Bucknell University Athletics
Busy Slate for Track & Field with Weekend's Bison Open & Multi, Penn State National Invite
1/24/2013 7:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
Jan. 24, 2013
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LEWISBURG, Pa. - Gerhard Fieldhouse will remain the site of Bucknell track and field's next meet as the squad hosts the Bison Open & Multi this weekend. Action begins Friday afternoon at 4 p.m., then picks up again Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Even more competition is on tap for a select number of Bison, however. Bucknell will also make the short trip to University Park, Pa., for the Penn State National Invitational with events starting at 4:45 p.m. on Friday at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Both meets will have live results. Updates for the Bison Open & Multi can be found at BucknellBison.com. Results for the Penn State National Invite will be available at GoPSUSports.com.
SPRINTS/HURDLES
- Christian Lupica continued his run as one of the top Bison with his success at the Gulden Invitational. After being named the Most Valuable Track Athlete at the meet, the sophomore copped the titles of Patriot League Runner of the Week and Bison Athlete of the Week on Monday.
- Lupica set a Gerhard Fieldhouse record with his win in the 200 meters (21.84) at the Gulden Invitational. It was his third record in as many meets as he also claimed the program standards in the 300 meters (34.77) and 60-meter hurdles (8.05) earlier this season.
- Lupica was one of 23 Bison to earn an accepted entry into this weekend's Penn State meet. He is scheduled to compete in Friday's 60-meter hurdles.
- Justin Hicks has not make much noise yet this season, but the senior started showing signs of progress at the Gulden Invite. Hicks was second in the 60 meters with a season best 6.90 seconds. He also recorded IC4A-qualifying times in both the 60 and 200 meters.
- Like Hicks, Sasha Hornock posted some of her top marks of the season the last time she was on the track. The senior finished third in the 60 with a time of 7.83 seconds and seventh in the 200 at 26.10 at the Gulden Invite. Hornock is scheduled to compete in the 60 at Penn State this weekend.
- Also on the schedule at Penn State is Anthony Menza. The freshman qualified for the IC4A Championships with a 500-meter time of 1:08.98 last weekend. He will compete in the 400 meters when he makes the trip to University Park.
MID-DISTANCE/DISTANCE
- Few Bison have collected more gold medals this winter than John Westwood. Westwood won the 800 meters last Saturday, giving him three wins in three individual events over the course of three meets. The freshman also has victories in the mile and the 1,000 this season. While teammate Leonard Joseph is also undefeated in three meets in the weight throw, the last Bison to never place lower than first in an individual even through his first three meets was Chris Sacks. Sacks won the mile twice and the 1,000 to open the 2011-12 campaign. The last Bison to stay undefeated in individual events through the first four meets of the year was Kerry Boyle in 2006-07. Then a sophomore, Boyle won the 300 meters at the Bison Opener, 500 at the Gulden Relays, 200 and 400 at the Bucknell Heptagonal and 400 at the Penn State National Invite.
- Westwood is slated to race in the 1,000 Invitational race at Penn State this weekend.
- Caroline Tolli became a two-time winner at Gulden Invite. By taking gold in both the mile and 1,000 on her home track, the senior claimed two individual victories in the same meet for the first time in her career. She also earned ECAC-qualifying times in both events, although her appearance at Penn State will be in the 3,000 meters.
- Scheduled to join Tolli in the 3,000 this weekend is Katie Jessee. Jessee placed fourth in the mile with a personal best of 5:08.32 and third in the 3,000 (10:23.33) at the Gulden Invite. She has never placed lower than sixth in five career mile races. Her lone victory at that distance came at last year's Bison Open & Multi.
- Bucknell saw some of its strongest performances at last year's Penn State National Invitational in the middle distances. Beth Braunegg set the school record while placing fourth in the invitational 1,000 (2:53.73). That mark was broken the very next week by Hana Casalnova, who also placed fourth in the 800 meters with a then-career-best 2:14.14 at Penn State. Tolli also won the open 1,000 meters with a time of 2:54.30, which still stands as her career best and ranks fifth in program history.
- On the men's side at the 2012 Penn State National Invite, Dustin Horning took third in the mile. He completed the race in a season-best 4:11.68, qualifying for the IC4A Championships.
THROWS
- Leonard Joseph has accomplished a lot already this winter despite competing in only one event as a weight throw specialist and Bucknell only appearing in three meets. Through those three competitions, the senior has three gold medals, three IC4A-qualifying marks and three Patriot League Field Athlete of the Week honors.
- With his latest Patriot League award, Joseph now has seven career Field Athlete of the Week titles. That ties former Bison Tyler Hoffman for the most in league history.
- Joseph, who won the weight throw at last year's Bison Open & Multi, has surpassed 60 feet in the event in each of his last six meets dating back to the end of the 2012 campaign. His most recent mark of 62-10 ½ at the Gulden Invite was 1 ½ inches off his personal best, which currently ranks fourth in program history.
- While winning is nothing new to Joseph, Luke Webster claimed his first career victory last Saturday at the Gulden Invitational and he did so with a bang. The senior earned gold in the shot put with a personal-best throw of 53-4 ¼. That mark ranks third in program history. Webster was not among Bucknell's top 10 prior to the meet.
- Abigail Brundage and Abby Monaghan are establishing themselves as two of Bucknell's most consistent throwers. Brundage has placed in the top four in the shot put in all three meets this winter. Monaghan took third in the weight throw at both the Bucknell Mini Meet and Gulden Invite.
- Bucknell will be well represented in the throws at the Penn State National Invite this weekend. Four women and five men will compete in the shot put and weight throw. Webster is the only Bison with an accepted entry in two events this year.
JUMPS
- Bucknell earned just one victory in the jumps at the Gulden Invitational last weekend. Jason Brown was responsible for that gold medal, taking the top of the podium in the high jump after clearing 6-4 ¾. It was his second consecutive event win at the Gulden Invite and his first victory in the high jump since clearing a meet-best 6-6 ¼ at Youngstown State last year.
- Bucknell's women's squad has inked four new program top-10 marks in the books this winter. Olivia Massey was the latest, and the first non-sprinter, putting up a career best in the long jump last weekend. The senior posted a mark of18-6 ½, taking her from unranked in program history to the No. 6 spot. Massey finished third at the meet.
- Ray Holmes, who has an IC4A-qualifying mark in the triple jump at each of his three meets this year, and Alex Prieto are scheduled to compete in the triple jump at Penn State. Representing the Bison on the women's side are Emily Ando and Autumn Schellenberger in the pole vault, Massey in the long jump and Alexandra Romanelli in the triple jump.
MULTIS
- Bucknell will get its first crack at the heptathlon and pentathlon at this weekend's Bison Open & Multi. Last year's heptathlon went heavily in the Bison's favor. Andrew Powell won the event with a then-school record 5,049 points. He went on to break his own standard later that year at the Patriot League Championships.
- Sam Brandstadt placed sixth and Greg Barbier was eighth at the 2012 Bison Open & Multi. Both Bison set what were then career-best point totals that were also among the top 10 in program history.
LOOKING AHEAD
Bucknell will make a rare trip out of state for its next meet. The Bison will head to the Youngstown State Invitational in Ohio Feb. 1-2, just two weeks ahead of the Patriot League Championships.
