Women's Track and Field Wins Two Events, Finishes 2nd at PL Indoor Championships

Sunday, February 21

Boston, Mass.

All Day

Bucknell University

Patriot League Indoor Championships

Women's Track and Field Travels to Princeton for ECAC Championships

Women's Track and Field Wins Two Events, Finishes 2nd at PL Indoor Championships

2/21/2016 8:28:00 PM | Women's Track and Field

By: TBD

BOSTON, Mass. – The Bucknell women's track and field team won two events Sunday en route to a second-place finish at the Patriot League Indoor Championships at Boston University's Track and Tennis Center. Twelve athletes earned All-Patriot League honors during the three-day meet.

Boston University accumulated 183 points to win the team title, edging the Bison by seven points.

“It's always tough to come in on the short end of a very close meet,” says head coach Kevin Donner. “However, I was proud of how our women never gave up and every time they hit us hard in an event, we hit them back in another. I am sure we will all look to see where we may have left points on the board, but we are a team and we will win as a team and lose as a team. I am excited about the ECAC in two weeks and 11 weeks from now, we are hosting the outdoor championships and I know our ladies will be motivated.”

Christine Bendzinski, who helped the Bison's 4x800-meter relay team set a Patriot League record on Saturday, earned another first-place finish in the mile, crossing the line in 4:55.41. Sarah Chandler, another member of the Bison 4x800 relay squad, was the runner-up in the event with a time of 4:55.67. Her time is a personal-record and now ranks fifth in program history.

Chandler and Bendzinski swapped positions in the 1,000, finishing first and second, respectively. Chandler's time of 2:49.96 is a Patriot League record (2:52.13) and is the second-fastest time in program history. Bendzinski crossed the line in 2:50.71, which also broke the previous conference record and is the third-best effort in school annals.

Although she didn't win the event, Jess Bridle set the school record in the 200. Bridle was the runner-up in the event with a time of 24.37, breaking the previous mark set by Kim Nagotko in 2014 (24.65). Her time was 0.12-short of breaking the conference record. Bridle also earned a pair of third-place finishes in the 60 and 400 events.

In the distance medley relay, a team of Grace Loh, Laura Papili, Emma Harris and Chandler placed second with a time of 11:56.55. The time broke the Patriot League record (11:28.26) and is a top-10 school finish.

The Bison competed in the 4x400-meter relay with a team comprised of Allison Sharkey, Elyse Pettaway, Silvestri and Bridle. The team took second in the event, crossing the line in 3:45.38, breaking the conference record (3:49.17).

Kafilat Oladiran was the runner-up in the 60 hurdles, crossing the line in 8.82. Jen Silvestri scored for the Bison in the event with a sixth-place finish. Silvestri also scored in the 500m, taking fifth overall.

After winning the weight throw title Saturday, Sophia Nnadi followed up with a second-place performance in the shot put, recording a toss of 46-0. Abigial Brundage and Tara Lee scored for the Bison in the event, finishing fourth and eighth, respectively.

Kate Scott took fourth in the 3000, completing the event in 9:54.58. Her time is a personal-best and sits seventh on the all-time program list.

Also scoring for the Bison Sunday was Kimberley Lapszynski (triple jump) and Jenna Calandro (pole vault).

Members of the team will return to action on Mar. 5-6 with a return trip to Boston, Massachusetts to compete in the ECAC Indoor Championships.

Team Scores

1. Boston University – 183
2. Bucknell – 176
3. Lehigh – 129.5
4. Army West Point – 83.5
5. Navy – 75.5
6. Holy Cross – 65.5
7. Lafayette – 33
8. American – 16
9. Colgate – 11
10. Loyola -0

New Top 10 Marks

4x800 relay (1. Harris, Tan-Torres, Bendzinski, Chandler – 8:53.53)
200m (1. Jess Bridle – 24.37)
4x400 relay (2. Sharkey, Pettaway, Silvestri, Bridle – 3:45.38)
1,000m
- (2. Sarah Chandler – 2:49.96)
- (3. Christine Bendzinski – 2:50.71)
5000m (3. Kate Scott – 17:04.75)
Weight Throw (5. Sophia Nnadi – 54-3 ¾)
Mile (5. Sarah Chandler – 4:55.67)
High Jump (7. Lauren Hudson – 5-5)
3000m (7. Kate Scott – 9:54.58)
DMR (10. Loh, Papili, Harris and Chandler – 11:56.55)