Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Track and Field Picked First In PL Outdoor Preseason Poll
3/20/2008 8:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
March 20, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell women's track and field team was picked first in the Patriot League Outdoor Preseason Poll, with 96 points and 12 first-place votes, the league announced Thursday. Bucknell won its seventh consecutive indoor league title a month ago and will look to defend its outdoor title from last season. In the preseason poll, Bucknell finished above second-place Lafayette (86 points, four first-place votes), third-place Navy (74), fourth-place Army (64), fifth-place Lehigh (49), sixth-place Holy Cross (34), seventh-place Colgate (28) and eighth-place American (17).
The Orange and Blue will begin the outdoor season on March 29, sending athletes to both the Maryland Invitational in College Park, Md. and to the Susquehanna Invitational in Selinsgrove, Pa. The Bison concluded the indoor season, March 8-9, at the ECAC Championships in Boston, Mass.
According to Bucknell head coach Kevin Donner, "Both the men's and women's teams had a very successful indoor season. I believe both teams are set up to be better during the outdoor season based on the events and talent. Our women are looking to defend the outdoor title and our men are in position to challenge Navy and Army for the outdoor title. Navy seems to be the favorite based on the indoor season, however Army has a very long outdoor championship streak and will be very tough."
Bucknell Women's Track and Field Notebook
At the ECAC Indoor Championships, March 8-9 -
- Freshman Rebecca Frey (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) scored for the Bison in the pole vault with a career-best height of 11-11 ¾ to place eighth. Her mark was the fourth-best height in Bucknell history.
- Senior Mariel Fink (Pennington, N.J./Hun School of Princeton), senior Victoria Gilbert (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom), sophomore Allison Janda (Plymouth, Mich./Salem) and senior Offeibea Hanson-Hall (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) qualified for the final in the 4x800 relay, running a season-best time of 9 minutes, 7.76 seconds to place second in their heat and third overall in the prelim. The squad finished ninth in the final with a time of 9:13.07.
- Junior Megan Hathaway (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Niagara Wheatfield) ran a personal record and the third-fastest time in Bucknell history in the 500-meter dash (1:15.35) to place 14th.
- Also competing for Bucknell at ECACs was sophomore Amy Mantush (Drums, Pa./Hazleton) in the triple jump (38-4 3/4, 15th) and the Bucknell distance medley relay team of sophomore Laura Cundey (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township), sophomore Jennifer Pierce (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J./Northern Highlands), junior Jenny Dalzell (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) and freshman Sarah Moniz (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet Regional), posting a time of 12:11.61 for 16th. Additionally, senior Amanda Mockbee (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) placed 16th in the weight throw with a distance of 48-11 ¾ and senior Erin Cranmer-Hart (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock Area) finished 24th in the mile (5:06.84).
At the Patriot League Indoor Championships, Feb. 22-24 -
- Bucknell won its seventh consecutive and 12th overall Patriot League indoor title compiling 173 points to defeat second-place Lafayette (146), third-place Navy (87), fourth-place Army (75), fifth-place Lehigh (49), sixth-place Holy Cross (46), seventh-place Colgate (28) and eighth-place American (16). In defending its Patriot League indoor title, the Bucknell women's track and field team tied the record for most consecutive Patriot League titles by a women's program. Additionally, Bucknell now owns the record for most total championships by a women's program.
- Seven athletes were named First Team All-Patriot League with Bucknell picking up first-place finishes in the long jump, mile, 500-meter dash, 4x800 relay and distance medley relay at the league championship: Nicole Ayala (long jump), Jenny Dalzell (4x800 relay, distance medley relay), Victoria Gilbert (4x800 relay, distance medley relay), Allison Janda (4x800 relay), Offeibeia Hanson-Hall (4x800 relay, distance medley relay), Erin Cranmer-Hart (mile, distance medley relay), Megan Hathaway (500-meter dash).
- Additionally, eight athletes were named Second Team All-Patriot League following the league meet: Amy Mantush (high jump, triple jump), Rebecca Frey (pole vault), Megan Hathaway (4x400 relay), Allison Janda (4x400 relay), Jennifer Pierce (4x400 relay), Mariel Fink (4x400 relay, 500-meter dash), Offeibea Hanson-Hall (1,000-meter run), Victoria Gilbert (800-meter run).
