Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Cross Country to Finish Patriot League Prep with Lock Haven Invite
10/22/2010 8:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 22, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. – With the Patriot League Championships on the horizon, Bucknell cross country has one final opportunity to tune up for the postseason, traveling to Lock Haven, Pa., on Saturday for the Lock Haven Invitational. In a field that also includes Mansfield, Bloomsburg and Indiana (Pa.), the Bison men will race at 10:30 a.m., followed by the women at 11:30 a.m.
MEN'S NOTEBOOK
- When the men's squad competed at the Brooks Pre-National Invitational last weekend, Joshua Clark (Vincentown, N.J./Seneca) led Bucknell in the second consecutive meet. The senior co-captain placed 25th out of 125 runners in the Open Race with an eight-kilometer time of 25 minutes, 46 seconds.
- Robert Yamnicky (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) continued his climb up Bucknell's ranks at Pre-Nationals. The sophomore was 42nd overall but second among Bison. That marks his best finish on the team this season.
- Along with Yamnicky, Dave Brown (Westborough, Mass./Westborough) recorded his best 8K time of the season at the Pre-National Invitational. Brown clocked in at 26:25 in Terre Haute, Ind., last weekend.
- The last time Bucknell raced at Lock Haven, it was an unplanned event. After the 2009 Penn State Invitational was canceled due to snow and power outages, the Bison and several other teams moved the race to Lock Haven. Bucknell finished fifth out of 11 teams at the make-shift meet. Charles Murphy (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) finished 47th overall. The senior is the only member of the Bison's top seven from that race returning in 2010.
- For last year's tune-up prior to the Patriot League Championships, the Bison headed to the Bloomsburg Open. Yamnicky earned his first collegiate win, solidifying his spot among those racing at the league meet. Michael Ryan (Schenectady, N.Y./Niskayuna) and Timothy Ryan (Schenectady, N.Y./Niskayuna) finished second and third, respectively, moving on to the league roster for Bucknell as well. Michael was named the Patriot League Runner of the Week, while Yamnicky was the league's Rookie of the Week following the race.
WOMEN'S NOTEBOOK
- Stephanie Fulmer (Pottstown, Pa./St. Pius X) returned to her spot atop the list of Bison finishers at last week's Pre-National Invitational. The junior was also the only Bison to finish in the top 100, placing 86th with a 6K time of 21:44 in the White Race. As a team, Bucknell finished 32nd out of 40 squads in a field that included eight nationally ranked opponents.
- Eileen Foley (Herndon, Va./Chantilly) and Caroline Tolli (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) both broke into the scoring ranks for Bucknell last weekend. Foley was fourth on the squad and 207th overall, while Tolli was fifth among Bison and 210th in the race. It was Tolli's first time scoring for the Bison in her career.
- Despite finishing toward the back of the pack in the team standings, Bucknell held onto its eighth-place ranking in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Mid-Atlantic Region poll. It is the third straight week the Bison have been ranked eighth. Also appearing in the USTFCCCA's Mid-Atlantic poll were Navy in seventh and Lehigh in 14th.
- When the Penn State Invitational was moved to Lock Haven last year because of snow, Bucknell finished seventh out of 18 teams. Sarah Moniz (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet Regional) led the Bison with a 28th-place finish. Fulmer was close behind in 30th, and Alysha Hooper (Meaford, Ontario/St. Mary's) rounded out the list of Bison in the top 50 with a 40th-place finish.
- Lauren Wiemken (Howell, N.J./Howell) claimed her first collegiate victory at last year's tune-up for the Patriot League Championships. Then a junior, Wiemken ran a time of 20:28 at the Bloomsburg Open to be named the Patriot League Runner of the Week for the first time in her career and earn an opportunity to compete for the Bison at the league meet. The late-season push paid off for everyone as Wiemken went on to play a key role in Bucknell winning yet another Patriot League title. Also posting strong finishes at Bloomsburg were Sara Lederman (Livingston, N.J./Livingston), Foley and Emily Liggett (Grosse Point, Mich./The Lawrenceville School (N.J.)), who placed third through fifth, respectively.
LOOKING AHEAD
The postseason will officially begin on Saturday, Oct. 30 when Bucknell travels to Easton, Pa., for the Patriot League Championships. The Bison women's squad will be defending its title and going for its ninth win since 1998. Races are set to begin at 10 a.m.
