Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships
Bucknell's White Wins Heptathlon as Men's Track Moves into First at Patriot League Championships
2/20/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
Feb. 20, 2010
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Ryan White (Elkins Park, Pa./Father Judge) won the heptathlon to give Bucknell men's track its first individual win at the Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Championships at Army's Gillis Fieldhouse on Saturday. The Bison also moved into first place in the team standings, leading second-place Army by 10 points.
White claimed his first individual win at a Patriot League championship meet, leading the rest of the heptathlon field by nearly 150 points. White finished with 4800 points, while Lehigh's Kyle Forrest took second with 4653. On his way to the victory, White recorded a pair of event wins in the 60-meter hurdles and pole vault. He also finished second in the 60-meter dash, fifth in the high jump, sixth in the long jump and seventh in the shot put and 1000.
Andrew Powell (Charlton, Mass./St. John's) finished third in the heptathlon with 4613 points, giving him a season-best total. Like White, Powell also recorded a pair of single-event wins, coming in the long jump and high jump.
Although White claimed the team's only gold medal so far, the Bison were not without scorers, particularly in the field events. Bucknell placed three in the scoring ranks in the high jump, led by Drew Fitzgerald (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) in third after clearing 6 feet, 8 1/4 inches. Powell was fourth with an identical clearance. Nicholas Hruch (Sykesville, Md./Liberty) rounded out the group in sixth (6-6 1/4).
Bucknell also scored a pair in both the weight throw and the long jump. Tom Barr (Ambler, Pa./La Salle College HS) and Timothy Medlock (Evan Mills, N.Y./Indian River) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the throws event. Barr posted a mark of 54-1 1/2, while Medlock's 53-1 3/4 puts him in 10th all-time on Bucknell's program record list.
Kyle Anthony (Barryville, N.Y./Eldred Central) narrowly missed his first title in the long jump. The senior placed second overall with a distance of 23-9, just one inch behind Lafayette's Kyle Clayton. Isaih Bell (Stone Mountain, Ga./Clarkston) finished third in the standings. His distance of 23-4 was a personal best and ranks him seventh all-time at Bucknell. It also earns him a trip to the IC4A Championships in March.
Not to be outdone, the Bison runners also put some points on the board for their team. Andrew Huebner (Hampton Falls, N.H./Governor Dummer Academy) finished third in the 5000 meters in a time of 14 minutes, 42.92 seconds. The 4x800 team also scored with a fourth-place finish. The team of Conor McNamara (Baldwin, N.Y./Chaminade), Christopher Boyd (Gaithersburg, Md./Thomas Sprigg Wootton), Kyle Ramer (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) and Clayton Smith (Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII) put up a time of 7:46.72, which also qualifies them for the IC4As.
The Bison's success after two days puts them in first place in the team standings. At 57 points, Bucknell leads second-place Army (47) and third-place Navy (37). American is a distant fourth with 14 points.
Bucknell will try to hang on to its lead in the final day of competition on Sunday. Included in the 14 remaining events are the Bison sprinters who qualified for the finals in their respective events. Among them are Justin Hicks (Wilmington, Del./Tower Hill School) and Bell, who advanced in the 200 meter dash, and Andrew Yehl (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) and Robert Arent (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) in the 60-meter hurdles.
Competition resumes Sunday at Gillis Fieldhouse with the pole vault at 10 a.m. The running events kick off with the mile at 12 p.m.
