PHILADELPHIA – On Wednesday, Steve Dolan, the James P. Tuppeny/Betty J. Costanza Director of Track & Field, announced the University of Pennsylvania women's track & field incoming Class of 2023.

Following another banner season that included a pair of Ivy League Heptagonal Championships for the team, a slew of individual titles, a program-record six entrants to the NCAA Championships and three first-team All-American performances, Penn will reload with a powerful 12-woman class.

The Penn women's track & field Class of 2023 features:

LIZZY BADER
Hometown: Delaware
High School: Padua Academy
1600m: 4:57.58
3200m: 11:05.56
Bader is Delaware's best.  She finished her career No. 1 in the 1600m and 3200m and was the 2019 1600m state champion. She also registered the 2018 XC State Championship title and placed seventh at the Nike XC Southeast Regional Championships.

OLIVE COLES
Hometown: London, UK
High School: St. Clement Danes School
400m Hurdles: 1:01.90
Taking interest in the 400 hurdles late in her high school career, in 2017, Olive managed to become the sixth-fastest U20 hurdler in Great Britain.  After taking a gap year during the 2018-19 season, we look for Olive to immediately become an impact player in the hurdles and relays.

SAMANTHA GREEN
Hometown: N.J.
High School: Park Ridge
1000m: 2:59.40
Green had a standout junior year and continued on to become the 2018 XC New Jersey Group 1 champion and the 2019 Indoor 800m New Jersey Group 1 champion.  Green has very good range and will be a great addition to our women's distance group. 

LAURYN HARRIS
Hometown: Md.
High School: The Bullis School
Long Jump: 19-11
100m Hurdles: 13.54
100m: 11.95
200m: 24.53
400m: 55.79
Hailing from The Bullis School, one of the country's academic and track & field powerhouses, Harris has found her place as perhaps the most versatile athlete in Bullis history.  In 2019 alone, Harris became a three-time national champion and seven-time All-American running relays and the 100m hurdles. Throughout her career, Harris notched 13 All-American accolades and finished the 2019 season ranked No. 10 in indoor long jump, No. 19 in outdoor long jump, No. 19 in 100m hurdles and No. 22 in 60m hurdles in the United States and No. 1 in the long jump in Md.

LAUREN HENDERSON
Hometown: N.H.
High School: Saint Paul's School
1500m: 4:43.00
Fairly new to the sport, this year, Henderson was New Hampshire's No. 1 in the 1500m. With an elite Nordic Skiing background before transitioning to track and field, Henderson has established a great base to well prepare her to be an impactful addition to the Penn women's distance group.

MORGAN JOHNSON
Hometown: Ga.
High School: Whitewater
Shot Put: 48-7.5
Discus: 134-8
Weight: 50-0.5
Hammer: 141-3.5
Johnson has developed in to one of the best female throwers in the nation.  In 2018, Morgan nabbed her first Georgia state outdoor shot put title.  During her senior year, she garnered All-American status by placing fifth in the shot put at the 2019 New Balance Indoor National Championships.  To end the season, Morgan ranked No. 2 in the U.S. in the indoor shot put. 

KATHERINE MUCCIO
Hometown: N.J.
High School: Ridgewood
400m Hurdles: 1:00.79
100m Hurdles: 14.65
200m: 24.67
Muccio began to make a name for herself during her sophomore year as the next up-and-coming 400m hurdler, but her progression abruptly ended during her junior season due to an ankle injury.  After sitting out the 2018 season, Muccio quickly re-emerged as one of the best in New Jersey history and amongst the top in the nation, finishing ranked No. 13 in the U.S. in the 400m hurdles.

NIKHILA OBBINENI
Hometown: N.J.
High School: South Brunswick
800m: 2:13.46
1600m: 4:57.60
Obbineni gradually rose as one of the top competitors in New Jersey. She placed fifth and sixth in the 800m at the Outdoor and Indoor New Jersey State Meet of Champions, respectively, and ended her season ranked No. 8 in N.J. in the 800m. 

GRACE O'SHEA
Hometown: N.J.
High School: Ramapo
60m Hurdles: 8.38
100m Hurdles: 13.55
400m Hurdles: 1:01.17
200m: 24.51
In 2019, O'Shea became one of the greatest hurdlers in N.J. history at third all-time in 55HH and fifth in the 100HH. O'Shea won all but two races during the indoor season and continued her dominance in the outdoor season as she took the New Jersey State Meet of Champions crown. O'Shea was also the 2019 60HH Eastern State Champion and 2018 55HH NJ State Indoor Meet of Champions winner. Her accolades consist of: 100HH All American, U.S. No. 5 in the 55m hurdles, U.S. No. 8 in the 60m hurdles, U.S. No. 12 in the 100m hurdles, and U.S. No. 18 in the 400m hurdles.

JESSICA RIEDMAN
Hometown: Calif.
High School: La Costa Canyon
800m: 2:11.37
1500m: 4:37.95
Riedman looks to be an exciting addition to the Penn women's mid-distance group. She has great range and speed. Reidamn is a native of one of the most competitive states in track & field and has managed to separate herself from the pack. This year, she placed second in the 800m at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays and concluded her season ranked No. 2 in Calif. in the 1500m.

DELIA RUSSO
Hometown: N.J.
High School: Colts Neck
3200m: 11:04.36
2K Steeplechase: 7:07.10
For Russo, distance running has definitely been passed down in her family as she is the younger sister of Anthony Russo, a member of Penn's men's team. Russo placed seventh at the New Jersey State Cross Country Meet of Champions and has had encouraging success in the steeplechase.

SYDNEY WOODS
Hometown: N.J.
High School: Demarest
Pole Vault: 13-0.75
This year was Sydney's breakout season as she cleared the 13-foot barrier five times, elevating her to the top vaulter in New Jersey and amongst the best in the nation, finishing the year ranked No. 12 in the U.S. in the indoor pole vault.
 

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