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Penn, Villanova athletes qualify for the Pan American U20 Games

Three of the athletes qualified by winning their events at the USATF U20 Track and Field Championships -- Penn's Marc Minichello in the men's javelin and Mayyi Mahoma in the women's hammer throw, and Villanova's Lydia Olivere in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Villanova's Lydia Olivere (second from left) runs the college women's 4x800 championship at the 2019 Penn Relays.
Villanova's Lydia Olivere (second from left) runs the college women's 4x800 championship at the 2019 Penn Relays.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

Five athletes from Penn and Villanova qualified for next month’s Pan American U20 Games with their performances this past weekend at the USA U20 Track and Field Championships in Miramar, Fla.

The Quakers advanced three – Marc Minichello in the men’s javelin with a throw of 253 feet, 1 inch; Mayyi Mahoma in the women’s hammer throw with an effort of 215-5, and Ariana Gardizy in the women’s 3,000 with a time of 9 minutes, 41.15 seconds. Minichello and Mahoma won their events and Gardizy finished second.

The two qualifiers from Villanova were Lydia Olivere in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, which she won in a time of 10:33.08, and Sanaa Barnes, second in the high jump at 5-10 ¾.

The Pan American U20 Games will be held July 18-21 at San Jose, Costa Rica.