Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Nittany Lion Challenge
Men's Track & Field Visits State College for Nittany Lion Challenge
1/14/2022 7:09:00 PM | Men's Track and Field
LEWISBURG, Pa. – After more than a month off since beginning the 2021-22 indoor season with the Bison Opener in December, the Bucknell men's track & field team resumes competition at the Nittany Lion Challenge in State College, Pa. this Saturday.
Live Results | Meet Schedule | Season Preview
About Bucknell
- Bucknell began its season at home at the Bison Opener back on Dec. 3 and captured several first-place finishes, and three athletes moved into Bucknell's all-time top 10 in the team's first indoor competition since 2019-20.
- Sophomore Ethan Wolford-Tuffey took first place at the meet in the 400m (49.55), senior Owen Chase placed first in the 3000 (8:36.35), and junior Anthony Zamarra took first in shot put (53-02.25). Zamarra's mark was good enough four ninth all-time in program history. Additionally, first-year Bison Colby Belczyk earned an individual top finish in the 800 (1:56.55).
- Bucknell's 4x400 teams posted strong finishes at the Bison Opener, claiming both first and second. Bucknell's first team of Rayven Sample, Sam Coughlin, Brian Kennedy and Wolford-Tuffy led the pack with a 3:26.43.
- Sophomore Miguel Negrete totaled 4,597 points in the heptathlon to land ninth on the all-time list.
- Bucknell also saw strong performances from some of its newest members, including a top 10 all-time finish in the 60m hurdles (8.31) by freshman Brian Scotto.
- Saturday's meet at Penn State will not be scored, and events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
Bucknell's 2021-22 season is underway, and the Bison are competing indoors once again after not doing so at all last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bison have six meets on the schedule before the 2022 Patriot League Indoor Championships, which will be hosted at Bucknell Feb. 26-27.
The Bison placed third at last year's outdoor Patriot League Championships, with Navy and Army claiming the top two spots. This year, head coach Kevin Donner believes his squad can narrow that gap between themselves and the two service academies.
"There are some guys that can make a pretty good statement in the Patriot League both indoors and outdoors. Finishing third is a very attainable goal, but we also want to close that gap between Army and Navy, and we have to understand that Boston and Lehigh have done some great recruiting. They have some great athletes returning, and we expect them to be very formidable out there," said Donner.
Donner said the key to his team's success this season is staying healthy.
"We don't have a whole lot of room for error. We have had our fair share of injuries over the last year. If we can keep this team together and healthy, and if we get them all to the line, we have the potential to be a very good team," said Donner.
The Bison showed promising signs during the first indoor meet of the season back in December, as a host of athletes secured first-place finishes and several rookies made a splash during their first collegiate competition.
"We did lose a lot to graduation, but with that said, we do have what I think is a very balance team across all the different event groups," said Donner.
Sprints/Hurdles
Two of Bucknell's top returning sprinters are sophomore Ethan Wolford-Tuffy and senior Kevin Boyle. Wolford-Tuffy, who arrived at Bucknell primarily as a multis competitor, has developed into one of the Bison's top sprinters. He won the 400 (49.55) with an IC4A qualifying time at the Bison Opener in December and will compete in the 200 as well during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Boyle returns for his fourth year as Bucknell's top short sprinter, competing in the 60, the 100 and the 200.
Also returning for his sophomore season and as one of the most well-known Bucknell athletes is Rayven Sample, who represented the United States in the Paralympics in Japan this past summer. A strong 400 runner, Sample placed eighth in the Paralympics after qualifying with the fourth-fastest time in the prelims (50.01).
"Rayven wants to do well at the Patriot League and NCAA level, but this is a World Championships year for track & field and he will have a chance to extend his season in the Paralympics again," said Donner.
In the hurdles, a returning scorer for Bucknell is senior Jack Memoli. Memoli finished fourth in the 60m hurdles during the 2020 Patriot League Championships. Fellow senior Brian Kennedy also scored solid points for the Bison last year as a 400 hurdler.
