Saturday, May 3
Worcester, Mass.
9 a.m.
Bucknell University
vs
Patriot League Outdoor Championships
Lea's Two Gold Medals and School Records Headline Bucknell's Fourth Place Finish at PL Championships
5/3/2025 8:25:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
WORCESTER, Mass.- Bucknell women's track & field finished fourth at the 2025 Patriot League Outdoor Championships with 86 points, powered by Alexandra Lea's two gold medals. The Bison freshman recorded two school records, one meet record, and won Women's Rookie of the Meet. The team, as a whole, notched 11 top ten finishes and six top ten all-time marks in Bucknell history on day two.Â
Army West Point's women garnered 215.5 points to claim their first title in 16 years. Boston University (167) and Navy (157) finished second and third, respectively. Bucknell placed fourth with 86 points. Holy Cross (83), Lehigh (67.5), Lafayette (25), American (24), Loyola Maryland (18) and Colgate (15) rounded out the women's standings.
Results
Donner's Debriefing
"I felt both teams had a very good day two. We were clawing for every point we could get to help both teams finish a respectable fourth place. Lea really stepped things up a notch to put on a show in the 200 and 400 dashes and she correctly received Rookie of the Meet."
Lea finished first in yesterday's 200-meter and 400-meter dash preliminaries and the freshman not only repeated her placements in the finals, she improved upon her times. She became the first Bison since Colleen Buckley (5000-meter and 10,000-meter runs) in 2018 to win two gold medals in individual events.Â
"I was amazed by Alex's performance," said sprints coach Richard Alexander. "I thought she had a chance to win it but was blown away by the times she put together. She put together one of the best athletic performances in Bucknell history."
The rookie blitzed 53.07 in the 400-meter dash, winning the event by nearly a second, and breaking the old meet record of 54.08 by 1.1 seconds. The time reset her school event in the event set yesterday.Â
She delivered in the 200-meter dash via a dramatic comeback victory. She trailed in the final stretch before turning on the afterburners and flying past Boston's Ijeoma Ezechukwu for gold. Her time of 23.53 shattered Bucknell's record of 23.83 set last year by Bison legend Meghan Quinn. The wind meter registered 2.1 or her time would have set the meet record, also owned by Quinn.Â
Lea anchored the 4x100-meter relay, which finished fourth. She combined with Amanda Agambire, Cami Burkett, and Noelani Sadler, logging 46.52. The time ranked second in Bucknell history.Â
She was the second leg in the 4x400-meter relay with Madeline Sipe, Alexa Goll, and Anna Posh. The quartet finished fifth, racing 3:47.20. The mark ranked sixth in Bucknell history.Â
Her performances in all four events landed Lea Women's Rookie of the Meet to go with the indoor edition she previously won. She is only the third Patriot League freshman to win both the Indoor and Outdoor Rookie of the Meet awards.Â
The Bison impressed in the shot put. Senior captain Christine Ajao won bronze, throwing 14.82m (48-7.50). The mark arrived in her first attempt. Her achievement moved her into eighth in Bucknell history. Rookie Madison Fowler metaphorically bookended the Bison experience, finishing fifth. The freshman threw 14.38m (47-2.25). The mark ranked fifth in Bucknell history.
"I had some big throws in practice and warm-ups at Penn Relays, so I really wanted to channel those for my last meet," said Ajao. "With my teammates and coach's support, I medaled which I didn't expect."
"So proud of this group as a whole," said throws coach Ryan Protzman. "The expectation was high coming in and they did their job and then some. Men's shot put set the tone this morning which is something we have talked about for months. We loaded the discus final and came away with big points. The ladies did the same with some big throws in the shot. I am just very proud of this group for the work they put in this season and the way they compete."
Rookie Noelani Sadler placed fifth in the 110-meter hurdles. The freshman zoomed to a time of 14.23.Â
Sadler also placed in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing seventh (1:03.37). Fellow freshman Madeline Sipe earned eighth place (1:03.54).Â
Kerry O'Day continued the trend of freshman success, finishing seventh in the 3000-meter steeplechase. The rookie nearly broke 11 minutes, racing 11:02.01.Â
Madeline Lehker registered an eighth place finish in the high jump, clearing 5-4.50.Â
Samantha Cole placed 14th in the heptathlon, collecting 3870 points. Her best finish in the day's three events was eighth in the long jump. She leaped 16-8.
