Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bucknell Team Challenge
Bison Women's Track & Field Cruises to Win at Bucknell Team Challenge
4/23/2011 8:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
April 23, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bison women's track and field recorded one of its best all-around outings and the effort paid off with a team victory at the Bucknell Team Challenge at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Bucknell won big over second-place Duquesne, topping the Dukes 248-180 in the six-team meet. In addition to the six individual wins for the Bison, Kelly Grosskurth, Caroline Tolli, Emily Liggett and Kat Folger set program top-10 times to help lead the team.
Folger pulled off something no other javelin thrower had been able to do this season when she took first place in the event on Saturday. By recording a throw of 144 feet, 3 inches, which is third in program annals, Folger bested teammate Laura Rycek (143-11) by a mere four inches. It was the first time in 2011 that Rycek failed to earn a spot on the winner's podium's top step. Tayler Siegrist made it a Bison sweep in the javelin by placing third (139-9).
While Folger has been a fixture on the program top-10 list for much her career, Liggett made her first appearance in the record books with her strong performance in the 3,000 meters. The junior ran a career-best 9 minutes, 58.10 seconds for the win. After not being ranked in the event prior to Saturday, Liggett jumped all the way to fourth in program history.
Tolli also put her name on the 1,500 meter record lists for the first time. Coming in just one second behind fellow Bison Sarah Moniz (4:36.27), Tolli was second in 4:37.26. There are now three current Bison who rank among the program's best in both the 3,000 and 1,500 meters. Moniz, Stephanie Fulmer and Liggett are 2-3-4 in program annals at the longer distance, while Moniz, Fulmer and Tolli are second, seventh and eighth, respectively, in the 1,500.
Grosskurth, who now ranks fourth in program history in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, shaved nearly 10 seconds off her previous career best that she set just last week. On Saturday, the junior won the event in 11:08.2. She also had a commanding lead over the other competitors in the event. Second place was taken by teammate Leah Goeke, who crossed the line in 11:20.7.
"Our ladies have shown tremendous improvement over the outdoor season," said head coach Kevin Donner. "We showed great depth today, and we are now ready to approach the championship portion of the season."
Another convincing win came in the 4x800 where the Bison quartet finished in 9:18.45. Duquesne was a distance second with a time of 9:43.56.
Bucknell's depth was most apparent at the 800 meters and in the horizontal jumps. Four Bison freshmen swept the top spots in the 800, led by Hana Casalnova (2:14.30). Beth Braunegg, Erin Holbrook and Chelsea Lodato completed the monopoly.
Alyssa Cardillo (17-9 ½) and Casey Krause (17-8 ¾) took second and third, respectively in the long jump, while Sasha Hornock (17-5 ½) and Alexandra Romanelli (17-5 ¼) were fifth and sixth. The distances for all four Bison were season bests. Romanelli and Krause also scored in the triple jump, placing third and fifth.
In other field events, Rebecca Frey claimed her second gold medal of the year, clearing 11-7 ¾ in the pole vault. Emily Ando placed second with a height of 11-1 ¾. Kathryn Wahls was second in the hammer throw with a season-best 159-0.
After the final event, Bucknell had a 68-point advantage over their closest competitor in Duquesne. No other team reached century mark at the meet as Mount St. Mary's placed third with 60 points. Saint Francis (Pa.), Lock Haven and Bloomsburg rounded out the team standings.
Bucknell will compete again next weekend at the Penn Relays and the Bloomsburg Maroon & Gold Open. The Penn Relays run April 28-30, while the Bloomsburg meet is a one-day event scheduled for April 30.
