Men's Track and Field Has Strong Day at Sykes & Sabock Challenge

Saturday, February 8

University Park, Pa.

11 A.M.

Bucknell University

Sykes & Sabock Challenge

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Men's Track and Field Has Strong Day at Sykes & Sabock Challenge

2/8/2020 6:48:00 PM | Men's Track and Field

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Bucknell University men's track and field team competed at Penn State for the second straight week at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge.

Results

"Our men had a fantastic meet," said Head Coach Kevin Donner. "Lots of IC4A marks, and lots of guys in the top eight of each event. Stefon is looking really good in the long sprints, and the 600 was a great event with both Dessoye brothers breaking 1:20. They are ready for some big races next week. Brown looked good in the 60, and I was very please with our milers in O'Toole and Chase running 4:12 and 4:13, respectively. Marino is getting consistent in the pole vault, and we had some good stuff in the weight throw with CJ Falcioni and Ninh Lam in the finals. We seem to be really jelling as a team."

Jeff Brown earned a runner-up finish in the 60 after running the second-fastest time in both the preliminary round (6.89) and the finals (6.85). The school-record holder in the event and the reigning Patriot League Champion also registered the second-fastest time during the preliminary round last week at the Penn State National Open (6.81). The senior also broke his own school record at the Bison Opener in December.

Stefone Moore-Green also qualified for the finals in the 60 (6.98) entering into a tie with teammate Bobby Gablein for eighth on Bucknell's all-time list. The senior went on to place seventh (7.01). Moore-Green wasn't done there, as he went on to take first place in the 200 (21.68). The senior's time is the fourth-fastest time in Bucknell history, just ahead of Bucknell Hall-of-Famer Noel Powell (21.80). Moore-Green becomes just the ninth Bison in school history to break the 22-second barrier in the event, and the first to accomplish the feat since Billy Melchionni set the school record (21.36) at the Patriot League Championships last year.

Nicholas Marino placed third in the pole vault (16-5.25) in his first action since his personal-best vault of 16-8.75 at the Gulden Invite. Brendan Bodisch had a solid day in the long jump in placing fourth (22-5.75).

Bucknell earned a 2-3-4 finish in the 600, with Robert Dessoye (2^nd, 1:19.79), Alex Dessoye (3^rd,1:19.95) and Sean Conway (4^th, 1:21.12) each placing in the top five.

In the 1000, Brendan O'Toole (6^th, 4:12.22) and Owen Chase (8^th, 4:13.21) each posted top-ten finishes. O'Toole's time was over six seconds faster than his previous personal-best in the event set at the Gulden Invite in January, and comfortably meets the IC4A standard. Chase also set a new personal-best in his first time running the event since the Patriot League Indoor Championships last season, improving by over four seconds from his previous best time and qualifying for IC4As.

Connor McMenamin just missed qualifying for IC4As in the 3000 (8:29.01) in placing fifth. Jack Memoli qualified for the finals in the 60 hurdles, and finished seventh overall (8.48) after entering Bucknell's top ten last weekend at the Bison Open and Multi with a personal-best 8.38.

Zach Ruiz placed ninth in the shot put (51-3.5) after setting a new personal-best in the shot put last weekend at the Penn State National Open. Also joining Ruiz in the top ten was freshman Anthony Zamarra, who was tenth (50-6). C.J. Falcioni was sixth in the weight throw (60-0.5), while Ninh Lam (eighth, 56-9.25) was just shy of entering Bucknell's top-ten with a personal-best toss.

Bucknell will now look ahead to the Doug Raymond Invitational hosted by Kent State on Friday, Feb. 14-Saturday, Feb. 15.