Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships
Joseph, Keller Win Gold, Bison Men in Second at Patriot League Track & Field Championships
5/3/2013 8:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
May 3, 2013
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Kevin Keller and Leonard Joseph became the first Bison to don gold medals as Bucknell men's track and field opened its title defense at the Patriot League Championships in Bethlehem, Pa., on Friday. The Bison are second in the team standings after the first day but trail Navy by just one point and a bulk of the points still up for grabs when the meet resumes tomorrow.
After six completed events, Bucknell totaled 50 points, most of them in the field events. Navy took the lead in the team standings with 51 points, while Army was close behind was 46. The rest of the pack had already started to fall off the pace with Lehigh sitting in fourth place at 12 points.
"It was a nice first day overall for both teams," said head coach Kevin Donner on Friday evening. "It was your typical Patriot League Day One where the projections are never accurate. We had a couple bad events, but we counteracted with a few huge events, and we have everyone we needed in the finals of the 100, 200 and high hurdles for both genders. Our jumpers also came up big."
Joseph and Keller are both repeat winners. Joseph posted a mark of 209-0 for the hammer throw victory, his third straight. The senior, whose best throw of the day was less than one foot shy of his personal best and the school record, is the third thrower in Patriot League history to win three hammer throw titles and the first since Army's Matt Schmitt in 2003-05.
Also scoring for Bucknell in the hammer was Ted Mottola. Mottola was sixth with a career-best throw of 175-5.
Keller completed the long jump sweep after also winning the even at the indoor league championships last February. On Friday, the sophomore finished with a mark of 23-4 ½. He is the first athlete to win both the indoor and outdoor long jump in the same season since 2008 when Navy's Ronald Belany accomplished the feat.
Keller led an impressive group of Bison in the long jump as Bucknell placed first, second, third and fifth in the event. Earning Second Team All-Patriot League honors was Kevin Tapper. The sophomore finished at 23-1 ¾, giving him a career best and the 10th-best mark in program history. Ray Holmes was third (23-0 ¾) and Alex Prieto took fifth (22-3 ¾).
Depth also went in Bucknell's favor in the sprints prelims. Justin Hicks, Jacob Eaton Hall, Kamal Riley and Patryk Najbar all advanced to tomorrow's final in both the 100 and 200 meters. Hicks made himself the runner to beat in the 100, clocking in with the best time in the field at 10.89 seconds. The senior is trying to recapture his title from 2011.
Also advancing to the finals are Christian Lupica and Grant Reynolds in the 110-meter hurdles. Lupica took second in the prelims at 14.31, while Reynolds' 14.80 earned him seventh place as well as tied him for eighth in program annals.
Not all events on the track were preliminaries. The 4x800 relay saw the Bison finish third. Alex Jagelsky, Chris Oesterlin, Ryan Johnson and John Westwood combined for a time of 7:33.07, which will go down as the No. 7 time in the Bucknell record book.
Nathaniel Witter earned his best finish in a Patriot League meet by finishing second in the pole vault with a clearance of 14-9. After the first day of action, four Bison had earned All-Patriot League honors, including Joseph and Keller on the First Team and Tapper and Witter on the Second.
Competition at the Patriot League Championships continues tomorrow at 9 a.m. with the Bison looking for their fourth consecutive outdoor team title.
