Bucknell University Athletics
Women's Track and Field Places Five on Patriot League 25th Anniversary Team
8/21/2015 11:49:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell had five former athletes named to the Patriot League Women's Track and Field 25th Anniversary Team, released by the conference on Friday. Tameka Hinton '95, Maria Garcia '04, Melanie Buczko '07, Marjorie Grap '07 and Amy Mantush '10 were all voted to the 25-athlete squad. The group combined for 41 individual Patriot League titles during their time with the Bison.
Hinton is widely regarded as one of the top track and field athletes in the history of the Patriot League. She won three Athlete of the Meet awards for her performances at Patriot League Championships and won an amazing 16 individual league titles. She won three different events – indoor 55- and 200-meter and outdoor 100-meter – in all four of her collegiate seasons, while also adding wins in the outdoor 200-meter and both the indoor and outdoor shot put. Hinton, a 2005 Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, still holds the school record in the indoor 55-meter dash with a time of 7.12.
Garcia was the most dominant athlete in any single event during her era of the Patriot League. She won the conference title in the hammer throw in each of her four seasons, the last of which led to her receiving Field Athlete of the Meet honors at the 2004 Outdoor Championships. She still holds the meet and school records in the event with a toss of 202-8, which is more than 10 feet better than anyone in Bucknell history. Garcia qualified for the 2004 NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, where she finished 20th.
Buczko has the hardware and numbers to be considered the best pole vaulter in Patriot League history. She was a three-time champion at the Indoor Championships and two-time winner at the Outdoor Championships, while setting records in both meets that still stand today. She qualified for the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships and the 2005 NCAA Indoor Championships, turning in top-15 finishes at both. She still holds Bucknell records for the indoor pole vault (13-5 ½) and outdoor pole vault (13-3 ½). Buczko earned one of the highest academic accomplishments her senior season when she was voted as a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Grap was an all-around great athlete in the throws, excelling in multiple events. She won nine individual conference titles and was named the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Meet at both the 2005 Outdoor Championships and the 2006 Indoor Championships. Her individual titles were spread out in the indoor weight throw (3), outdoor discus (3), indoor shot put (1), outdoor shot put (1) and outdoor hammer throw (1). She still holds the Bucknell record in the weight throw with a toss of 65-7 ½. Grap remained in collegiate athletics for a few years after graduation, spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Finger Lakes Community College and one as the throws coach at Colgate.
Mantush, who is preparing to begin her first season as an assistant coach on Bucknell's staff, could do it all during her athletic career with the Bison. She excelled in the jumps with four high jump titles (two indoor, two outdoor), one in the outdoor triple jump and one in the outdoor long jump. She added a conference title in the indoor pentathlon. That success helped her land Field Athlete of the Meet honors at the 2009 Outdoor Championships and 2010 Indoor Championships. She still holds the record in the indoor (5-8) and outdoor (5-7) high jump. Before beginning her time as a coach at Bucknell this season, Mantush spent two seasons as an assistant at Allegheny and two as an assistant at Misericordia.
The team members are listed below by school, with seasons indicating the years of competition within the Patriot League. Each school that participates in women's track and field selected 25 players in the voting for the 25th Anniversary Team, and could not vote for its own student-athletes.
American: Keira Carlstrom (2003-06); Samia Akbar (2002-03)
Army West Point: Tiffany Martin (2002-05); Ebony Thomas (2006-09); Sara Fields (2001-04); Yolanda McCray (1995-98)
Boston University: Allison Barwise (2014); Gemma Acheampong (2014-15); Rosa Moriello (2014-15)
Bucknell: Tameka Hinton (1992-95); Amy Mantush (2007-10); Melanie Buczko (2004-07); Maria Garcia (2001-04); Marjorie Grap (2004-07)
Colgate: Elise DeRoo (2009-12)
Holy Cross: Stephanie Okpoebo (2011-14)
Lafayette: Kristen Kalinowski (2005-08); Joelle Neilson (2009-12)
Lehigh: Justina Barone (2000-03); Brooke Astor (2011-14)
Navy: Jess Palacio (2009-12); Tiniesha Davis (2002-05); Kirsten Andrews (2004-07); Joanna Helm (1998-01)
Fordham: Lauren Gubicza (1991-93)
