Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships
Keller Wins Long Jump as Bucknell Men's Track & Field Sits Second at Patriot League Championships
2/16/2013 7:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
Feb. 16, 2013
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Kevin Keller collected Bucknell men's track and field's first title of the meet and three more earned all-league honors as the Bison moved into second place at the Patriot League Championships at Gillis Field House on Saturday. Bucknell trails Navy was fewer than 10 points, 54.5-44, after six completed events.
Bucknell had a small lead after two events but dropped to second soon after. The Bison stayed in the hunt and kept the score close, however. With most of the events still up for grabs, Bucknell stands in second place with 44 points, just 9.5 behind the Midshipmen. Lehigh is in third with 33 and Army is fourth with 23.
Keller and Alex Prieto did their part to keep Bucknell in the mix. Keller claimed his first-ever Patriot League title with a career-best mark of 23-4 in the long jump. The sophomore is now the seventh long jump champion in program history and the first since Noel Powell won back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003.
Prieto was close behind him in second place, earning Second Team All-Patriot League honors with a mark of 23-0. A 19th point went to the Bison in the long jump as Kevin Tapper placed sixth (22-7).
Bucknell got 14 more points in the weight throw thanks to Leonard Joseph and Jack Fellows, who took second and third, respectively. Joseph just missed out on defending his title in the event with a mark of 64-4. Fellows could hardly have asked for a better day, smashing his previous career best. The sophomore finished with a throw of 59-11, six feet better than his best set last weekend at the Bucknell Winter Classic. Fellows now ranks fifth all-time at Bucknell having been unranked prior to today.
The field events continued to go in Bucknell's favor as Jason Brown tied for second in the high jump. The senior cleared 6-8 ¼, his best by 1 ¼ inches. He is now in sole possession of ninth on the program ledger.
On the track, John Dugan returned to action with a sixth-place finish in the 5,000 meters (14:48.13). The day ended with a fifth-place performance by the 4x800 relay, which clocked in at 7:48.64.
Before competition wrapped up on the track, however, Sam Brandstadt wrapped up his own two-day event, placing sixth in the heptathlon with 4,475 points. The sophomore was eighth after Friday's events. He steadily improved on Saturday, moving up to seventh after the 60-meter hurdles (9.03) and sixth following the pole vault (11-9 ¾). Brandstadt, who was also sixth in multi event last year as a rookie, completed his day in the 1,000 meters, taking third in the field with a time of 2:47.44.
In the sprints, Bucknell set itself up more points in tomorrow's finals. Christian Lupica and Grant Reynolds both advanced in the 60-meter hurdles. Lupica enters tomorrow's race as the second seed with a prelim time of 8.10.
Lupica also advanced to the finals in the 60 and 200 meters, although he is not the top-seeded Bison in either event. Jacob Eaton Hall ran a career-best 6.98 in the 60-meter prelims, placing him third so far in the field. Going into the final with the team to beat, however, is Justin Hicks. Hicks, who is attempting to defend his title from last year, ran a 6.90 in the semis, a full two-tenths of a second faster than his prelims mark. Patryk Najbar will join Hicks, Eaton Hall and Lupica in the 60 final.
Hicks also has the time to beat in the 200 meters at 22.21. Lupica was second in the prelims with a time of 22.24. Najbar and Eaton Hall again will join their teammates in tomrrow's final.
Competition begins at the Patriot League Championships again tomorrow 10 a.m.
