Bucknell University Athletics
Women's Track & Field Heads to Nittany Lion Challenge for First Meet of 2022
1/14/2022 7:19:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's track & field team resumes its indoor season after more than a month off since competing at the Bison Opener in December. Bucknell heads to State College, Pa. on Saturday to participate in the Nittany Lion Challenge.
Live Results | Meet Schedule | Season Preview
About Bucknell
- Bucknell began its season at home at the Bison Opener back on Dec. 3. Three athletes posted top finishes at the meet, while seven others placed third or higher in their respective events.
- Senior Michaela Bracken opened the meet with a record-setting performance in the pentathlon. Bracken broke a 14-year old school record by scoring 3,538 points, eclipsing a mark last set in 2007.
- Senior Lucie Kubinski took first in the mile (5:25.83), senior Tara Lyons placed first in the 800 (2:20.48), and senior Karly Forker won the 3,000 (10:05.97).
- Sophomore Meghan Quinn entered Bucknell's all-time top 10 list with a time of 7.73 in the 60m dash, which ranks third in the record books.
- 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.
Bucknell placed third at last year's outdoor Patriot League Championships. Navy (295) won the meet, followed by Army (216.66). Bucknell (129.5) was third, followed by Boston University (61) and Lehigh (52).
"Obviously, we want to close that gap with Army and Navy. I believe if we can keep our kids healthy, we can definitely close that gap. It's a good team and a young, up-and-coming team. We've made a big improvement from two years ago when we had a rough year for indoor," said head coach Kevin Donner. "We want to show Army and Navy that we're there as well. We have a long way to go in order to be up there with them, but we need to stay healthy. That's been part of our issues the last couple of years."
The year began in exciting fashion with senior Michaela Bracken breaking the school pentathlon record at the Bison Opener last month, and other Bucknell seniors grabbed several first-place finishes. There's also excitement surrounding some of the youthful talent the program brought in ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Sprints/Hurdles
Bucknell's group of sprinters and hurdlers is packed with young talent, including several sophomores that posted outstanding times as rookies during last year's spring season. One of those sophomores, Meghan Quinn, earned several spots on Bucknell's all-time top 10 lists, including fifth in the 100 (12.08), ninth in the 200 (24.95), and third in the 60m (7.73). She placed second in the 100 and fourth in the 200 in last year's Patriot League Championships.
Quinn was also part of Bucknell's third-place finishing 4x100 at the league championships last season and was joined by fellow sophomore Karen Hull and junior Bridget Lalonde. The relay team went on to earn All-East honors at the ECAC Championships for the first time in school history.
Lalonde, a versatile sprinter who has improved greatly over her career, ran Bucknell's 4x400 relay last spring as well that finished fourth (3:50.69).
Along with being an experienced member of Bucknell's 4x100 team, Hull returns as the team's top hurdler. She placed fifth in the 100 hurdles in the Patriot League Championships (14.82) and qualified for the ECAC meet.
Another strong 400 runner for the Bison is junior Jessie Castellano, who placed fifth in Patriot Leagues least year and was just over a half second off of a Bucknell top 10 time (57.61). Castellano placed second in the 400 (58.56) at the Bison Opener in December.
Adding depth to the group is sophomore Emily Grubb, who missed time last season but is expected to improve greatly heading into her sophomore season, and freshman Katherine Loew, who ran the 400 and 4x400 relay at the Bison Opener. Fellow rookie Noel Fullman placed fifth in the 60m hurdles (9.30) at the December meet as well.
Mid-Distance
Leading the mid-distance group is a pair of talented seniors in Karly Forker and Tara Lyons. Forker was a runner-up in the 1500 (4:40.60) at the Patriot League Championships in the spring and claimed a top finish in the 3000 (10:05.97) at the Bison Opener this season. Donner expects Forker, who is also a member of the cross country team, to have another strong season in the 800, 1500 and mile.
