Penn State's Hayley Kitching Makes History at NCAA Track & Field Championships

Penn State track star Hayley Kitching set a memorable pace at the NCAA Track & Field Championships, running the second-fastest time in NCAA history in the women's 800 meters. Kitching ran a 1:57.65 to finish as the runnerup and earn first-team All-America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field.

Kitching finished second to Arkansas's Sanu Jallow, who broke the NCAA women's 800 record in 1:56.85. Kitching's time also bettered the previous record, set by Athing Mu of Texas A&M in 2021. Kitching broke her own personal-best in the 800 by 1.5 seconds and marked the first time she ran sub-1:58 in the event.

Kitching's performance highlighted Penn State's week at the NCAA Track & Field Championships, where four Nittany Lions were first-team All-Americans. Allon Clay and Niko Schultz both made the final of the men's 800, with Clay finishing fourth in 1:44.98 an Schultz taking sixth in 1:45.5.

Ryan Henry was a first-team All-American in the men's shot put, finishing sixth with a personal-best outdoor throw of 19.65 meters. Collin Burkhart earned second-team All-America honors by placing 13th in the hammer throw. And Sasha Garnett became a second-team All-American after placing 16th in the women's shot put.

History was rewritten ✍️ #WeAre | #PSUTF pic.twitter.com/6bJSJn2e1g
— Penn State Track & Field/Cross Country (@PennStateTFXC) June 14, 2026

Kitching, a senior from Coffs Harbour, Australia, had a remarkable season as a middle-distance runner for Penn State. She won the 800-meter women's title at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships to complement her Big Ten indoor title. Kitching won the women's outdoor 800 in 2:01.77, joining Clay in helping Penn State sweep the 800 Big Ten outdoor titles.

Kitching then qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships on the last day of the NCAA East Regional in late May. She won her 800-meter heat in 1:59.15, then her personal-best time and the first time she finished the race in under 2 minutes.

Kitching competed in her third NCAA Outdoor Championships and placed fifth in the 800 in 2024. At the time, it was the highest finish by a Penn State athlete in the women's 800 at Outdoor Nationals. Kitching began the season holding seven Penn State school records and went on to break the program's outdoor 800-meter record this season.

She is two-time NCAA Outdoor All-American and recently set a major record in the indoor 1,000-meter race. At Penn State's Nittany Lion Challenge in January, Kitching ran the indoor 1,000 in 2:38.45 to break the event's collegiate record.

A moment for Hayley 🤩#WeAre | #PSUTF pic.twitter.com/fE2NNenhWY
— Penn State Track & Field/Cross Country (@PennStateTFXC) June 14, 2026

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