Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Track & Field Leads Off Outdoor Season with Susquehanna, Maryland Invites
3/25/2010 8:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
March 25, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell track and field opens its outdoor season on Saturday with the squads splitting between Susquehanna's Jim Taylor Invitational in Selinsgrove, Pa., and the Maryland Invitational in College Park, Md. After coming off a strong indoor season, the Bison women were once again picked first in the Patriot League preseason poll, while the men were voted second, receiving one of their highest preseason rankings ever. Bucknell will try to improve on their past success and those predictions as it heads toward the Patriot League Championships at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium April 30-May 1.
The Jim Taylor Invitational will be held at the Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium with field events beginning at 9 a.m. Other schools expected to compete include the host Crusaders, Bloomsburg, Eastern Mennonite, Frostburg State, Houghton College, Keystone College, Mansfield, Marywood and SUNY Oswego. Competition at Maryland's Jim Kehoe Track Complex features 19 teams including Patriot League foe American.
SPRINTS
Men: Robert Arent (New Providence, N.J./New Providence), Isaih Bell (Stone Mountain, Ga./Clarkston) and Justin Hicks (Wilmington, Del./Tower Hill School). Arent is coming off a winning performance at the Patriot League's indoor championships in the 400 meters and set top-10 marks in five events this winter. Bell also earned a number of top-10 marks, putting his name in the record books in the 55 and 60 meters as well as the long jump. The junior, who is in his first season with the track and field team, finished in the top five at the Patriot League meet in the 60 and the long jump. Hicks was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Meet at the championships last month after finishing third in the 60 and 200 and helping the 4x400 relay to a title.
Andrew Yehl (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) anchors the men's hurdling unit. The senior holds the school record in the 55 and 60 hurdles indoors and the 110 hurdles outdoors. After placing second in the 60-meter hurdles at the Patriot League meet, Yehl went on to earn All-East honors in the hurdles at the IC4A Championships.
Women: The Bison women saw success from both their veterans and their newcomers this winter. Senior Lindsay Appel (Wexford, Pa./North Alleghany) won the 400 at the Patriot League indoor championships after racing just twice during the 2009 outdoor season. Freshman Sasha Hornock (Dover, Pa./Dover) scored at last month's championship meet in the 60 meters and the long jump. Hornock also set top-10 times the 60 in her first year in the Orange and Blue.
Jamie Leacock (Howell, N.J./Howell) will continue to provide stability in the hurdles. The junior, who has a trio of top-10 marks in her career, is the defending outdoor Patriot League champion in the 400-meter hurdles.
MIDDLE DISTANCE
Men: The Bison will have some consistent performers at the middle distances, led by Kyle Ramer (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield), Clayton Smith (Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII) and Jordan Donaldson (Saxton, Pa./Tussey Mountain). The trio scored at the 2010 Patriot League indoor championships in the 1000 meters, 800 meters and 500 meters, respectively. Ramer and Smith also make up half of the 4x800 relay that won the outdoor title last season, joined by Christopher Boyd (Gaithersburg, Md./Thomas Sprigg Wootton) and Kevin McGoldrick (West Chester, Pa./Henderson).
Women: Allison Janda (Plymouth, Mich./Salem) and Stephanie Fulmer (Pottstown, Pa./St. Pius X) will anchor the middle-distance unit for the Bison. Janda is coming off a strong winter campaign in which she helped the 4x800 relay to a title, and finished second in the 4x400 and third in 800 meters at the Patriot League Championships. Fulmer was a member of the PL title-winning 4x800 team at last year's outdoor championships. She will also attempt to defend her first-place finish in the 1500 meters. The duo has combined for seven top-10 marks at Bucknell during their careers.
DISTANCE
Men: Andrew Huebner (Hampton Falls, N.J./Governor Dummer Academy) returns for his senior season after winning the Patriot League title and qualifying for the NCAA Regional Championships in the steeplechase last spring. Huebner is also coming off a pair of scoring performances in the 3000 and 5000 meters at this year's league indoor championship.
Women: Sarah Moniz (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet Regional) competed primarily in the 1500 and 5000 meters last spring and brought home a pair of top-10 finishes in those events at the Patriot League outdoor championships, but her best finish at the indoor meet came in the mile. The junior co-captain placed second at that distance, but nearly equaled that success with a third-place finish in the 3000.
Samantha Bower (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg-Salem) and Kelly Grosskurth (Huntington Station, N.Y./Half Hallow Hills East) came on strong at the end of the spring season in 2009. Both scored in the 3000 meter steeplechase at the league meet and posted some of the best marks in program history.
THROWS
Men: Bucknell does not lack depth in the throws events. Among the key returners are Ted Heitzman (Elysburg, Pa./Southern Columbia) and Steven Pierce (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) in javelin. Both are former NCAA Regional qualifiers in the event and hold top-10 marks at Bucknell. Timothy Medlock (Evan Mills, N.Y./Indian River) and Zachary Shapiro (River Edge, N.J./River Dell regional) are also strong in the shot put. Medlock holds the Bucknell records in both the indoor and outdoor shot, while Shapiro ranks in the school's top 10 in the event.
Women: Sarah Bella (Mendham, N.J./West Morris Mendham) and Chelsey Musante (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) have the throws well-covered for the Bison. Bella is the school record holder in the outdoor shot put, while Musante, who won the shot put and weight throw at last month's PL championships, holds the top mark at Bucknell in the indoor shot. Bella was also named the Patriot League Rookie of the Meet last spring after winning the shot put and discus. Laura Rycek (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) returns in the javelin with the second-best throw in Bucknell history.
JUMPS
Men: Bucknell will have proven champions Kyle Anthony (Barryville, N.Y./Eldred Central) and Drew Fitzgerald (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) back for another season. Anthony recently won his third Patriot League indoor triple jump title and will be looking to defend his outdoor title in the event his spring. Fitzgerald has a defense of his own in the works as the junior won the pole vault at last year's outdoor league meet. Anthony holds Bucknell top-10 marks in the long jump and triple jump, while Fitzgerald is in the record books for both pole vault and high jump.
Women: Rebecca Frey (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), who ranks third all-time at Bucknell in the indoor and outdoor pole vault, will seek to defend her outdoor Patriot League title in the event. Casey Krause (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) showed her worth in the league's indoor championships, winning her first individual title in the triple jump. The Bison will also have Amy Mantush (Drums, Pa./Hazelton) for a final season. The school record holder in the indoor and outdoor high jump, Mantush is looking for another Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet honor, as she is the defending outdoor champion in the high jump and triple jump.
MULTI-EVENTS
Men: Ryan White (Elkins Park, Pa./Father Judge) is the elder statesman of the multi-events and his experience showed at the Patriot League's indoor championship last month when he won the heptathlon. White was second at the Patriot League Championships in the decathlon last spring. Andrew Powell (Charlton, Mass./St. John's), who finished third in the heptathlon and fourth in the high jump at the league meet this winter, is looking for another strong spring. The sophomore, who is also a starter for Bucknell men's soccer, earned top-four finishes in the decathlon and high jump in his final outdoor meet a year ago.
Women: Mantush's success extends past just the jumps. The senior won the Patriot League pentathlon title last month and, combined with a win in the high jump and a fourth-place finish in the triple jump, was named the league's Field Athlete of the Meet for the second time in her career. Mantush ranks in the top 10 at Bucknell in both the pentathlon and heptathlon, as well as the triple jump, long jump and sprint medley relay.
