Track & Field Set to Host Bucknell Team Challenge on Saturday

4/18/2014 10:07:00 PM | Men's Track and Field

By: TBD

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell track and field team completed its first home meet of the season last weekend, and the squad will be back in action this Saturday when it hosts the Bucknell Team Challenge at the Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The Bison turned in thirteen ECAC/IC4A qualifying marks as well as eight program top-ten marks over the course of the two-day meet last weekend, and will be looking for similar success in the one-day, team-scored competition.

“As we are just two weeks out from the league meet, this is a big weekend for most of our team,” commented head coach Kevin Donner. “Many of our athletes will be looking to solidify their spots on the travel roster. This is our second scored meet of the season, and I will be looking for athletes who will do what it takes to score for the team and help us win. The competition will be very solid and the team will be very focused.”

After turning in several impressive performances last weekend, the women's team seems primed for continued success on Saturday. Sophomore Jenn Silvestri became the sixth-fastest 400m hurdle runner in Bucknell history with her ECAC-qualifying time of 1:01.75 last Sunday, and will be back in action this weekend alongside two freshmen, Laura Papili and Seline Tan Torres. Senior Jennifer Zymet turned in a time of 56.44 in the 400m last weekend and also took on the 4x800 for the first time. A newbie to the middle distance event, Zymet was able to produce an impressive split of 2:16.60, proving her strength and versatility. Senior Hana Casalnova, who ran both the 1500m and the 800m races last weekend, will be competing in the 800m on Saturday and will be joined by classmated Emily Waksmunski. Junior Kim Nagotko represented the Bison sprinters well at the Outdoor Classic, finishing fourth in the 100m with a time of 12.16 and helping the 4x100m relay to a fifth-best mark in school history. Nagotko will return in the 100m and the relay this weekend, as well as the 200m. Freshman Sarah Chandler, who ran the team's fastest 3000m steeple last weekend, will be competing in the 1500m in the Team Challenge in hopes of increasing her speed for the longer event.

On the men's side, junior Kevin Tapper proved himself yet again in the triple jump and the running events, finishing second in the 400m with a strong head wind and a time of 48.24. Junior Christian Lupica and sophomore Grant Reynolds were both top finishers in the 100m hurdles, while Reynolds also proved himself a contender in the 400m hurdles with a time of 56.72. Both will be back in action in both hurdle events this weekend. Seniors Patryk Najbar, Kamal Riley and Jacob Eaton Hall joined Lupica in the 4x100m relay, and even with a shaky handoff, the quartet was able to run the tenth-best time in school history. The squad will run the event again this weekend with hopes of smoother transitions and faster times. Senior Tyler Erhard ran an impressive 9:10.16 to qualify for IC4As in the 3000m steeplechase, and will run the 800m race this weekend to improve upon his foot speed.

Action in the field events will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium on Saturday, and the running events are set to commence at 12:00 p.m. The team will also celebrate Senior Day and will be recognizing the senior class with a ceremony at center field beginning at 11:15 a.m.