Bucknell will rest a week before competing at the IC4A Championships on May 16-18.Â
Patriot League Outdoor Track & Field Championship Records Broken
*Women's 400m – Alex Lea, Bucknell, Fr., 53.07
Women's 800m – Abby Klebe, Lehigh, Jr., 2:04.21
Women's 1,500m – Vera Sjöberg, Boston University, Jr., 4:14.37
Women's 5,000m – Vera Sjöberg, Boston University, Jr., 16:11.40
Women's Discus – Sophia Dykstra, Army West Point, Sr., 52.05m (170' 9")
Women's Long Jump – Peace Omonzane, Boston University, Jr., 6.44m (21' 1.5")
Women's Triple Jump – Peace Omonzane, Boston University, Jr., 13.06m (42' 10.25")
Women's Pole Vault – Helen Emerick, Navy, So., 4.07m (13' 4")
Women's Shot Put – Emily Fink, Army West Point, Sr., 16.79m (55' 1")
Women's 4x400 Relay – Army West Point, 3:41.15
Women's 4x800 Relay – Boston University, 8:39.22
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*Denotes League record was matched
Â
2025 Patriot League Outdoor Track & Field Championships Major Awards
Women's Track Athlete of the Meet – Vera Sjöberg, Boston University
Men's Track Athlete of the Meet -Â Nathan Kent, Navy
Women's Field Athlete of the Meet – Peace Omonzane, Boston University
Men's Field Athlete of the Meet – Robby Manse, Army West Point
Women's Rookie of the Meet – Alex Lea, Bucknell
Men's Rookie of the Meet – Guy Margalit, Boston University
Women's Highest Point Scorer – Jia Anderson, Navy
Men's Highest Point Scorer – Robby Manse, Army West Point
Women's Coach of the Year – Mike Smith, Army West Point
Men's Coach of the Year-Â Jaime Cook, NavyÂ
Women's Outdoor Track & Field First-Team All-Patriot League (First-Place Finishers)
Army West Point: Sophia Dykstra (Discus), Zoe Eggleston (Heptathlon), Emily Fink (Shot Put), Claire Lewis (3,000-meter Steeplechase), Charlotte Richman (10,000m), Zoe Whaley (High Jump)
Boston University: Lily Borin (4x800), Olivia Dodds (4x800), Peace Omonzane (Long Jump, Triple Jump), Ellie Roan (Hammer Throw), Vera Sjöberg (1,500m, 5,000m, 4x800), Maura Woodland-Medenilla (4x800)
Bucknell: Evelyn Bliss (Javelin), Alexandra Lea (200m, 400m)
Holy Cross: Giavanna Ciaravino (4x100), Abigail Desmarais (4x100), Danielle DiEsso (4x100), Haley Murphy (400-meter hurdles), Molly O'Connor (4x100)
Lehigh: Abby Klebe (800m)
Navy: Jia Anderson (100m, 100-meter hurdles), Helen Emerick (Pole Vault)
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Women's Outdoor Track & Field Second-Team All-Patriot League (Second-Place Finishers)
American: Lorelei Bangit (400m)
Army West Point: Cherokee Chambers (800m), Mikayla Cheney (1,500m), Louisa Diamond (5,000m 10,000m), Kiana Emerson (Hammer Throw), Olivia Hancock (Discus), Jordan Hecht (Shot Put)
Boston University: Kendall Barnhard (400-meter hurdles), Ijeoma Ezechukwu (200m), Asia Hamilton (Long Jump), Emma Lawrence (Triple Jump), Iman Roka (100-meter Hurdles)
Bucknell: Brylee Tereska (Javelin)
Holy Cross: Celia Kulis (Heptathlon), Maura Switzer (Pole Vault)
Lafayette: Ida Moczerniuk (100m)
Navy: Jia Anderson (4x100), Elena Bovell (4x100), Olivia Lutkevich (3,000-meter Steeplechase), Bennet Pidro (4x100), Zoie Tesi (High Jump), Taylor Woodworth (4x100)
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Army West Point's women garnered 215.5 points to claim their first title in 16 years. Boston University (167) and Navy (157) finished second and third, respectively. Bucknell placed fourth with 86 points. Holy Cross (83), Lehigh (67.5), Lafayette (25), American (24), Loyola Maryland (18) and Colgate (15) rounded out the women's standings.
