Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championships
Bison Men's Track & Field Named Patriot League Champions for Fourth Consecutive Year
5/4/2013 8:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
May 4, 2013
| BUY PHOTOS
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Bucknell men's track & field's senior class remained undefeated at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships as the Bison won its fourth team title in as many years at Bethlehem, Pa., on Saturday. The Bison totaled 184 points, 14 more than its closest foe, and collected three more individual gold medals on the final day. Among the winners was Justin Hicks, who swept the 100 and 200 meters and set the 200-meter school record. Leonard Joseph was also named the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet.
"This win may be one of the greatest in school history," said head coach Kevin Donner, who was named the Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. "Our seniors have never been beat at this meet and I was very proud how our men's team rallied as a group after Christian Lupica was injured in the 4x100. It was definitely a team effort across the board. This team was definitely hungry and focused."
Bucknell's 184 points gave them a 14-point lead over Army, which finished with 170 points. The Bison are the only team other than the Black Knights to win consecutive titles at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships. Finishing third on Saturday was Navy with 159 points, followed by Lehigh (85 points), Lafayette (32), American (26), Colgate (16) and Holy Cross (10).
Hicks started his day with a fourth-place finish in the 4x100 relay, finishing in 41.58 seconds. The senior's meet picked up significantly as the day went on. He followed up his relay performance with a win in the 100 meters, clocking in at 10.70 seconds, and later won the 200 meters in 21.16 seconds. The 200-meter time is the best in school history, topping Kerry Boyle's 2007 record of 21.24.
Hicks is the second consecutive runner to sweep the 100 and 200 at the outdoor championships, following Lafayette's Jerome Rudolph last year. He and Noel Powell in 2002 are the only Bison to complete the sweep.
While Hicks put together one of the top all-around days, he was not alone in his success. He was joined in the 100 meters by Kamal Riley, who placed second in 10.85, and Jacob Eaton Hall in fifth (10.93). Riley was also fourth in the 200 (21.56).
Bucknell got a huge infusion of points in the triple jump as Ray Holmes won the event by equaling his career best of 49-4 ¼. Second through fourth also went to the Bison thanks to Alex Prieto (46-7 ½), Kevin Keller (46-4) and Kevin Tapper (46-2).
The horizontal jumps proved to be key for Bucknell throughout the weekend. Keller won yesterday's long jump, while Tapper and Holmes were second and third, respectively. At the end of the weekend, the Bison claimed 54 points in the long jump and triple jump alone, accounting for almost 30 percent of the team's total.
Points continued to flow in in the throws as well. Luke Webster finished second in the discus, equaling his career best, which is also the school record, of 172-3. Joseph, who became a three-time hammer throw champion yesterday, finished fourth in 168-1. That throw was good for third all-time at Bucknell.
Joseph was named the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet for his two-day performance. The senior is the third Bison to win the award since it began in 2000 and the first since Drew Fitzgerald in 2009.
The Bison put four throwers in scoring position in the shot put. Stephen Koullias was the runner-up for the second consecutive year to lead the group. The senior put up a mark of 52-0. He was followed by Quinten Marcott in third (51-10 ½) and Brian Monahan was fourth (51-6 ½). Webster rounded out the group in sixth (50-6 ¼).
Depth was also the name of the game on the track as Bucknell has three score in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and two more in the 800. John Dugan earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors in the steeplechase with a time of 9:07.02. Robert Yamnicky and Tyler Erhard placed third and fourth, respectively, in the steeplechase as well.
Ryan Johnson took third in the 800 meters with the best time of his young career. The freshman clocked in at 1:51.51, which ranks fifth in program history. Alex Jagelsky followed his teammate with a fifth-place finish in 1:52.72.
At the end of the meet, Bucknell had five individual gold medals. In addition to Hicks and Holmes and Saturday, Keller (long jump) and Joseph (hammer throw) also earned victories and First Team All-Patriot League citations. Being named to the Second Team were Tapper (long jump), Prieto (triple jump), Webster (discus), Koullias (shot put), Nathaniel Witter (pole vault), Dugan (steeplechase) and Riley (100m).
Bucknell will continue its championship season next weekend at the IC4A Championships. The meet in Princeton, N.J. runs May 10-12.
