Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Men's Track and Field Team is Set to Begin Upcoming Season
12/1/2005 7:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
Dec. 1, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's track and field team will look to bounce back from its sixth place finish at last year's Patriot League Indoor Championship, as the Bison will open up their indoor season this Saturday, Dec. 3, while hosting the Bison Opener.
Sprints
The Bison sprinters are seasoned veterans for the 2005 season. Senior Matt Corbetta (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester) leads a talented group that will contend in each sprinting event. Corbetta scored in the 200-meter dash at both indoor and outdoor PL Championships last year and was also a valuable member of the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. Junior Matt Bonelli (Califon, N.J./Pingry School) looks to be consistent in his specialty, the 400. Sophomore Matt Johnson (Newburgh, N.Y./Marlboro Central) will contribute in the 60, the 100 and long jump. It will truly be the year of "Matt" for the Bison sprinters.
Hurdles
Ryan Whitfield (LaGrange, Ga./LaGrange) will be the lone senior leading a young and talented group of hurdlers. Whitfield came into his own in 2005 by improving tremendously in the 400 intermediate hurdles. Freshman Kerry Boyle (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton), will help to make Bucknell very formidable in the long hurdles.
Mid-Distance
The mid-distance runners will be a young squad this season, led by juniors Mark Caroleo (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) and Derrin Pierret (Morristown, N.J./Morristown), as well as sophomore Wallace Campbell (Montgomery, Ala./Montgomery Acad.). All three runners are also leaders on the cross country squad. Indoors, each runner specializes and will contribute in the mile run and in the 1,000. At the 2005 PL Championships, Caroleo and Pierret just missed scoring, as they finished seventh in the 1,000, with a time of 2 minutes, 34.33 seconds, and eighth in the mile run (4:30.56), respectively. Outdoors, the threesome will each compete in the 800, the 1,500 and the 3,000. In 2005, Caroleo once again just missed scoring, finishing ninth overall at the PL Championships in the 1,500, with a time of 3:55.84. Campbell's 2005 campaign was limited due to injury and if he can stay healthy in 2006, he should be a major contributor for the Bison.
Distance
The cross country tri-captains, junior Matt Forys (Howell, N.J./Howell) and seniors Kevin Brown (Cranford,N.J./Cranford) and Ryan Delaney (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt), will be looked upon by head coach Kevin Donner to lead the squad in the distance category. Forys is expected to be strong in the 10,000, 5,000 and 3,000. In 2005, Forys ran in the IC4A Championships, where he clocked a personal best time of 30:51.94 in the 10,000, for a 15th-place finish. Brown earned second-team All-League honors for his role on the distance medley relay team that captured the silver medal at last year's indoor PL Championships. In 2006, Brown will be a major contributor in the steeplechase and once again on the distance medley squad. Delaney ran his season-best time in the steeplechase at the outdoor PL Championships, 9:43.03, good enough for a ninth-place finish. Delaney will also be a major competitor in the steeplechase, as well as the 5,000.
Jumps
In the jumps, the Bison will depend on a couple of upperclassmen who were responsible for many of the points scored in the 2005 campaign. Senior Thomas Bennett (Baltimore, Md./Friends School) and junior Tyler Palumbo (Wyckoff, N.J./Don Bosco), along with sophomores Mike Contino (Broomall, Pa./Episcopal Acad.) and Johnson, each scored in the long or triple jumps last year. In the past, Drew Folk was Bucknell's strongest competitor in the high jump, but now, due to his graduation, two freshmen will have to step up and take his place. Ryan Robinson (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) and Jordan Kirby (Canton, Pa./Canton) will begin their careers in Orange and Blue in 2006. Both men are accomplished high jumpers from nearby high schools.
Pole Vault
Junior Robert Gradoville (North Haven, Conn./North Haven) and sophomore David Mante (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) will look to continue as contributors in the pole vault, which is one of the toughest events to pick up points in the Patriot League. Both athletes were able to score last year and hope to improve in the 2006 standings.
Throws
Dan Frake will be a strong force for Bucknell in the throwing events.  |
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Field events are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Opener, with running events to follow at noon. The Bison will return to action on Jan. 7, 2006, hosting the Gulden Relays.
