While the academic year may have recently drawn to a close, class is still in session for a few members of Penn track and field.
Over the weekend, the Quakers traveled to Jacksonville, Fla. to compete in the NCAA East Preliminary Round, ultimately qualifying five athletes for the upcoming NCAA Outdoor Championships. On the men’s side, senior distance specialist Dylan Throop earned a bid in the 10,000-meter race, sophomore sprint/hurdles specialists Ryan Matulonis and Alex Sadikov qualified in the 400-meter hurdles, and junior jumper Kampton Kam advanced in the high jump. For the women’s team, junior thrower Angeludi Asaah qualified in the discus throw.
The NCAA Championships will take place from June 11-14 in Eugene, Ore.
“I’m super proud of my team,” Kam told The Daily Pennsylvanian. “I think we’ve come a long way, it’s a long season. It’s great to be representing Penn at the national meet.”
Throop, who graduated from Penn in May and will attend Notre Dame for his graduate year of eligibility, was the first member of the Red and Blue to punch his ticket. Following a four-hour rain delay, Throop and the rest of the 10,000m field took the track at 1:30 a.m. under the lights at North Florida.
The weather proved no obstacle for Throop, who finished 10th in a time of 29:07.67 to advance to the national meet.
“I just executed probably the best 10k plan of my life,” Throop told Penn Athletics after the race. “Just stayed relaxed through the first 5k … and then just moved up … ended up beating people around me. It was tough. Could’ve gone even harder, so I’m really excited to see the next two weeks when I put it on the track.”
The sun certainly shone on the Quakers during the 400m hurdles. Both Matulonis and Sadikov finished in the top 12 to secure their spots in Eugene, with Matulonis finishing sixth in a time of 49.88 and Sadikov slotting in 11th at 50.21. The Red and Blue were one of two teams, along with North Carolina A&T, to qualify multiple athletes in the event.
Kam, who already has a Penn Relays high jump title under his belt, continued his excellence against the nation’s best. After clearing his first attempts at 2.05 and 2.10m, Kam failed his initial effort at 2.15m before passing it on his second attempt. Though he was ultimately unable to clear 2.18m, his 2.15m jump earned him a 12th-place finish and a bid to nationals.
Earlier this season, Kam recorded a personal-best 2.25m jump at the South Florida Invitational, a mark that remains one of the highest in the NCAA this season and would have placed second at last year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships. He said that precedent made for additional pressure at this year’s prelims, but also made him optimistic for his chances at nationals.
“I think this was a bit of a stressful meet for me because I was third in the NCAA,” Kam said. “I’m carrying some injuries, but hopefully we’ll be able to nurse it in time.”
“It’s going to be a clean slate again at nationals,” Kam added. “With the 2.25, I know that it’s possible to bring home the championship … I think I have a good shot if I remain healthy.”
Asaah was the lone member of the women’s track and field team to qualify as well as the only thrower from either team. The Honolulu, Hawaii native threw 56.32 on her first attempt of the day, a mark that was good for second at the end of the first round and ultimately earned her fifth place. Asaah’s placement also marked the highest finish by any Penn athlete at the meet.
"After not getting the results that I wanted at Ivy champs, I knew I needed to shift my mindset so I focused on mental preparation," Asaah said, referencing her fifth-place finish in the discus throw at the Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Championships. "I was able to make it a 'regular' meet in my head ... I was the most relaxed I have been during a competition in a while and putting out a qualifying mark on the first throw was the best thing that could've happened."
Near-qualifiers for Penn included junior Fore Abinusawa, who finished 14th in the women’s 100m race, as well as the men’s 4x400 relay team consisting of Matulonis, junior Alec Jackson, sophomore Nayyir Newash-Campbell, and freshman Benjamin Markham, which finished 19th.
The NCAA Championships will signal the end of a special campaign for Penn, one marked by the completion of the program’s new indoor facility, the Ott Center for Track and Field. After the Quakers’ performance at the East Prelims, Kam cited the center as a key factor in the team’s success.
“First season with the Ott Center — definitely having a lot of better training environments, I think it’s shown this season.”
Now, only the championship meet awaits.
“Excited for us to go out there and perform and hopefully bring home some medals and trophies,” Kam said.
