Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Men Selected Fifth in Preseason Patriot League Outdoor Track and Field Poll
3/21/2005 7:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
March 21, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Coming off a victory at last month's Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Championships, the Bucknell women's team is favored to win their second Patriot League crown of the year at the PL Outdoor Championships, as announced by the PL office last week. The Bison men were selected fifth in the eight-team field.
The Bison women return three individual champions for last season's outdoor championship team, and also have seven second and third place finishers back for the 2005 campaign. Bucknell rolled in last year's championships tallying 198, winning the meet by nearly 100 points.
Tolu Fayanjuola was the lone double winner last season with wins in the 100-meter dash and the long jump. Ann Doty returns as the defending triple jump champion while Angie Hall will attempt to retain her place at the top of the pole vault standings. Doty, a sophomore, has yet to finish anywhere but first in a PL event, collecting two indoor and one outdoor title in the triple jump.
Amy Calvo, Melanie Buczko, Lauren Bricker, Katie Pfeifer and Fayanjuola return after silver medal performances last season. Buczko, who tied for 14th place at last weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships, placed second in the pole vault while Bricker notched runner-up honors in the triple jump and Fayanjuola was second in the high jump. Calvo finished runner-up in the 400-meters while Pfeifer was the highest Bison finisher in the distance races, earning a silver medal in the 10,000-meters.
Earning bronze medals for the Bison were Christa Sawko in the 400-meter hurdles, Jen Marsh in the 1,500-meters, Monique Boley in the 400, Marjorie Grap, a double gold medalist at this year's indoor PLs, in the shot put.
The Bison men won the race for third place at last year's outdoor championships with 68.75 points. Navy and Army dominated the meet with 177.75 and 175.75, respectively. Navy is expected to win the team title followed by Army, American and Lehigh.
Bucknell returns only five scorers last season's championships but will make up for it with some young talent coming off scoring performances as last month's indoor championships. Dan Lounsbury is highest returning finisher with a bronze medal performance in the 10,000. Four Bison returners recorded sixth place finishes including Drew Folk in the high jump, Thomas Bennett in the triple jump, Josh Kaehler in the javelin, and Kyle McLaughlin in the decathlon.
At this year's indoor championships, freshman Mike Contino and sophomore Tyler Palumbo contributed third and fourth place finishes in the long jump indoors while Matt Corbetta and Matt Bonelli were both fifth place finishers; Corbetta in the 200-meters and Bonelli in the 400.
The Bison will get their first chance to compete outdoors this weekend with the Jim Taylor Invitational, hosted by Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. on Saturday, March 26, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
