Bucknell University Athletics
Five Bison Track and Field Stars Set to Compete at East Regional Championships
5/25/2005 8:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
May 25, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Melanie Buczko (Butler, Pa./Butler), Ann Doty (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney), Marjorie Grap (Van Etten, N.Y./Spencer-Van Etten), Beverly Rogers (Finleyville, Pa./Ringgold), and Christa Sawko (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) will vie for spots in the NCAA Track and Field Championships this weekend, as they represent Bucknell at the NCAA East Regional Championships on May 27-28, in Randall's Island, N.Y. The Bison will be one of the youngest teams in the field, sending four sophomores and a freshman to the competition.
Buczko will be Bucknell's most experienced entrant, returning as last season's fourth-place finisher in the pole vault. Buczko is no stranger to NCAA competition, earning spots at the national championships during the 2004 outdoor season as well as the 2005 indoor campaign. This season, she has the ninth-best qualifying mark in the regional field, with a season-best leap of 12-9 ½ (3.90m), which she cleared for a third-place finish at Penn Relays. She recently won the vault at the Patriot League Championships, grabbing the gold with a league-record leap of 12-5 ½ (3.80m). The pole vault competition is set for Friday afternoon, beginning at 3 p.m.
 Ann Doty will be making her second-consecutive NCAA Regional appearance this weekend.  |
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Doty will also be making her second regional appearance in two tries after winning her fourth-career Patriot League triple jump title nearly three weeks ago. Doty placed 29th in last year's regional field. Only a sophomore, Doty has already had an impressive PL run, winning every PL triple jump contest she's entered including two indoor and two outdoor conference crowns. Her personal-best jump of 39-0 ½ (11.90m) is the second-best performance in school history. Doty is set to compete on Saturday afternoon with the triple jump trials slated for 5 p.m.
 Beverly Rogers will be the only freshman to compete for the Bison this weekend. |
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Rogers stormed onto the javelin scene early in the outdoor season, hitting the regional qualifier in her first collegiate appearance. She also broke the school record on two occasions this spring, setting the mark at 148-7 (45.30m). The throw is the 16th-best mark in the regional field. The frosh finished second at the Patriot League Championships and was the named the Patriot League Rookie of the Meet following the competition. The javelin is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday.
 Marjorie Grap will compete in the discus at the NCAA Regional meet. |
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Grap won a pair of Patriot League titles this season, garnering top honors in both the shot put and the discus. Her two gold medals, along with her silver-medal effort in the hammer, earned her the PL Field Athlete of the Meet award. The sophomore is entered the discus this weekend, in her first-career regional appearance. Grap's top throw of 150-6 (45.88m) is the 24th-best entry in the competition, and the second-farthest in the Bison record books. The discus is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday.
 Christa Sawko is the only Bison to qualify for a track event this weekend. |
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Sawko will be the only Bucknell athlete competing in a track event this weekend, qualifying in the 800-meter field. The sophomore struck gold at the Patriot League Championships in the event with a personal-best time of 2:09.63. Sawko was also a member of the winning 4x800 squad at the conference meet before anchoring her team to another victory at the ECAC Championships on May 15. Sawko will run in the 800-prelims on Friday at 6 p.m., in hopes to qualify for final round, set for Saturday at 5:45 p.m. She is scheduled to run in the fourth of five heats on Friday, with the five heat winners, plus the next three-fastest times advancing to the final.
The top five finishers from each individual event will receive bids to the NCAA Championships on June 8-11, in Sacramento, Calif. Athletes who fail to finish in the top five, but have posted top national marks and place in the top eight at the regional competition will be placed in a pool for further selection into the national meet.
