Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Track & Field to Compete at Akron Open
2/3/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
Feb. 3, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. -
Akron\ Open\ Schedule\ of\ Events
The Bucknell track and field teams will travel to Akron, Ohio, on Saturday, Feb. 4, to battle at the Akron Open, featuring approximately 700 athletes. So far this season, the Bison have produced five individual IC4A Championship qualifiers on the men's side, while the women also have five individuals who earned spots at the ECAC Championships. The distance medley relay teams, both men and women, also qualified for each respective championship.
Juniors Melanie Buczko (Butler, Pa./Butler Area) and Marjorie Grap (Van Etten, N.Y./Spencer-Van Etten) both qualified for the ECAC's at the first meet of the season, the Bison Open (Dec. 3). Buczko earned her place in the pole vault, while Grap secured a spot in the weight throw. Both athletes recently set new Gerhard Fieldhouse records and hit NCAA Provisional Marks, with Buczko's height of 13 feet, 3 1/2 inches, and Grap's throw of 62-6 1/2. Both athletes also hold the school record in their respective events.
Junior Tyler Hoffman (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg), qualified for the IC4A Championships in the weight throw, at the Bison Open, and recently became Bucknell's third-best all-time male athlete in the event, as he scored a mark of 58-4.
Next to qualify was junior Christa Sawko (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville Area), as she earned her place at the ECAC's in the 1000-meters, with a time of 2 minutes, 57.30 seconds (Bucknell Heptagonal, Jan. 14), while also qualifying in the 800 at the Penn State National Invite on Jan. 28 (2:12.05).
Sophomore Wallace Campbell (Montgomery, Ala./Montgomery Acad.) qualified for the Championships in the mile at the Heptagonal and also earned a spot in the 3000, while clocking in a time of 8:21.61 at the PSU Invite.
Junior Lauren Bricker (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) secured her place in the 1000, at PSU, with a time of 2:25.38, while senior Leanna Nastase also qualified during the PSU Invite, but in the 5000 (17:29.83).
Also at PSU, freshman Kerry Boyle (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) made his mark in the 500, with an IC4A-qualfying time of 1:04.26, while senior Kevin Brown (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) and junior Mark Caroleo (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) both qualified in the 1000, with times of 2:28.49 and 2:28.29, respectively.
At PSU, the women's distance medley relay team, made-up of Bricker, Sawko, junior Catherine Trentacoste (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City), and sophomore Erin Cranmer-Hart (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock Area) turned in a time of 11:56.00 and qualified for the ECAC's by over 12 seconds, as well as placing fourth in the school record books. The men's distance medley relay team comprised of Caroleo, senior Matt Corbetta (Port Chester, N.Y./Port Chester), Brown and Campbell also qualified for the IC4A's with a time of 10:08.91, at the Black Squirrel Invitational (Jan. 21).
A few events are schedule to start Friday, but the main competition starts on Saturday, at 9 a.m. Following the Open, the Orange and Blue are scheduled to return home to host the Bucknell Winter Classic, on Saturday, Feb. 11.