Results
Donner's Debriefing
"I felt both teams had a very good day two. We were clawing for every point we could get to help both teams finish a respectable fourth place. Lea really stepped things up a notch to put on a show in the 200 and 400 dashes and she correctly received Rookie of the Meet."
Lea finished first in yesterday's 200-meter and 400-meter dash preliminaries and the freshman not only repeated her placements in the finals, she improved upon her times. She became the first Bison since Colleen Buckley (5000-meter and 10,000-meter runs) in 2018 to win two gold medals in individual events.Â
"I was amazed by Alex's performance," said sprints coach Richard Alexander. "I thought she had a chance to win it but was blown away by the times she put together. She put together one of the best athletic performances in Bucknell history."
The rookie blitzed 53.07 in the 400-meter dash, winning the event by nearly a second, and breaking the old meet record of 54.08 by 1.1 seconds. The time reset her school event in the event set yesterday.Â
"It felt awesome," said Lea. "I was not expecting this at all. I got to the home stretch and saw one runner beside me but I had plenty left in the tank to win by a large amount. This has been a surreal freshman year. I am accomplishing things I never thought I would."GOLD & MEET RECORD!
— Bucknell Track & XC (@Bucknell_TFXC) May 3, 2025
Alex Lea was pure lightning in the 400-meter dash! She ran 53.07 - nearly a second faster than the competition, and shattered the previous record of 54.08 by a full second!
She improved upon her school record set yesterday.#rayBucknell | #LEAdingTheWay pic.twitter.com/3qyBLjqz2z
She delivered in the 200-meter dash via a dramatic comeback victory. She trailed in the final stretch before turning on the afterburners and flying past Boston's Ijeoma Ezechukwu for gold. Her time of 23.53 shattered Bucknell's record of 23.83 set last year by Bison legend Meghan Quinn. The wind meter registered 2.1 or her time would have set the meet record, also owned by Quinn.Â
"I am so beyond proud of Alex," said Quinn. "She has had an amazing season. Today is a day that will go down in Bucknell track & field history. Being there to cheer her on in person was so special! The sky is the limit for Alex and leagues magic is REAL. No one more deserving!"ÂGOLD AND SCHOOL RECORD!
— Bucknell Track & XC (@Bucknell_TFXC) May 3, 2025
Hello, we would like to report a robbery! Lea struck like a lightning bolt and stole that gold medal with an amazing last burst in the final stretch!
Her 23.58 broke legendary sprinter Meghan Quinn's school record of 23.83.#rayBucknell | #LEAdingTheWay pic.twitter.com/N8VD0jMXiJ
Lea anchored the 4x100-meter relay, which finished fourth. She combined with Amanda Agambire, Cami Burkett, and Noelani Sadler, logging 46.52. The time ranked second in Bucknell history.Â
She was the second leg in the 4x400-meter relay with Madeline Sipe, Alexa Goll, and Anna Posh. The quartet finished fifth, racing 3:47.20. The mark ranked sixth in Bucknell history.Â
Her performances in all four events landed Lea Women's Rookie of the Meet to go with the indoor edition she previously won. She is only the third Patriot League freshman to win both the Indoor and Outdoor Rookie of the Meet awards.Â
The Bison impressed in the shot put. Senior captain Christine Ajao won bronze, throwing 14.82m (48-7.50). The mark arrived in her first attempt. Her achievement moved her into eighth in Bucknell history. Rookie Madison Fowler metaphorically bookended the Bison experience, finishing fifth. The freshman threw 14.38m (47-2.25). The mark ranked fifth in Bucknell history.
"I had some big throws in practice and warm-ups at Penn Relays, so I really wanted to channel those for my last meet," said Ajao. "With my teammates and coach's support, I medaled which I didn't expect."
"So proud of this group as a whole," said throws coach Ryan Protzman. "The expectation was high coming in and they did their job and then some. Men's shot put set the tone this morning which is something we have talked about for months. We loaded the discus final and came away with big points. The ladies did the same with some big throws in the shot. I am just very proud of this group for the work they put in this season and the way they compete."
Rookie Noelani Sadler placed fifth in the 110-meter hurdles. The freshman zoomed to a time of 14.23.Â
Sadler also placed in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing seventh (1:03.37). Fellow freshman Madeline Sipe earned eighth place (1:03.54).Â
Kerry O'Day continued the trend of freshman success, finishing seventh in the 3000-meter steeplechase. The rookie nearly broke 11 minutes, racing 11:02.01.Â
Madeline Lehker registered an eighth place finish in the high jump, clearing 5-4.50.Â
Samantha Cole placed 14th in the heptathlon, collecting 3870 points. Her best finish in the day's three events was eighth in the long jump. She leaped 16-8.
