Men's Track and Field Takes First at Angry Birds Challenge

Saturday, January 11

Bethlehem, Pa.

Bucknell University

Angry Birds Challenge

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Men's Track and Field Takes First at Angry Birds Challenge

1/11/2020 7:19:00 PM | Men's Track and Field

Falcioni Sets Top-Ten Program Mark in Shot Put

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Bucknell University men's track and field team claimed the team title at the Angry Birds Challenge hosted by Lehigh at Rauch Fieldhouse on Saturday.

Bucknell (169) won the six-team meet by 24 points over second-place Lehigh (145), Fairleigh Dickinson (86), Sacred Heart (85), St. Joseph's (23), and American (18) rounded out the field. The Bison earned seven wins overall on the day at the venue that will host the Patriot League Championships on Feb. 29-March 1.

Results

"Considering the long layoff and the hard training we have been doing during our winter training camp, I was very pleased with the results," said Head Coach Kevin Donner. "I thought being at the site of the Patriot League Championships in seven weeks enhanced the intensity, and winning the meet on both sides was a nice bonus considering we did not go to the well and overwork our athletes. We will take this next weekend off and train through and get ready for the Gulden Invitational in two weeks."

Bucknell earned two individual victories on Saturday.

Drew Dorflinger, the Patriot League Runner-Up at the Cross Country Championships, took first in the mile in his first action of the indoor season (4:19.52).

Nicholas Marino won his second straight pole vault event to begin the indoor season (16-4.75). The junior improved by two inches from his winning vault at the Bison Opener, and tied his personal-best indoors. The win highlighted a 1-2-3 finish by the Bison in the pole vault, with David Kelly (15-3) and Aiden Brewer (13-3.5) taking second and third, respectively.

The Bison also claimed two wins in the relays. In the 4000 distance medley relay, Brendan O'Toole, Brian Kennedy, Brett Zatlin, and Owen Chase (10:28.29) combined to take a narrow victory over Lehigh (10:29.05).

The 4x400 squad of Steve Rizio, Alex Dessoye, Robert Dessoye, and Brendan Bodisch took first over the Mountain Hawks by over four seconds (3:25.11).

C.J. Falcioni earned a pair of runner-up finishes in the weight throw (56-2.5) and the shot put (52-4.5) Falcioni's effort in the shot put is now good for ninth on Bucknell's all-time list, just ahead of Stephen Koullias (51-7). The senior has also now posted back-to-back personal bests in the event.

Sophomore Jack Memoli placed second in the 60m hurdles (8.46), just .01 shy of tying Jason Brown for tenth on Bucknell's all-time list. Ethan Dunne (8.60) was third.

The Bison picked up big points in the 400, with A. Dessoye (50.29) finishing runner-up. Rizio (third, 50.54) and Bodisch (fourth, 51.06) also placed in the top five. Rizio also took fourth in the 200 (22.96), followed by Ryquan Harris in fifth (23.13).

Senior Stefone Moore-Green, a wide receiver for the Bison football team in the fall, made his collegiate debut on the track, finishing as the runner-up in the 200 (22.57), and taking fifth in the 60 (7.09).

Michael Gertz (2:00.53) was third in the 800, improving by just under six seconds from his time at the Bison Opener. Micah Sims earned a runner-up showing in the long jump (21-7.5), while Jaden Rouse (44-10.25) was second in the triple jump.

The Bison will take a week off before returning to Gerhard Fieldhouse on Jan. 25 for the Gulden Invitational.