Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bucknell Team Challenge
Bucknell's Men's and Women's Track and Field Teams Win Bucknell Team Challenge
4/18/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
April 18, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell's men's and women's track and field teams hosted and won the Bucknell Team Challenge Saturday. For the second weekend in a row, the Bison were able to produce NCAA Regionals qualifiers at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
The Bison men won the meet with 205 points over second-place Saint Francis (Pa.), which had 89 points, and Mount St. Mary's which had 77.
It was a great day for jumpers, as sophomore Drew Fitzgerald (Ballston Spa, Pa./Ballston Spa) blasted his way to the top of the all-time Bucknell performance list in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 10 3/4 inches to win and junior Kyle Anthony (Barryville, N.Y./Eldred Central) churned out a personal-best jump in the triple jump with a 49-10. Anthony and Fitzgerald each qualified for the NCAA Regional Championships. Anthony's mark is good enough for the second on Bucknell's all-time performance list.
"Drew and Kyle finally hit their stride in the jumps," said Bucknell jumps coach Bobby Wilson.
Fitzgerald also tied for first in the pole vault with Mount St. Mary's Rick Villanova, with both reaching 15-3. Anthony also placed second in the long jump, with a leap of 23-7 ¼, for his second-best jump in two years. Freshman Ted Heitzman was also victorious with his 196-5 javelin throw.
Freshman Robert Arent pulled out a victory in the 400-meter hurdles, clocking 54.30 seconds, sophomore Clayton Smith (Sparta N.J./Pope John XXIII) and junior Kyle Ramer (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) went 1-2 in the 800 (1:54.17, 1:54.23) and junior Andrew Yehl (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) claimed a win in the 100 hurldes in 14.57 to lead the Bison on the track.
"This meet was a fantastic, small, scoring meet. It's a great atmosphere before leagues," Bison head coach Kevin Donner said.
The Bison women had similar results as they won the meet with 270 points. Lock Haven and Mount St. Mary's finished second and third, scoring 94 and 78 points, respectively.
"For the women, it was our best meet all year. We really had some girls come out of the woodwork for us today," Donner said.
Seniors Gillian Nordquist (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) and Megan Hathaway (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Niagara Wheatfield), freshmen Kara Weichler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) and freshman Stephanie Fulmer (Pottstown, Pa./St. Pius X) and sophomore Jamie Leacock (Howell, N.J./Howell) all led the Bison with victories on the track. Claiming victories were: Nordquist (3,000/10:34.24), Hathaway (800/2:13.49), Weichler (3,000 steeplechase/11:42.7), Fulmer (1,500/4:38.71) and Jamie Leacock's (100 hurdles/15.10 and 400 hurdles/1:02.95). Leacock's 400 hurdle time was a new personal-best and fifth-best ever for Bucknell. Fulmer's 1,500 time was good for eighth on Bucknell's all-time performance list.
In the field events, junior Chelsey Musante (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) produced a long hammer throw, with a toss of 171-5, for the fourth-best mark in Bucknell history. Musante also placed second in the shot put, throwing 43-5 1/4, to lead the Bison in the throws. Freshman Kat Folger (Groton, Mass./Bishop Guertin) won in the javelin throw (129-9), sophomore Rebecca Frey (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) took the pole vault, clearing 11-5 ¾ and sophomore Casey Krause (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) and junior Amy Mantush (Drums, Pa./Hazleton) went 1-2, leaping to 37-3 ¼ and 37-1 ¼, respectively, in the triple jump to lead the Bison off the track.
Next up for the Bison will be the Red Flash Open, hosted by Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday, April 25.
"Everyone has a different mission at the Saint Francis meet," commented Coach Donner. "Some athletes will be in off events, some will be playing defense by resting and avoiding injuries and some will be looking to run faster times to get onto the traveling squad."