Bucknell will rest a week before competing at the IC4A Championships on May 16-18.Â
Patriot League Outdoor Track & Field Championship Records Broken
*Women's 400m – Alex Lea, Bucknell, Fr., 53.07
Women's 800m – Abby Klebe, Lehigh, Jr., 2:04.21
Women's 1,500m – Vera Sjöberg, Boston University, Jr., 4:14.37
Women's 5,000m – Vera Sjöberg, Boston University, Jr., 16:11.40
Women's Discus – Sophia Dykstra, Army West Point, Sr., 52.05m (170' 9")
Women's Long Jump – Peace Omonzane, Boston University, Jr., 6.44m (21' 1.5")
Women's Triple Jump – Peace Omonzane, Boston University, Jr., 13.06m (42' 10.25")
Women's Pole Vault – Helen Emerick, Navy, So., 4.07m (13' 4")
Women's Shot Put – Emily Fink, Army West Point, Sr., 16.79m (55' 1")
Women's 4x400 Relay – Army West Point, 3:41.15
Women's 4x800 Relay – Boston University, 8:39.22
Â
*Denotes League record was matched
Â
2025 Patriot League Outdoor Track & Field Championships Major Awards
Women's Track Athlete of the Meet – Vera Sjöberg, Boston University
Men's Track Athlete of the Meet -Â Nathan Kent, Navy
Women's Field Athlete of the Meet – Peace Omonzane, Boston University
Men's Field Athlete of the Meet – Robby Manse, Army West Point
Women's Rookie of the Meet – Alex Lea, Bucknell
Men's Rookie of the Meet – Guy Margalit, Boston University
Women's Highest Point Scorer – Jia Anderson, Navy
Men's Highest Point Scorer – Robby Manse, Army West Point
Women's Coach of the Year – Mike Smith, Army West Point
Men's Coach of the Year-Â Jaime Cook, NavyÂ
Women's Outdoor Track & Field First-Team All-Patriot League (First-Place Finishers)
Army West Point: Sophia Dykstra (Discus), Zoe Eggleston (Heptathlon), Emily Fink (Shot Put), Claire Lewis (3,000-meter Steeplechase), Charlotte Richman (10,000m), Zoe Whaley (High Jump)
Boston University: Lily Borin (4x800), Olivia Dodds (4x800), Peace Omonzane (Long Jump, Triple Jump), Ellie Roan (Hammer Throw), Vera Sjöberg (1,500m, 5,000m, 4x800), Maura Woodland-Medenilla (4x800)
Bucknell: Evelyn Bliss (Javelin), Alexandra Lea (200m, 400m)
Holy Cross: Giavanna Ciaravino (4x100), Abigail Desmarais (4x100), Danielle DiEsso (4x100), Haley Murphy (400-meter hurdles), Molly O'Connor (4x100)
Lehigh: Abby Klebe (800m)
Navy: Jia Anderson (100m, 100-meter hurdles), Helen Emerick (Pole Vault)
Â
Women's Outdoor Track & Field Second-Team All-Patriot League (Second-Place Finishers)
American: Lorelei Bangit (400m)
Army West Point: Cherokee Chambers (800m), Mikayla Cheney (1,500m), Louisa Diamond (5,000m 10,000m), Kiana Emerson (Hammer Throw), Olivia Hancock (Discus), Jordan Hecht (Shot Put)
Boston University: Kendall Barnhard (400-meter hurdles), Ijeoma Ezechukwu (200m), Asia Hamilton (Long Jump), Emma Lawrence (Triple Jump), Iman Roka (100-meter Hurdles)
Bucknell: Brylee Tereska (Javelin)
Holy Cross: Celia Kulis (Heptathlon), Maura Switzer (Pole Vault)
Lafayette: Ida Moczerniuk (100m)
Navy: Jia Anderson (4x100), Elena Bovell (4x100), Olivia Lutkevich (3,000-meter Steeplechase), Bennet Pidro (4x100), Zoie Tesi (High Jump), Taylor Woodworth (4x100)
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Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Jumps
/ Women's Track and Field
Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Mid-Distance
/ Women's Track and Field
Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Hurdles
/ Women's Track and Field
Hurdles/Sprints
/ Women's Track and Field
Throws
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