Joseph Wins Bison Track & Field's First-Ever IC4A Hammer Throw Title, Bucknell Women Set Two School Records

Saturday, May 11

Charlottesville, Va.

2:00 PM

Bucknell University

Virginia Challenge

Joseph Wins Bison Track & Field's First-Ever IC4A Hammer Throw Title, Bucknell Women Set Two School Records

5/11/2013 8:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field

By: TBD

May 11, 2013

Results

PRINCETON, N.J. - Leonard Joseph became Bucknell's first-ever IC4A hammer throw champion and Kevin Keller joined him in All-East honors as Bucknell track and field continued its tear through the IC4A and ECAC Championships at Princeton on Saturday. Leading the way on the women's side were the 4x400 relay at the ECAC Championships and Caroline Tolli the 1,500 at the Virginia Challenge as both set school records.

Joseph won the hammer with a throw of 208-8. With the victory, the senior became the third Bison to take home gold in a scored event at the IC4A Outdoor Championships. He joins Hall of Famer Thomas McLean, who won the 800 meters in both 1976 and 1977, and Bob Kelly, who won the 10,000-meter run in 1992. Jerry Katz also won the 10K walk in 1980, but the event was unscored.

Joseph now has three career All-East honors outdoors. He placed third in the hammer throw last spring and seventh in 2011 as a sophomore. Saturday's IC4A title was also Joseph's second of the year as he was also the weight throw champion at the indoor meet in February.

While Joseph is no stranger to All-East accolades, Keller earned his first with a fourth-place finish in the long jump. The sophomore registered a career best in the event, jumping 24-3 ½. That distance ranks third all-time at Bucknell and is the best mark on the program top-10 list since Noel Powell set the school record at 24-10 ½ in 2004.

Although the Bucknell women sent representatives to both the ECAC Championships and the Virginia Challenge, the split squad did not diminish the team' results. At the Virginia Challenge, Tolli knocked nearly six seconds off her personal best and took over the 1,500-meter school record. The senior ran 4:25.55 for 21st place in the race. That time was her first under 4:30, cruising past Christa Sawko the previous record holder at 4:28.28.

The women's 4x400 also set a new program standard, running 3:45.69. That time was the fastest in more than a decade, breaking the previous record of 3:47.09 set in 2002. The relay finished 11th in the prelims on Saturday.

Tolli now has at least a share of two outdoor records. She is also a member of the 4x800 relay that ranks first (8:44.94). In all, Bucknell women's track and field has set six school records this spring, including the 100 and 200 marks for Kim Nagotko as well as the 4x100 and 4x200 in addition to Tolli's and the 4x400's new No. 1 times.

Joining Tolli in Charlottesville, Va., was Beth Braunegg. Braunegg also ran a career best in the 1,500 with a time of 4:28.45. That ranks third all-time at Bucknell and was 28th in the Saturday's race. Braunegg, Sawko and Tolli are the only Bison to run under 4:29.

Yet another top-10 mark fell on the second day of the three-day meet. Chrissy Haney ran 1:01.19 in the prelims of the 400-meter hurdles, improving on her own No. 3 time in school history. The freshman took over that spot last weekend in her event win at the Patriot League Championships. Despite the personal best, however, Haney did not qualify for tomorrow's ECAC final.

Back at the men's IC4A Championships, the 4x400 relay of Kevin Tapper, Jacob Eaton Hall, Dennis Logan and Anthony Menza took over the eighth spot on the program top-10 list. The quartet finished 14th in the prelims with a time of 3:15.55.

Nathaniel Witter cleared a career-best 15-9 in the pole vault, placing 16th and tying him for fourth all-time in program history. Luke Webster finished 14th in the discus with a distance of 161-9.

"It was a great day all around with Leonard winning the hammer and Keller placing third in the long jump. His long jump may get him to the NCAAs," said head coach Kevin Donner on Saturday night. "Our women's 4x400 set a school record to end the best-ever year for our female sprinters on a high note and Caroline breaking the school 1,500 record at UVA is a great moment for her and the program."

The ECAC and IC4A Championships conclude tomorrow.

BUCKNELL RESULTS
Men's Hammer Throw
1. Leonard Joseph - 208-8 (All-East)

Men's Long Jump
4. Kevin Keller - 24-3 ½ (All-East)

Men's Pole Vault
16. Nathaniel Witter - 15-9
-- Scott Weismiller - NH

Men's Discus
14. Luke Webster - 161-9
37. Brian Monahan - 139-11

Men's 100m Prelims
36. Kamal Riley - 11.27

Men's 200m Prelims
25. Kamal Riley - 22.58

Men's 400m Prelims
32. Kevin Tapper - 48.97

Men's 4x400 Prelims
14. Bucknell - 3:15.55

Men's 4x800 Prelims
15. Bucknell - 7:41.24

Women's Long Jump
20. Alyssa Cardillo - 17-3 ¼

Women's Pole Vault
-- Emily Ando - NH