Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
UMBC Invitational
Webster Breaks Discus Record at Maryland, Bison Men's Track & Field Wins Eight at UMBC Invite
3/30/2013 8:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
March 30, 2013
BALTIMORE - Luke Webster broke the school record in the discus at the Maryland Invitational and eight more Bison earned individual wins at the UMBC Big Dawg Invitational as Bucknell men's track and field officially kicked off its outdoor season on Saturday. Webster, who is the first Bison at better than 170 feet in the discus, also earned top-10 finishes in two other events.
Webster finished second in the discus at Maryland, throwing 170-10. The senior entered the meet ranked second all-time at Bucknell and topped his previous personal best by more than two feet. Webster also placed third in shot put (51-0) and seventh in the hammer throw (152-6).
While only throwers competed at the Maryland Invite, the Bison dominated in events all over the track at UMBC. Among those winning their events was Christian Lupica, who swept the hurdles. The sophomore won the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 14.47 seconds, while his 54.59 in the 400 hurdles was a career best that also ranks seventh in program history.
The 4x100 relay also earned a gold medal, but many of the team's wins came at longer distances as well. Ryan Johnson and Dustin Horning went 1-2, respectively, in the 800 meters with Johnson breaking the tape first in 1:55.46. Chris Oesterlin and John Westwood also completed the 1-2 sweep in the 1,500. They were followed by several more Bison as Bucknell placed six in the top seven of the race. D.J. Kyrstek led the field in the 5,000 meters in 15:02.06.
The pole vault and the triple jump titles went to the Bison to help highlight the field events. Daniel Markwalter returned to competition for the first time since last spring and claimed gold in the pole vault. The senior cleared 15-3, well above his teammates Scott Weismiller and Ian Ferguson who took second and third place. Both cleared 13-9 ¼.
Coming off his Patriot League indoor title in the triple jump, Ray Holmes was again the victor in the event with a distance of 47-7. He also placed fourth in the long jump, an event in which the Bison placed second through fifth. Kevin Keller led that group with a distance of 22-9.
"It was a very solid day for both teams. We were `bustin' some rust' after a long layoff and considering the bad weather the past two weeks and a training cycle where we reloaded quite a bit, I was very pleased," said head coach Kevin Donner after the meet. "We traditionally do not come out sharp out of the gates during the outdoor season and we expect to see a lot improvement the next two weeks. We were basically getting a gauge to see who will go to the Colonial Relays next weekend."
The Colonial Relays hosted by William & Mary are next on Bucknell's schedule. The Bison will make the trip to Williamsburg, Va., for the two-day meet April 5-6.
