Bucknell University
Bucknell Team Challenge
Bison Men's Track & Field Nets Another Win at Bucknell Team Challenge
4/23/2011 8:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
April 23, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Competing for the last time on their home track this season, Bison men's track and field won the Bucknell Team Challenge at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Saturday, besting second-place Duquesne by more than 125 points. On the way to their third title in as many years, the Orange and Blue collected a dozen individual victories, while Leonard Joseph's and Luke Webster's wins in the throws came with some of the best marks in program history.
Joseph's gold came in the hammer throw with a mark of 193 feet, 1 inch, good for the fifth-best throw all-time at Bucknell. The performance makes the sophomore just the fifth Bison to clear 190 feet and the first since Tyler Hoffman in 2007.
Webster made quite the jump in his personal record for the discus. The sophomore registered a career best by nearly 10 feet, winning with a mark of 162-2 on Saturday. The throw is good for fourth on Bucknell's top-10 list. Tom Barr placed second in the discus with his own career best of 156-1. He is now tied for ninth in program annals. Neither thrower was ranked in the top 10 prior to the Bucknell Team Challenge.
Thanks in part to those Bison's efforts, Bucknell totaled 256 points in the team standings. Trailing them were Duquesne with 128 points and Lock Haven with 122. Mount St. Mary's, Saint Francis (Pa.) and Bloomsburg also competed.
On the track, Justin Hicks and Robert Arent each tallied three wins. Hicks was the top finisher in a tightly contested 100 meters. The sophomore crossed the line in 11.02 seconds, just edging out second-place Paul Blinn of Duquesne and teammate Marlon Woods. All three finished with one one-hundredth of a second of each other. Hicks capped things off with a victory in the 200 meters (22.22) and the 4x400 relay (3:18.20).
Joining Hicks on the relay was Arent who began his day by dominating the hurdles. Arent was the only runner to finish the 110-meter hurdles in less than 15 seconds, clocking in at 14.67. He later won the 400-meter hurdles in 54.09.
Long distances proved to be equally successful for the Bison. Robert Yamnicky won the 3,000-meter steeplechase by more than 10 seconds over his closest competitor. Yamnicky finished in 9:29.2 for his first victory of the year. David Brown was the top runner in the 3,000 meters (8:25.71).
"We had a number of athletes who had a great meet, although quite a few looked al little flat," said head coach Kevin Donner following the meet. "We did win pretty handily, however. I believe our men are really looking forward to the next few weeks."
Rounding out the list of winners for Bucknell was Drew Fitzgerald in the pole vault, Ted Heitzman in the javelin (228-5) and Quinten Marcott in the shot put (50-11 ½). Fitzgerald was one of four athletes to clear 15-3, but his victory came thanks to having recorded fewer misses. Daniel Markwalter ended up tying for second in the pole vault with the same height.
Marcott helped the Bison sweep the shot put. While the sophomore was the only thrower to clear 50 feet, he was followed closely behind teammates Barr in second (49-11) and Zachary Shapiro in third (49-2 ½).
Bucknell will return to action next weekend for 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.
