Alexandra Lea's Two Gold Medals Headline Bison Women's Fourth Place Finish at PL Outdoor Championships

Saturday, May 16

Annapolis, Md.

9 a.m.

Bucknell University

Patriot League Outdoor Championships

Alexandra Lea's Two Gold Medals Headline Bison Women's Fourth Place Finish at PL Outdoor Championships

5/16/2026 8:37:00 PM | Women's Track and Field

ANNAPOLIS, Md.- Alexandra Lea, at last year's Patriot League Outdoor Championships, surprised the conference by winning two gold medals in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. This season, she had the target on her back. The opposition fired their best shots but the Bison sophomore defied their bullets and repeated as league champion in both events. Her performance keyed the Orange & Blue to a fourth place finish and 115.25 points scored at the 2026 Patriot League Outdoor Championships. Army edged Navy for first place and Boston University rounded the top three.

Results

Lea enjoyed one of the finest weekends in program history. The sprinter won two events, including their preliminaries, smashed two facility records, and reset her school record in the 200-meter dash.

"Lea coming in and being able to defend her titles was great to see," said sprints coach Richard Alexander. "Things are different when you are the target of your competitors instead of being the one to do the targeting. I know the other women in her events wanted to take her down and Lea held them off for two great wins to continue building her legacy."

Her title defense begin in the 400-meter dash. She faced elite competition from Navy's Sophia Richter, who set a personal record of 53.41. Normally, that speed would have won the event but Lea sailed past the Midshipman with a time of 53.17 to establish a new facility record. The old facility record of 54.04 lasted barely 24 hours. Lea had set it the previous day during the preliminaries.

"It felt good to defend my title," said Lea in a postgame interview. "The whole team is so supportive. I race in part for them."

The competition grew fiercer in the 200-meter dash. The second, third, fourth, and sixth place finishers all recorded personal bests. Unfortunately for them, adversity only fueled Lea's resolve and the sophomore recorded a personal best speed of 23.49 to break her school record and Bucknell legend Meghan Quinn's meet record of 23.83 from 2024. The third time proved the charm for Lea. Her two previous speeds in the event at the Outdoor Championships broke Quinn's mark but the wind meter read above 2.0 both times. Finally, the breezes bowed to the inevitable and acknowledged Lea's reign.

"I am really happy," said Lea. "I thought I had the meet record a few times but the wind was too high, so it is great to finally have it. I do it for my dad. He loved to watch me run."

Justley Sharp battled injury over the past year and the junior thrower fought to win silver in the shot put. Sharp's best mark flew 14.82m (48-7.50), which arrived during her fourth attempt. The result marked the second time she has minted silver in the event.

The 4x400-meter relay team, brought together by necessity and improvisation, of Jenna Wright, Piper Portacio, Abigail Michaelson, and Raygan Lust shined in its fourth place finish. The quartet ran 3:45.42, a time that sits third at Bucknell.

"The women's 4x4 was a great run for those ladies," said Alexander. "There were conversations throughout the day of who were going to to be the four ladies that ran the relay. With several women potentially doubling or tripling throughout the meet we had to have several women ready. When the dust settled we went with these women and they put on a show with the third fastest time in school history."

Noelani Sadler, despite not running in Virginia, broke her school record in the 100-meter hurdles. The two previous times occurred in the Old Dominion State but the Old Line State proved acceptable for her purposes. The Miami native thrived in the warm weather and ran 14.09 to place fifth and remove her old mark of 14.12 from the top spot at Bucknell.

"Sadler has been a steady rock for us in the hurdles," said Alexander. "She has consistently run at her PR and thus the school record level since she has been here. Chipping away at it again today is the Patriot League final shows just how much of a competitor she is."

Maddy Sipe and Sadler teamed up in the 400-meter hurdles to add points to the Bison coffer. Sipe placed fifth, running 1:03.41. Sadler notched sixth, logging 1:03.42.

The 1500-meter run saw two Bucknell distancewomen collect points. Katrina Torelli capped her breakout junior year finishing fifth by running a personal best 4:24.64 - second at Bucknell. Grace Vives wrote an appropriate finis to her Orange & Blue time, slotting sixth on a personal record of 4:26.54 - sixth at Bucknell.

Distance's success continued with two Bison scoring points in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Meghan Rentner concluded her Bucknell career by finishing fifth. She ran 10:44.86. Kerry O'Day placed seventh, racing a personal best 10:53.60 - ninth all-time at Bucknell.

Caryn Rippey rounded out the distance squad's day by placing seventh in the 5000-meter run. The senior ended her career with a solid time of 17:11.15.

The discus throw saw two Orange & Blue participants tally points. Julia Sobilo completed her rookie season by finishing sixth, throwing 45.78m (150-2). Sharp placed seventh, tossing 44.88m (147-3).

Two Bison scored in the triple jump. Allie DeMatt fouled on five of her six attempts but her one good jump was huge, covering 38-6.25. Emilia Smith finished eighth, jumping 37-10.75.

The 4x100-meter relay team of Grace Camerlingo, Jordan Muraglia, Sadler, and Lea notched seventh, running 48.13.

Camerlingo slotted seventh in the 100-meter dash, racing 12.05.

Michaelson finished eighth in the 800-meter run, registering a time of 2:08.50.

Liliana Wakenshaw tied for eighth in the high jump, scoring 0.25 points. The sophomore cleared 5-1.75.

Madeline Lehker placed tenth in the heptathlon with 4300 points, which slotted her eighth in Bucknell history.

Bucknell women's track & field continues the season at the NCAA East First Round on May 27-30 in Lexington, Kentucky. US National Champion Evelyn Bliss, who won Women's Field Athlete of the Meet for her javelin performance, and Brylee Tereska are guaranteed to represent Bucknell. Lea will have to hope for some scratches in the 400-meter dash. The sophomore sits 50th and only 48 runners go.

2026 Patriot League Outdoor Track & Field Championships Major Awards
Women's Track Athlete of the Meet – Charlotte Richman, Army West Point
Women's Field Athlete of the Meet – Evelyn Bliss, Bucknell
Women's Rookie of the Meet – Caroline Blakeslee, Loyola Maryland
Women's Highest Point Scorer – Charlotte Richman, Army West Point
Women's Coaching Staff of the Year – Navy (Head Coach - Jamie Cook)