ECAC-Qualifying Times/Marks During Indoor Season -
- Rebecca Frey - Pole Vault (11-9 ¾; Bison Opener/Gulden Relays/PL Championships); (11-11 ¾ at ECAC Championships)
- Amanda Mockbee - Weight Throw (54-11 ½; Bucknell Winter Classic)
- 4x800 Relay - Mariel Fink, Victoria Gilbert, Allison Janda, Offeibea Hanson-Hall (9:08.11; PL Championships); (9:07.76 in prelim at ECAC Championships)
- Amy Mantush - Triple Jump (38-8 ¾; PL Championships)
- Megan Hathaway - 500-Meter Dash (1:15.35; ECAC Championships)
Bucknell Top-10 All-Time During Indoor Season -
- 55-Meter Dash - Stephanie Evans (7.92; No. 2 all-time; PL Championships)
- 60-Meter Dash - Stephanie Evans (8.07; No. 6 all-time; Bison Open and Multi)
- 400-Meter Dash - Megan Hathaway (58.50; No. 9 all-time; Bucknell Winter Classic)
- 500-Meter Dash - Megan Hathaway (1:15.35; No. 3 all-time; ECAC Championships); Allison Janda (1:17.10; No. 10 all-time; Bucknell Winter Classic)
- 800-Meter Run - Offeibea Hanson-Hall (2:14.56; No. 7 all-time; Akron Open)
- Shot Put - Amanda Mockbee (43-2 ½; No. 4 all-time; Bucknell Heptagonal); Chelsey Musante (43-1; No. 6 all-time; PL Championships)
- Weight - Amanda Mockbee (54-11 ½; No. 2 all-time; Bucknell Winter Classic); Chelsey Musante (50-2; No. 10 all-time; Bison Open and Multi)
- Pole Vault - Rebecca Frey (11-11 ¾; No. 4 all-time; ECAC Championships)
- High Jump - Kati Dempsey (5-5; No. 6 all-time; Akron Open)
- Long Jump - Nicole Ayala (18-3 ¼; No. 6 all-time; PL Championships)
- Triple Jump - Amy Mantush (38-8 ¾; No. 4 all-time; PL Championships); Nicole Ayala (38-0; No. 6 all-time; PL Championships)
- Pentathlon - Amy Mantush (3,435; No. 3 all-time; Bison Open and Multi); Denise Manero (3,044; No. 10 all-time; PL Championships)
- 1,600 Sprint Medley Relay - Megan Hathaway, Jennifer Pierce, Stephanie Evans, Allison Janda (4:11.46; No. 4 all-time; Gulden Relays)
2007-08 Indoor Honors -
- On Dec. 11, Frey was one of three Bison track and field athletes (also junior Kevin Macleod (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) and sophomore Kyle Anthony (Barryville, N.Y./Eldred Central) on the men's side) to be honored with a Patriot League weekly award. Frey was named the league's Rookie of the Week after placing second overall and posting the highest mark of collegiate competitors at the Bison Opener in the pole vault. She notched an ECAC-qualifying mark of 11-9 ¾, to place herself fourth on Bucknell's top-10 list for the event.
- On Jan. 15, Frey received her second league honor as Rookie of the Week after winning the pole vault at the Gulden Relays to tie her ECAC-qualifying mark of 11-9 ¾, set at the Bison Opener. Hathaway was tabbed as the league's Track Athlete of the Week on the women's side, after running the lead-off position for the second-place 1,600 sprint medley relay team, running the fourth-fastest time in program history (4:11.46) and going on to lead the Bison women in the 500-meter dash with a second-place finish (1:17.32).
- On Jan. 22, Gilbert was named Patriot League Track Athlete of the Week for her finishes at the Bucknell Heptagonal. She won the 800-meter run, clocking a time of 2:16.64 and ran the second leg for Bucknell's 4x800 relay team that won the event in 9:36.84 to help the Bison to a first-place team finish.
- Following the Patriot League Championships, Cranmer-Hart earned Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week honors on Feb. 25. Cranmer-Hart was named First Team All-Patriot League for a first-place finish in the mile and for anchoring the first-place distance medley relay team. She also scored for the Bison in the 1,000-meter run, placing fourth.
Looking Ahead -
- After opening the outdoor season in College Park, Md. and in Selinsgrove, Pa. on March 29, Bucknell will send athletes to the Auburn Invitational in Auburn, Ala. and to the Princeton Invitational in Princeton, N.J., April 4-5.
- The Orange and Blue will then host two home meets, the Bison Outdoor Classic, April 11-12, and the Bucknell Team Challenge, April 19.
- Bucknell will send athletes to the Penn Relays, April 24-26, and to the Shippensburg Invitational, April 26, before heading to the Patriot League Outdoor Championships, hosted by Navy in Annapolis, Md., May 2-3.
- The ECAC and IC4A Championships are set for May 16-18, in Princeton, N.J. The NCAA East Regional Championships are scheduled for May 30-31 and the NCAA Championships will take place June 11-14, in Des Moines, Iowa.