Meanwhile, Lyons will be looking to repeat some of the success she saw as a sophomore when she posted the sixth-best time on Buckell's top 10 list with a 2:12.81 in the 800. She finished first in the event at Bucknell's December meet.
One of Bucknell's most impressive rookies, Sarah Policano, broke 5:00 in the 1600 in high school and enters the season with high expectations.
Distance
Ashlyn Ramos, one of Bucknell's most decorated cross country and track & field runners in program history, is coming off her second appearance in the NCAA Cross Country Championships after finishing 10th at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals. Throughout her career, Ramos has been a 10k Patriot League champion as well as a runner-up in the 5k. She holds the school record in the 10k (34:04.76) and ranks second all-time in the 5k (16:23.75). Now in her senior year, Ramos will look to add to her impressive resume.
Another senior who shined in the 10k last year is Emily Deschler. Deschler was an All-East honoree in 2021 after placing sixth (37:23.36) in the event at ECAC Championships. She's also been impressive in the 5k throughout her career.
Adding depth and versatility to the long-distance group is senior Nora Bennett, who ranks eighth on Bucknell's all-time top 10 list in the 3000 steeplechase following her 11:04.24 time at the 2021 Lehigh Happy Easter Races.
The Bison also have high expectations for rookie Lauren Trapani, who was among the top three runners during the cross country season in the fall.
Jumps
Donner believes the jumps is an area where the Bison can grab points often this season, as it's one of the deepest and most talented groups on the roster.
Senior Gianna Macones is Bucknell's top long and triple jumper, scoring high in both events in the Patriot League Championships last year. Macones ranks seventh in school history in the long jump (18-11.25) and fourth in triple jump (39-7.75). She also earned All-East honors last spring.
Placing eighth at last year's league championship in the triple jump was then-sophomore Lexi Gray, while fellow junior Olivia Boyce earned points as well. Rounding out the group is senior Samantha Lopes, who holds the fifth-best indoor triple jump mark in school history (39-3.25).
With the graduation of standout pole vaulter Alex Butz, junior Jennifer Scott steps into the top role following an eighth-place finish at last year's Patriot League Championships. Her personal-best mark of 12-0 is tied for fourth all-time in school history.
In the high jump, Bucknell returns sophomore Abby Kates, who placed second at the Patriot League Championships and fourth at the ECAC Champions (5-5.25) in 2021. Lastly, the Bison brought in rookie Madison Libby to bolster the group.
Throws
The most veteran of the throwers and leading the group in the shot put is senior Abby Whittaker, who scored in the 2019 Patriot League Championships with a sixth-place finish and has a spot on Bucknell's all-time top 10 with a career-best mark of 44-0.
Donner has also seen huge improvement from sophomore Siobhan O'Sullivan and has high expectations as she enters her second year with the program. O'Sullivan recorded a pair of personal bests in the Bison Opener, including a third-place finish in the shot put (43-09).
Bucknell's top hammer and weight thrower entering the season is Madison McGloin. The sophomore scored in the league championships after placing seventh during her rookie season and finished 12th in the ECAC meet. Also placing 12th at the ECAC Championships was javelin thrower Riley Beebe.
The Bison welcome a trio of freshmen to the group that will look to snatch points early in their careers. Christine Ajao is keeping pace with Whitaker and showing huge improvements from her high school marks, while New York native Brianna Thomas will figure into the mix this season as well.
Multis
Michaela Bracken began her senior year with a bang in Bucknell's first meet of the season as she broke the school pentathlon record (3538), which had stood for 14 years. Outdoors last year, she finished second in the ECAC in the 400 hurdles and holds the fifth-best time in school history.
Lastly, Bucknell returns sophomore Abby Eisold, who ended her rookie season on a high note by placing sixth (4326) in the heptathlon during the 2021 Patriot League Championships. The performance was good enough to land Eisold seventh on Bucknell's all-time top 10.
"We definitely have the talent. We definitely have the pieces. We definitely have some depth where we can make a statement at the Patriot League Championships, and then we also believe we can get some athletes to nationals," said Donner.
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