Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Saturday Night at the Armory
Bucknell Men's Track & Field Wins at the Armory, Women Take Sixth
1/16/2011 7:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
Jan. 16, 2011
NEW YORK - Bucknell men's track and field won its first scored meet of the season, earning the team title at Saturday Night at the Armory, and the women's squad took sixth in New York on Saturday evening. Robert Arent, Tom Barr and the 4x400 relay earned individual victories on the men's side, while three women set program top-10 marks in four events.
The Bucknell men finished the night with 121 points in the field of 17 teams. Coming in second was Patriot League foe Army, which had 96 points. The women faced some stiff competition in their 14-team field, ending with 42 points. Connecticut earned the team win with 177 points, followed by Villanova's 125.
Arent's win came in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.20 seconds. The mark was a season-best and qualified him for the IC4A Championships in March. The last time the junior competed in the event was at the Bison Opener in December, where he also earned the gold.
Arent's day also included a fourth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles. His time of 8.21 seconds was third among collegiate runners, qualified him for the IC4As and tied his own personal-best mark, which ranks second in Bucknell program history.
Barr claimed his second gold medal of the season as well but in the shot put. The junior led a strong throws contingent for the Bison. Barr's mark of 50 feet, 7 ½ inches bested teammate Zachary Shapiro, who placed second (49-11 ¼). Quinten Marcott was sixth (47-3).
Wrapping up the list of winners was the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:19.29. The performance not only qualified the team for the IC4As, but also placed them in a tie for seventh on Bucknell's all-time top-10 list. The 4x800 relay was successful as well, placing second (7:57.67).
The long sprinters and middle distance runners also proved to be a high point for the Bucknell women. Bison rookies had their moment to shine as well. Freshman Hana Casalnova took second in the 800 meters. Her time of 2:14.57 is the ninth-fastest in program history.
Casalnova's classmate Jennifer Zymet broke onto the top 10 in two events on Saturday. Her 500-meter time of 1:16.53 earned her 10th place at the meet but the No. 9 spot all-time at Bucknell. The freshman also tied for ninth in program history in the 200 meters (25.92).
Joining in the youth movement were newcomers Beth Braunegg, Chelsea Lodato and Kady Weisner in the 1000 meters. The trio took sixth through eighth place.
Not to be outdone by her younger teammates, junior Taylor Funk improved her position on the program record lists in the 60-meter hurdles. Funk's time of 9.18 was a personal best and the seventh-fastest all-time at Bucknell. Funk already held the No. 7 spot with her previous career-best of 9.23.
Also highlighting the men's field were Clayton Smith and Chris Sacks in the 1000 meters. Smith was second overall with a time of 2:28.08, while Sacks' 2:29.16 earned him third place. Both runners have now qualified for the IC4A championship meet in the event.
Claiming his own second-place finish and another IC4A-qualifying standard was Leonard Joseph. The reigning Patriot League Field Athlete of the Week, Joseph was runner up in the weight throw with a distance of 55-9 ¼. Shapiro (50-2 ½) and Barr (48-10 ¾) placed seventh and eighth, respectively in the event.
The high jump was a high point for the Bucknell men with Drew Fitzgerald leading the way. Fitzgerald cleared 6-6 ¾, good for third at the meet. Nicholas Hruch was fifth (6-3 ½), while Andrew Powell and Jason Brown tied for sixth (6-2).
On the women's side, Rebecca Misko and Laura Rycek both claimed points in the shot put. Misko was fourth (40-0 ¾), followed by Rycek in seventh (39-7 ¾). Rebecca Frey took fifth in the pole vault, clearing 11-5 ¾.
The Bison will be back in action on Jan. 22 for the Bucknell Heptagonal at Gerhard Fieldhouse.
