Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships
Buczko, Grap, McFarland, 4x800 Win Patriot League Gold on Day One of Patriot League Championships
5/6/2005 8:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
May 6, 2005
EASTON, Pa. - Melanie Buczko, Marjorie Grap and Angie McFarland led the way with an individual gold medal apiece on day one of the Patriot League Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Fisher Field in Easton, Pa. The team of Amy Calvo, Lauren Bricker, Jen Marsh and Christa Sawko combined for a fourth gold medal, winning the 4x800-meter relay. The Bison are out to the early lead after day one, posting 77.33 points. Navy is in second with 39.
Sophomore Grap secured the first Bison Patriot League title of the weekend, striking gold in the discus with a toss of 134-3 (40.93m). Freshman Amanda Mockbee won her first career PL medal, taking the silver in the event with a mark of 133-5 (40.67m). Senior McFarland rounded out the Bison scoring with a fifth-place showing, tossing 122-2 (37.23m).
McFarland notched a gold medal of her own in the hammer, throwing a distance of 169-2. The Bison recorded a total of four scoring finishes in the event with Grap in second (165-8), Liz Pendleton in fourth (162-5), and Gwen Soult in sixth (153-10).
The 4x800 squad grabbed gold medals, running a time of 8:53.83, the second-best time in Bison history. Calvo kept the Bison at the top of the pack, running the lead-off leg and handed off to Bricker who held onto the lead, passing the baton to Marsh, who also kept the Bison in first. Sawko took the baton and battled with Navy's Tineisha Davis for two laps, before sprinting past her opponent with 200-meters to go.
 The winning Bison 4x800-meter team on the awards stand on Friday.  |
|
Buczko won her first career outdoor Patriot League title, clearing a height of 12-5 ½ (3.80m), a Patriot League record. Buczko entered the competition at 12-0, and won the event with only one attempt. Teammate Ashley Curry finished in a tie for sixth, clearing the bar at 10-6 (3.20m).
Senior Tolu Fayanjuola and sophomore Nina Reinhardt helped the Bison women to an early lead, combining for 14 points in the long jump, the first completed event. Fayanjuola took the silver medal with a leap of 18-2 ¼ (5.54m). Reinhardt, who was in a difficult position, alternating between the long jump and the heptathlon shot put, came through for the Bison in a big way, jumping a personal-best mark of 18-1 (5.51m), to take the bronze medal in the competition. Army's Tiffany Martin won the event with a Patriot League record leap of 19-8 ¾ (6.01m).
The Bison put a pair of competitors through to tomorrow's 100-meter hurdles with Buczko and Catherine Trentacoste both earning one of the eight final spots. Buczko ran the third-fastest time of the day, clocking a time of 15.12. Trentacoste crossed the finish line in 15.42, earning the eighth spot in the final.
Other Bison to earn spots in one of tomorrow's finals are Rehana Lanewala in the 200-meters and Fayanjuola in the 100-meters. Lanewala ran a time of 26.07, the third-fastest time in the field. Fayanjuola also recorded the third-best time in her event, clocking 12.59.
Danielle Todman is currently in third place after four events in the women's heptathlon. The junior posted a total of 2566 points on Friday with Reinhardt in fourth with 2530.
Competition continues tomorrow with action getting underway at 9 a.m. The final event at the championships is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. on Saturday.
