Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Mike Mellas in Third Place After Four Heptathlon Events at PL Championships
2/18/2005 7:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
Feb. 18, 2005
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Sophomore Nina Reinhardt took first place in the women's pentathlon on the first day of competition at the Patriot League Track and Field Championships, Friday in Bethlehem, Pa. If day one is any indication of things to come, the Bison women are well on their way to a fourth-consecutive league title after recording the first, second, and fifth place finishers in the first event of the championships. Senior Mike Mellas currently stands in third place with four events completed in the men's heptathlon.
In the heptathlon, Mellas totaled 2,616 points on day one, just 137 points behind leader Vaclav Malek of Lehigh. Mellas had the best mark in the long jump amongst his heptathlon competition with a leap of 21-10 ¼. He notched a second place showing in the 60-hurdles (7.36), placed fifth in the shot put (36-1 ½), and finished sixth in the high jump (5-8 ½). Teammate Shota Ike stands in eighth place after four events (2,058) while Kyle McLaughlin is in ninth (2,025).
Reinhardt won her first PL gold medal with a total of 3,184 points, just ahead of teammate Danielle Todman in second place with 3,070. Sophomore Kat Allen rounded out the Bison scoring with a total of 2,970 points, good for fifth place.
Reinhardt earned the win with marks of 9.38 in the 60-meter hurdles, 4-8 ¾ in the high jump, 33-02 in the shot put, 17-5 ¼ in the long jump, and 2:36.41 in the 800-meters. Reinhardt's long jump mark was the best in the field while Allen finished first in the 800 in 2:28.25. Todman earned two second-place finishers with a throw of 36-9 ½ in the shot and a leap of 16-3 ¾ in the long jump.
The Bison women are in first place after day one with 20 points. Host team Lehigh is in second with seven and Navy is on the board with four. There are no men's scores as of yet. Competition resumes tomorrow morning with the final three heptathlon events starting at 8:45 a.m. The women's 20-pound weight throw is the first field event beginning at 9 a.m. with the men's 60-hurdle trials, the first track event, starting at 1 p.m.