Freshman Brian Scotto also has a bright future in the hurdles after an impressive showing at the Bison Opener. Scotto landed sixth on Bucknell's all-time top 10 list with an 8.31 in the 60m hurdles at the December meet.
Mid-Distance
Among Bucknell's mid-distance runners, sophomore Alex Simpson is poised to have a strong year after placing first in the 500 (1:07.65) at the Bison Opener. Griffin Schlegel returns for his sophomore year after scoring in the Patriot League Championships as a rookie in the 800 (1:55.43) with a seventh-place finish.
Senior Brett Zatlin also provides depth in the 800, having scored in the event in the past and earning Bucknell Track & Field Rookie of the Year honors back in 2018.
Perhaps one of the most exciting newcomers on the roster this season is rookie Colby Belczyk, who was a state champion in the 800 while running at Riverside High School last year.
Distance
Junior Samuel Whittaker is coming off a strong cross country season in which he was Bucknell's top runner at a few meets. Whittaker earned a top finish in the 5000 (14:38.03) in Bucknell's first home meet last season and has been an All-Patriot League honoree in cross country in the past.
Sophomore Michael Donnelly, another established cross country runner, will compete with the track team for the first time this season and is expected to do well in the 10000. Junior Noah Martin returns as well after placing sixth in the steeplechase (9:20.64) during last year's Patriot League Championships.
Seniors Brendan O'Toole and Owen Chase are Bucknell's two top returning milers. Both competed on the 4x800 team that scored in last year's IC4A Championships as well.
Jumps
Donner believes the jumps is an area where this year's squad has plenty of depth. Leading the group is senior Ian Lawrence. Lawrence finished fourth in triple jump in last year's Patriot League Championships with a personal best mark of 45-1.5, and he's scored in the high jump during his career as well.
Among Bucknell's more versatile athletes is sophomore Tommy Cahill, who can compete in all three jumps and is just coming into form. Cahill also scored in triple jump in last year's league championships, finishing eighth (43-10.75).
Senior Jaden Rouse and sophomore Matt Federovich add depth to the event group as well, and the Bison added rookie Grant Ellis, who was a medal winner at the PA State meet in high jump before arriving in Lewisburg.
Throws
Junior Anthony Zamarra opened the season with a strong performance in the December meet, placing first in the shot put with a personal-best 53-02.25. The mark was good enough to land Zamarra fourth on Bucknell's all-time top 10 list. He also finished fourth in last year's Patriot League Championships.
Donner expects Robert Feeney to be strong throwing weight indoors and hammer outdoors after the sophomore placed third in the weight throw (53-01.50) during the Bison Opener.
Also performing well at Bucknell's season-opening meet was rookie Braden Stryker, who finished third in shot put (51-04.50). Stryker posted one of the top throws in the country last year, and Donner said he's one of the best discus throwers the program has brought in.
Multis
Senior Aiden Brewer, who Donner said has only continued to develop and grow since joining the program, scored in both the Patriot League and IC4A Championships last year. Brewer earned All-East honors in last year's IC4A meet in the decathlon by finishing fifth (5632) and placed sixth at the league championships. He set a new personal best in the heptathlon (4287) in December as well.
Sophomore Miguel Negrete put himself on Bucknell's all-time top 10 list in the December meet in the heptathlon, landing ninth in the record books with 4597 points. Negrete gained valuable experience representing Honduras in a U20 championship last year. He's also Bucknell's top pole vaulter entering the season.
"Some people might be talking about the 2022 men's team as a rebuilding year. I don't think we are in a rebuilding year. I think we're going to be pretty good this year," said Donner. "We do have some pretty good depth. We do have some pretty good balance in all of the event categories. We definitely want to close that gap with Army and Navy when competing in this year's Patriot League Championships.
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