7 Penn State Track and Field Athletes Named All-Americans, Hayley Kitching Claims Silver

Penn State track and field ended the 2026 campaign with seven All-Americans, including a silver medalist, at the NCAA Championships June 10-13.

The action kicked off Wednesday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, where Nittany Lion Ryan Henry claimed first-team All-American honors in the shot put with a throw of 64-foot-5.75, good for sixth place at the meet.

Shortly after, Collin Burkhart picked up second-team All-American accolades with a 222-foot-6 hammer throw, good for 13th among the men’s field and the third-best mark in program history.

On the track side, Ajani Dwyer ran a 10.18-second 100-meter dash, placing 12th on the men’s side and earning a second-team All-American nod.

The following day, Sasha Garnett earned second-team All-American honors in the women’s shot put with a throw of 53-foot-8.5, placing 16th overall.

A pair of Penn State runners then earned All-American status on Friday, as men’s 800-meter runners Allon Clay (1:44.98) and Niko Schultz (1:45.50) placed fourth and sixth, respectively.

The Nittany Lions’ best performance came on the final day of competition, when women’s 800-meter runner Hayley Kitching took second place with a time of 1:57.65, the second-fastest time in NCAA history. She crossed the line behind only Arkansas’ Sanu Jallow, who set the new NCAA record.

Penn State earned 11 team points for placements, finishing tied for No. 23 overall, its highest mark since 2018.