Outdoor Track Season Kicks Off at Cal-U
The PSUGA Track & Field Team kicks off their outdoor season when they head to the California University of PA. Invitational Saturday at 9 a.m. PSUGA will be competing in six different events as they look to keep improving for the USCAA National Championships
McKeesport, PA. – After an impressive showing in their first ever meet back in February, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Track & Field team is set to kick-off their outdoor track season when they travel to the Cal-U Early Bird Invitational Saturday at 9 a.m. PSUGA will be participating in six events on the day as they start the road to qualifying for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships in May.
PSUGA competed in their first-ever meet back on February 16th when they went to the Kent State Tune-up, bringing five of their athletes to compete in track events. It was a solid day for head coach Greg Schmitt and his team with Davin Manfredi (Pleasant Hills, PA./Thomas Jefferson HS) leading the charge.
Manfredi finished 60th overall in the 60-Meter dash running it in 7.55 seconds and 65th overall in the 200-Meter dash posting a time of 24.97 seconds. His 60-Meter time was good enough to win his heat where he topped eight other runners, including some top NCAA Division II talent from West Liberty University.
On the women’s side of things, Eladia Kennedy (Pittsburgh, PA./Imani Christian Academy) was the only competitor for PSUGA competing in both the 60-Meter and 200-Meter Dash. Her best finish of the day came in the 60-Meter Dash where she finished 70th overall with a time of 9.04 seconds. She rounded out her day with a 29.93 effort in the 200-Meter Dash good for a 74th place visit.
As PSUGA transitions into outdoor track season, they will be competing in six different events at the Cal-U Early Bird Invitational. The list of events that PSUGA will be in include the 200, 400, and 800 meter dash, 4 x 100-Meter Relay, Long Jump, and Shot Put. After the runners took precedent in the first meet of the season, the field stars for PSUGA will get a chance to shine in the second meet of the season.
James Plez (Philadelphia, PA./Northeast HS) heads the team of Long Jumpers competing in the event for the first time in his Track & Field career. He performed mainly as a sprinter at Northeast High School, but has started training in long jump over the last three months and is getting better and better every week.
PSUGA will have three competitors in the shotput with Cameron Shaw (South Park, PA./South Park HS), Kristina Sequeria (Norwalk, CT./Brien McMahon HS), and Raeann Sleith (North Huntington, PA./Norwin HS) will take the circle for PSUGA. Shaw has some experience in the circle having thrown on the South Park Track & Field team during his senior season as he looks to lead this year’s throwers.
Saturday’s Cal-U Early Bird Invitational is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. with the men’s and women’s hammer throw at the California University of Pennsylvania Football field.