Bucknell University Athletics
Buczko and Sawko Named Patriot League Track and Field Athletes of the Week
1/25/2005 7:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
Jan. 25, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bison sophomores Melanie Buczko and Christa Sawko have been named Patriot League Track and Field Athletes of the Week for their winning performances at the Bucknell Heptagonal, Saturday at Gerhard Fieldhouse. Buczko receives the "Field Athlete of the Week" honor after clearing an event-winning height of 12'11 ½" in the pole vault to meet the NCAA provisional qualifying standard. Sawko gets the first Patriot League "Track Athlete of the Week" nod of her career after winning the 1000-meter run and running the anchor leg of the winning 4x400 relay.
Buczko (Butler, Pa./Butler), the current Lewisburg Hotel Bison Athlete of the Week, is a perfect 4-0 in the pole vault this season with wins at the Bison Opener (Dec. 4), Gulden Relays (Jan. 8) and Penn State Relays (Jan. 15). Her performance on Saturday is a school and facility record as well as an ECAC qualifying standard, a height that she has reached in every competition this season.
 Melanie Buczko cleared a provisional qualifying height in the pole vault.  |
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Buczko's personal-best height is the best in the Patriot League, nearly a foot higher than the next best competitior. Buczko, the defending PL indoor champion in the vault, is also the only female athlete from the Patriot League to hit a provisional standard this season.
Sawko (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville), the defending Patriot League indoor champion in the 800, ran to victory in the 1000 this weekend with a time of 2:55.43, an ECAC qualifying mark as well as the fifth best performance in Bison history. She also anchored the 4x400 squad to a time of 3:57.79, the top time in the Patriot League.
Sawko is undefeated in individual events, taking the 800 at the Bison Opener with a time of 2:12.03, the second-best time in the Bison record books and another ECAC qualifier. Her 800 and 1000 performances are the top marks in the Patriot League.
The Bison women dominated the seven-team field on Saturday, winning the meet with 200 points, over 100 points better than the second-place team. The field included Duquesne, St. Francis (Pa.), Wagner, Rider, Lock Haven and Townson.
The Bison will split their squads this weekend with some athletes heading to the Penn State National Invitational in State College, Pa., while the remainder of the Bison teams with compete at the Bison Open and Pentathlon. Both meets will begin on Friday, Jan. 28 and conclude on Saturday, Jan. 29.
