Bucknell University
Bucknell Open
Bucknell Tracksters Pour in 14 First-Place Finishes at Bison Open
4/13/2002 8:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
April 13, 2002
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell University men's and women's track & field teams put forth a dominating performance this afternoon at the non-scoring Bison Open in Christy Matthewson Memorial Stadium. Bucknell earned a combined 14 first-place finishes on the afternoon to go with 34 top-three performances.
The 10-team meet consisted of Bloomsburg, Bucknell, Buffalo, Canisius, East Stroudsburg, Hagerstown Community College, Juniata, Lock Haven, Mansfield and St. Francis (Pa.).
Sophomore Noel Powell paced the Bison men's team with one first, one second and one third-place performance. Powell won the 200m dash in 21.89, and leaped to a second-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 23'9", a mark that bettered the former stadium record. In addition, Powell came in third in the 100m dash in 11.14.
Other winners from the men's team included senior Travis Etters, junior Greg Costello, junior Eric Furst, junior Adam Kaufman and junior Bryan Johnston. Etters placed first in the steeplechase (9:32.6), while Costello was victorious in the 1,500m run (3:57.29). Breaking the tape in the 800m run in a season-best 1:54.27 was Furst. Kaufman was the champion in the hammer throw (168'6 ?"), and Johnston captured the 5,000m run in 14:41.45.
Junior Jesse Graytock, senior P.J. Ward and junior Lou Palma each came away with a second-place finish. Graytock was the runner-up in the 10,000m run (33:45.14) and Ward finished a hair behind Costello in the 1,500 in 3:57.64. Palma raced to a 14:54.66 clocking in placing second in the 5,000m run.
Junior Matt Solomon and sophomore Aaron Hanlon each came in third. Solomon raced to a time of 11.17 in the 100m dash, while Hanlon churned out a 1:55.16 in the 800m run.
In relay action, the Bison men's 400m relay squad took second and tied the eighth-best time in school history at 41.92. The 1,600m relay team was third in 3:22.52.
Eight different individuals or relay squads won an event for the women's team. Senior Chris Crowe led the way with a victory in the 3,000m steeplechase, and she reset her own school with a time of 11:08.1.
Other Bison winning their respective events were junior Theresa Dennis (1,500m run, 4:47.56), freshman Kiley MacDonald (100m high hurdles, 14.8), senior Stephanie Bango (800m run, 2:10.03), junior Edwina Bourn, (400m high hurdles, 1:05.18) sophomore Maria Garcia (hammer, 168'7 ?") and freshman Angie McFarland (shot put, 38'10 ?"). McFarlands's throw was the 10th-best in BU history. The 1,600m relay team was also victorious with a time of 3:54.33.
Finishing second on the afternoon were junior Nicole Lynn (10,000m run, 43:33.54), Bourn (100m high hurdles, 15.19), junior Nicki Piper , (800m run, 2:15.93) freshman Gwendolyn Soult (hammer, 148'7") and sophomore Laura Schaffer (discus, 112'1"). While Piper ran the seventh-fastest 800 ever at Bucknell, Soult's throw in the hammer ranks ninth on the school's all-time charts.
The women's team also had six athletes come in third, including sophomore Stephanie Keller (10,000m run, 43:54.51), sophomore Cindy Carlson (3,000m steeplechase, 12:24.4), senior Kelly McConnell (800m run, 2:16.67), sophomore Erin Lee (hammer, 147'7"), McFarland (discus, 111'7") and Schaffer (shot put, 35'9 ?"). McConnell ran the eighth-best time in school history in the 800, and Lee's throw in the hammer ranks ninth all-time.
Bucknell returns home next Saturday for the Bucknell Quadrangular, featuring Kent State, La Salle and Robert Morris, with events kicking off at 9 a.m.
