McKeesport, PA. – 2018-2019 was a successful first season for the Penn State Greater Allegheny Track & Field team as they sent nine athletes to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championship. The trip ended with Eladia Kennedy (Pittsburgh, PA./Imani Christian Academy) and Makis Rivera (Pittsburgh, PA./Imani Christian Academy) being named USCAA National Champions in the 100-Meter Dash and 800-Meter Run respectively.
Now entering their second season of competition, head coach Greg Schmitt and his team are looking to add more hardware to their collection as they strive for the ultimate prize, the USCAA Team National Championship. With six of the nine 2019 national qualifiers returning and joining several new recruits, PSUGA is looking to build on last year’s successes.
Both the men’s and the women’s team will look to last year’s qualifiers to provide leadership as the teams prepare for their first meet on Saturday. Leading the way will be sophomores Namy Makiese (Pittsburgh, Pa./Allderdice HS), James Plez (Philadelphia, PA./Northeast HS) and Kennedy.
Last year, Makiese qualified for two events running in the 200-Meter Dash and the men’s 4x400-Meter Relay. He took home a silver medal, serving as the second leg of the relay team that finished with a time of 3:58.87. Makiese holds the school record in the 200-Meter Dash with a time of 24.29 seconds.
Plez was also a member of the silver medal 4x400-Meter Relay and qualified for four different events at nationals, the most by any PSUGA Athlete. Plez competed in the Long Jump, 100-Meter Dash, and 200-Meter Dash as well as the relay team. Plez currently holds two school records in the Long Jump (5.83 m) and the 100-Meter Dash (12.18 sec).
Kennedy returns as the lone female runner for the indoor season. She competed in both the 100-Meter and 200-Meter dash during her sophomore season and set the pace for female runners with times of 13.53 and 27.89. She finished with two medals at last year’s National Championship winning the gold in the 100-Meter dash (14.05 seconds) and the Bronze in the 200-Meter Dash (29.58).
Sophomore Kristina Sequeira (Norwalk, CT./Brien McMahon HS) will be the only female field participant returning to throw Shot Put and Discus. Sequeira just missed qualifying for nationals in her freshman year, ending the season throwing 6.84 meters. She was just 0.2 meters away from qualifying and looks to get to the National meet this season.
The PSUGA Track & Field team kicks off the indoor portion of their season on Saturday, December 7, when they travel to the Mount Union Toy Drive Invitational. All participating teams will bring toys to donate to the City of Alliance Fire Department Toy Drive.
