Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
IC4A Championships
Bucknell Takes Sixth at IC4A, Earning Highest Finish in Program History
3/9/2014 10:09:00 PM | Men's Track and Field
BOSTON, Mass. – The Bucknell men's track and field team concluded an excellent weekend of competition at the Boston University Track and Field Pavilion on Sunday, tying for sixth place at the IC4A Championships with 42 points, the highest finish and point total at the meet in program history. The Bison, who tied with Navy, broke the school record in the 4x400 for the second time this weekend, winning the event, and also scored points in the long jump, 60m hurdles and 1000m.
“This was a huge breakthrough meet for our men's program,” said head coach Kevin Donner, “A sixth-place finish is our highest ever, and 42 points breaks our record of 28 points that we hit a few years ago. Our men gave everything they had, and it was the perfect way to end a nice indoor season.”
Cornell won the meet with 76 points, while Connecticut and Albany tied for the runner-up spot with 54 points each. Liberty (52) and Monmouth (45) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while Bucknell and Navy, the 2014 Patriot League champions, tied for sixth place with 42 points.
Senior Ray Holmes proved why he was named the 2014 Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet with his performance in the high jump, highlighting action in the field events on Sunday with a second place leap of 23-08.75. Holmes, who won both the long jump and the triple jump at the conference meet two weeks ago, was victorious in the triple jump on Saturday.
Junior Christian Lupica and sophomore John Westwood both raced in the finals of their respective events, each placing third to score crucial points for the Bison. Lupica took the third spot in the 60m hurdles, an event in which he broke the school record on five occasions this season, with a time of 7.93, just one one-hundredth behind the top two finishers in an incredibly close race. Westwood raced to the third spot in the 1000m, crossing the line at 2:25.99.
Competition for the day and the meet concluded with the 4x400 relay, and for the second time in two days, the Bison proved why they are a force to be reckoned with. The squad of junior Kevin Tapper, senior Jacob Eaton Hall, sophomore Anthony Menza and Lupica combined for a time of 3:11.54, winning the event and improving upon the program mark of 3:11.89 that they turned in during prelims on Saturday.
"It's always great to end a meet with a win and school record," added Donner.
The IC4A Championships marks the end of the indoor season for the squad, and the men's track and field program will now switch its focus to the outdoor season. The Bison will take to the outdoor track for the first time on March 21 and 22, when they head to Lexington, Va. to compete in the Washington & Lee Invitational.
BUCKNELL RESULTS
Joseph Breen
- 25th in shot put (49-02.50)
Jack Fellows
- 15th in shot put (52-00.50)
Ray Holmes
- 2nd in long jump (23-08.75)
Christian Lupica
- 3rd in 60m hurdles (7.93)
Patryk Najbar
- 15th in 60m (7.09)
Alex Prieto
- 15th in long jump (20-07.25)
John Westwood
- 3rd in 1000 (2:25.99)
4x400 – Kevin Tapper, Jacob Eaton Hall, Anthony Menza, Christian Lupica
- 1st (3:11.54)
Players Mentioned
