Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships
Bucknell Women's Track and Field Wins Patriot League Title!
5/2/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
May 2, 2009
WEST POINT, N.Y. — Bucknell's women's track and field team claimed its eighth Patriot League title in the last 10 years as it easily defeated second-place Navy and third-place Colgate. The Bison scored 188.5 points, while the Mids recorded 119 and the Raiders 94.
In last year's Patriot League outdoor meet, the Bison were nipped by Army, which hosted this year's event, and finished second. This past March at the indoor conference championships, Bucknell also took second place. This is the eighth time in 10 years that Bucknell has won the Patriot League Championship.
"Our women had an incredible second day," Bison head coach Kevin Donner said. "They were very hungry to re-establish themselves as the premier women's program of the Patriot League after finishing a close second indoors this year and outdoors last year."
Along with their team championship, Bucknell also collected two meet awards with freshman Sarah Bella winning the Female Rookie of the Meet Award and junior Amy Mantush winning the Female Field Athlete of the Meet Award.
Bella won both the shot put and discus events. She threw for a new school record in the shot put, resetting the best mark with a toss of 45-7 ¾. Bella won the discus as well, throwing 139 feet, 5 inches to grab the eighth-best performance in Bucknell outdoor track and field history. Junior Chelsey Musante threw for a 44-8 mark in the shot put, the third best in school history and also took forth place in the discus to score for the Bison.
Mantush led the Bison in the jumping events. In the triple jump Mantush captured the individual title for the Bison, clearing 38 feet, 5 ¼ inches with junior Stephanie Evans taking fourth with a 37-1 ¾ performance. Mantush, the school-record holder, returned to defeat the field of high jumpers, with her leap of 5-5 ¾.
Reminiscent of the finish of day one's 4x800 relay, Bucknell senior Megan Hathaway passed Lehigh's Sarah Sewro in the final 100 meters to win the open 800. Hathaway cruised to a 2:11.17 finish to move herself into the third place on Bucknell's all-time performance list. Senior Jenny Dalzell finished in third place overall crossing the line in 2:12.69.
The 4x400 relay concluded in similar fashion with a similar plan: give Hathaway the baton and let her bring home a Bucknell victory. The Bison got their second relay victory of the day when Hathaway passed Colgate's anchor leg in the final straight, with Bucknell finishing with the win in 3:53.
In the 1,500-meter run, freshmen Stephanie Fulmer blazed a 4 minute, 39.48 second time to lock down the top spot for the Bison as sophomore Sarah Moniz also scored in fourth place with a 4:41.92 performance.
Next up for the Bison will be the ECAC Championships on May 16-17 in Princeton, N.J.
Final Team Standings
Bucknell - 188.50
Navy - 119
Colgate - 94
Army - 84
Holy Cross - 80
Lehigh – 54.50
Lafayette - 42
American - 16
