Track and field is a funny sport because, for most of the year, people only care about the Olympics or the occasional diamond league highlight that pops up on a feed. But if you’re actually paying attention to the Big Ten, you know that what’s happening in State College is a different beast entirely. People constantly look up the PSU track and field roster expecting a simple list of names, but honestly, it’s more like a puzzle where the pieces are constantly moving.
You’ve got a coaching staff led by John Gondak that seems to have a weirdly specific obsession—in the best way possible—with the 800-meter run. It’s basically become "800m U" over there. But if you look at the 2025-2026 lineup, there's a lot more shifting under the surface than just middle-distance dominance.
The Big Names You're Actually Looking For
Let’s get into the weeds. If you're scanning the roster for who is actually going to score points at the Big Ten Championships or make a run at NCAAs, you have to start with the sprinters and the middle-distance crew.
Ajani Dwyer is a name that basically every track nerd is watching right now. He’s been lighting up the 60m and 100m. He actually set a school record in the 60m during the 2025 indoor season. When you see a freshman or sophomore start erasing names like Xavier Smith or Cheickna Traore from the record books, you know you’re looking at something special.
Then there’s the 800m group. It's almost unfair. You have guys like Handal Roban and Olivier Desmeules who have been absolute staples. Penn State is literally the only D1 school that has produced a First Team All-American in the men’s indoor 800m for three straight years (Roban in '23 and '24, Desmeules in '25). That isn't a fluke; it's a factory.
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On the women’s side, Hayley Kitching is the one everyone talks about. She’s a senior now, originally from Australia, and she has been a wrecking ball in the 800m and the 1,000m. She’s one of those runners who just looks efficient. No wasted motion. Just pure speed and tactical smarts.
A Quick Breakdown of Key Returners and New Faces
| Athlete | Event Group | What to Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Ajani Dwyer | Sprints | School record holder in the 60m; high ceiling in the 100m/200m. |
| Hayley Kitching | Mid-Distance | Multi-time All-American and the heart of the women's distance squad. |
| Handal Roban | Mid-Distance | Absolute beast in the 800m; Olympic-level potential. |
| Maddie Pitts | Multi/Jumps | A Swiss Army knife for the team; huge points in the Pentathlon. |
| Florence Caron | Distance | Coming off a massive 2025 where she smashed the 5,000m school record. |
| Jake Palermo | Sprints | Broken the school record in the 400m; key leg for the 4x400 relay. |
The "Middle Child" of the Roster: The Field Events
It’s easy to get distracted by the guys running sub-4:00 miles or the sprinters blurring past the finish line. But the PSU track and field roster actually lives and dies by the field events in big conference meets.
Maddie Pitts is a name that doesn't get enough love outside of hardcore track circles. She’s a Second Team All-American in the pentathlon. Think about how hard that is. You have to be good at five different things simultaneously. Most of us can barely walk and chew gum. Pitts is the type of athlete who allows Gondak to stay competitive in the team standings because she’s a point-generating machine.
Then you have the throwers. The Nittany Lions have been rebuilding this area, but you’re seeing names like Audrey Friedman and Gabi Deglau start to climb the Big Ten performance lists. Throwing is a game of inches and years. It takes a long time to build the "man-strength" or "woman-strength" needed to compete with the 24-year-old fifth-year seniors you see at the NCAA level.
Why the 2025-2026 Season Feels Different
Kinda feels like the program is in a transition phase, right? You have the legends like Isaiah Harris long gone to the pro ranks, and now the "new guard" is becoming the "old guard."
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Honestly, the biggest story on the roster this year is the depth in the 4x400m relay. Last year, the men's 4x400 squad was clocking times that put them in the top 10 in school history almost every time they stepped on the track. When you have Jake Palermo, Handal Roban, and guys like Austin Gallant or James Onwuka all healthy, that relay is a threat to win anything.
Relays are the ultimate indicator of a roster's health. If you have one superstar, you win an individual gold. If you have four guys who can all run 45-point or 46-low, you have a program.
The Coaching Factor
You can't talk about the roster without talking about John Gondak and his staff. They've recently elevated Tyra Massey and Zach Prescott to Associate Head Coaches. That’s a move for stability. It tells recruits, "Hey, the people who developed those All-Americans aren't going anywhere."
Gondak himself is a distance specialist, which explains why the 800m through 5,000m groups are always so deep. But he’s also managed to keep the sprints group relevant. It’s a delicate balance. If you lean too hard into distance, you lose the "flash" of the sprints. If you focus only on sprints, you don't have the points to win a Big Ten title.
Misconceptions About Being a Nittany Lion
People think that because it's "Penn State," every athlete on the PSU track and field roster was a state champion in high school. That’s actually not true.
Sure, they get the blue-chip recruits like Liliah Gordon (who was a massive get for the XC and distance side). But a lot of the roster is made up of "developmental" athletes. These are kids who were maybe 4th or 5th in their state, but the PSU coaches saw a frame or a work ethic that they could mold.
Take a look at the roster and you'll see a mix of local Pennsylvania talent and international stars. You’ve got Tayissa Buchanan and Hayley Kitching coming from Australia. You’ve got Abasiono Akpan from Nigeria. It’s a global recruiting effort.
What This Means for the Fans
If you're looking to follow the team this year, don't just look at the final times. Track is about progression.
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- Watch the Friday Nights: Most of the big marks on the PSU track and field roster happen at the National Open or the Nittany Lion Challenge. The indoor track at State College is one of the fastest in the country.
- Focus on the "B" Heat: Sometimes the most exciting thing isn't the guy winning the race; it's the sophomore in the second heat who just shaved two seconds off his personal best. That's the future of the roster.
- Check the TFRRS: If you really want to be an expert, stop looking at the school website and start looking at TFRRS (Track & Field Results Reporting System). That’s where the real, unvarnished data lives.
Basically, the Nittany Lions are in a spot where they are a lock for top-three finishes in the Big Ten, but they’re chasing that elusive national top-10 team finish. To do that, they need the "project" athletes in the field events to start hitting their stride at the same time the 800m crew does their thing.
Your Next Steps to Follow the Team
If you want to keep tabs on how this roster actually performs throughout the winter and spring, start by bookmarking the live results pages for the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Don't just wait for the recap articles.
You should also follow the individual athletes on social media. In the NIL era, guys like Handal Roban or Hayley Kitching are much more accessible, and you get a better sense of the "grind" that goes into a sub-1:45 800m.
Lastly, if you're ever in State College during the winter, go to a home meet. There is nothing like the sound of a spiked shoe hitting that banked track at full tilt. It makes the names on a roster feel a lot more real.