 39 with a time of 2:33.14 and Strause finished 23rd with a time of 2:36.87.
COMPORT FLOORS FOES >> Bridgeport junior Brianna Comport (Boyertown) finished in a four-way tie for third in the floor exercise at a season-opening five team women’s gymnastics meet in St. Charles, MO on Jan. 15. She posted a personal best score of 9.875. She also finished tied for 18th in the balance beam (9.500). Bridgeport finished third behind Oregon and host Lindewood with a solid 194.150 points.
Last Sunday, in a four-way meet hosted by Brown in Providence, RI, Comport finished second out of 24 competitors in the floor (9.800) and was tied for 13th in on the beam (9.225). She helped the Purple Knights finish second with a 190.850 score.
“We expect Brianna to lead the team to the National Championships in April,” coach Byron Knox said.
DOERRMAN’S IMPROVING >> Bryant senior Lauren Doerrman finished third in the 200 IM in a 146-116 women’s swimming setback to Massachusetts on Jan. 16 in Smithfield, RI. Her time was 2:16.70. Doerrman (Oley Valley) came back to win the 200 IM in a 219-95 loss to Boston University Saturday, Jan. 23 in Boston. Her time was 2:14.65, more than two seconds faster than she did a week earlier.
Dorerrmn also competes in the 100 IM, the 200 butterfly and the 1000 freestyle for the Bulldogs.
CISIK AT HER BEST >> Indiana freshman Taylor Cisik (Boyertown) posted personal records in both the 100 backstroke and the 100 freestyle at the Pittsburgh Invitational in December. She finished 14th in the 100 back, behind 12 Division I swimmers, with a time of 58.84. She finished 15th, behind 11 Division I swimmers, in the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.16. Both times bettered the PSAC qualifying standard as did her 50 free time of 25.54 in an early-season meet at Shippensburg.
“Taylor is a great racer and continues to work hard in and out of the water as we push toward the PSAC Championships,” coach Chris Villa said.
BOYER GOES THE DISTANCE >> La Salle junior Olivia Boyer finished sixth in the 5,000 meter run at the annual Gotham Cup Invitational at the Ocean Breeze Complex in Staten Island on Jan. 22. Her time was 18:18.50, a personal best.
Boyer (Oley Valley) kicked off the indoor season by finishing 27th out of 39 runners in the 3,000 meter run at the Great Dane Classic, also at Ocean Breeze. Her time was 10:54.67.
HEPNER TIES FOR FIRST >> Shippensburg sophomore Kali Hepner (Hamburg) posted a height of 10-11 3/4 to finish in a tie for first in the pole vault at the Guldon Invitational at Bucknell Jan.23, the Raiders first indoor track meet since Dec. 6. She tied Bucknell’s Chloe Brown for the top spot.
Hepner kicked off the indoor season by finishing tied for second at Bucknell’s Bison Opener. She hit a PSAC qualifying height of 11-3 3/4. That bettered her effort in last year’s PSAC Championship when she finished sixth at 11-2 1/4.
REDSHIRT FOR GIORGIO >> Freshman Josh Giorgio (Schuylkill Valley) is 6-6 in open competition for the Air Force wrestling team. Competing at 141 pounds, Giorgio earned a bye and captured two matches before he was beaten 3-1 in the fourth round of the Nebraska-Kearney Holiday Inn Open in Kearney, NB in November. He will be competing in open competition the remainder of the season.
FAST START FOR HILL >> Rhode Island sophomore Nigel Hill (Twin Valley) kicked off his indoor track season in fine style. He captured the 60 meter dash (6.94) and the 200 meter dash (22.02) at the Sorlein Open in Kingston, R.I. and followed that up by winning the 60 in an improved time of 6.89 at the Joe Donahue Games in Boston. He also finished fourth in the 400 meter dash (49.31).
Hill’s 60 and 200 times are better than those he had when he finished third in the 200 (22.07) and seventh in the 60 (7.20) at last year’s Atlantic-10 Conference Indoor Championships.