March 20, 2008

LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's track and field team was picked third in the Patriot League Outdoor Preseason Poll, with 81 points and two first-place votes, the league announced Thursday. Navy was picked first with 95 points and 12 first-place votes, while Army followed in second with 82 points and two first-place votes. Bucknell finished ahead of fourth-place American (48), fifth-place Colgate (45), sixth-place Lehigh (44), seventh-place Lafayette (38) and eighth-place Holy Cross (15). At the indoor league championship meet, one month ago, the Bison posted their best finish since 2002, taking second behind Navy.

The Orange and Blue will begin the outdoor season on March 29, sending athletes to both the Maryland Invitational in College Park, Md. and to the Susquehanna Invitational in Selinsgrove, Pa. The Bison concluded the indoor season, March 8-9, at the IC4A Championships in Boston, Mass.

According to Bucknell head coach Kevin Donner, "Both the men's and women's teams had a very successful indoor season. I believe both teams are set up to be better during the outdoor season based on the events and talent. Our women are looking to defend the outdoor title and our men are in position to challenge Navy and Army for the outdoor title. Navy seems to be the favorite based on the indoor season, however Army has a very long outdoor championship streak and will be very tough."

Bucknell Men's Track and Field Notebook

At the IC4A Indoor Championships, March 8-9 -
- Freshman Drew Fitzgerald (Ballston Spa, Pa./Ballston Spa) tied his personal best mark in the high jump, 6-8 ¼, which he originally set at the Patriot League Championships, to place seventh in the event and score for the Bison. Fitzgerald's height tied the sixth-best mark in program history.
- After posting season bests in the heptathlon 55-meter dash (6.81) and the heptathlon long jump (21-5 ½) on the first day of IC4As, sophomore Ryan White (Elkins Park, Pa./Father Judge) went on to post a season-best height of 14-9 in the pole vault (fourth) and his fastest time of the season in the 1,000-meter run, 2:54.56 (12th) on the second day of competition to establish a career-best point total of 4,973 in the heptathlon for ninth overall.
- Junior Kerry Boyle (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) placed fourth in the prelim for the 400-meter dash with a final qualifying time of 47.66. Junior Kevin Macleod (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) placed 10th in the prelim with a personal record and the second-best time in Bucknell history (48.05). Also representing the Orange and Blue in the 400-meter dash prelim was freshman Guy Castranova (Trenton, N.J./Notre Dame). He placed 29th with a time of 49.27. Boyle ran a time of 48.54 for 10th in the final while MacLeod finished in 49.24 for 12th place.
- Bucknell's 4x800 relay team of senior Brian Mooney (Rochester, NY/Gates-Chili), freshman John Picardo (Rochester, N.Y./Hilton Central), freshman Clayton Smith (Sparta N.J./Pope John XXIII) and sophomore Kyle Ramer (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) placed fifth in the prelim with a time of 7:40.45, to advance to the final where the squad finished eighth in 7:43.40.
- Sophomore Kyle Anthony (Barryville, N.Y./Eldred Central) placed 11th in the long jump, posting a distance of 22-1/4. Anthony went on to finish ninth in the triple jump with a distance of 48-1 ¼.
- Senior Wallace Campbell (Montgomery, Ala./Montgomery Acad.) ran the 3,000-meter run, finishing 21st with a time of 8:24.71, while senior James Meyer (Pac. Palisades, Calif./Pacific Palisades) placed 22nd in the weight throw with a distance of 51-5 ¾. Additionally, sophomore Timothy Medlock (Evan Mills, N.Y./Indian River) came in 23rd place in the shot put with a distance of 47-10 ½.
- Bucknell's distance medley relay team of sophomore Baron Willeford (New Orleans, La./Columbia Prep (N.Y.)), sophomore Gregory Baxter (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley), freshman Evan Novakowski (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) and sophomore Conor McNamara (Baldwin, N.Y./Chaminade) placed 22nd with a time of 10:22.17.

At the Patriot League Indoor Championships, Feb. 22-24 -
- Bucknell recorded its highest Patriot League Indoor Championship finish since 2002, taking second with 138 points behind Navy in first with 188.5 points. The Orange and Blue topped third-place Army (108), fourth-place Colgate (55.5), fifth-place American (51), sixth-place Lafayette (39), seventh-place Lehigh (35) and eighth-place Holy Cross (5), as the three-day meet wrapped up at Gerhard Fieldhouse.
- Three Bison set school records at the PL Championships. Macleod topped his own school record in the 60-meter hurdles, set earlier this season (8.34), to finish third in the final with a new top-time of 8.29. Medlock placed second in the shot put with a school record of 53-9. Additionally, sophomore A.J. Kizekai (Pawtucket, R.I./Blair Academy (N.J.)) tied the school record for the 60-meter dash, running a time of 7.01 in the semifinal.
- The Bison posted first-place finishes in the high jump, pole vault and 400-meter dash, naming three athletes to First Team All-Patriot League: Nicholas Hruch (high jump), David Mante (pole vault) and Kerry Boyle (400-meter dash).
- The Orange and Blue had five athletes named Second Team All-Patriot League: Drew Fitzgerald (high jump), Timothy Medlock (shot put), Kyle Anthony (Triple Jump), Guy Castranova (400-meter dash), Kerry Boyle (200-meter dash).

IC4A-Qualifying Times/Marks During Indoor Season -
- Kyle Anthony - Long Jump (23-2 ¾; Bison Opener); triple jump (49-1; PL Championships)
- Ryan White - Heptathlon (4,953; PL Championships); (4,973; IC4A Championships)
- David Mante - Pole Vault (16-3 ¼; PL Championships)
- Distance Medley Relay - Kyle Ramer, John Picardo, Brian Mooney, Wallace Campbell - (10:14.89; Gulden Relays)
- Timothy Medlock - Shot Put (53-9; PL Championships)
- Kerry Boyle - 400-Meter Dash (47.56; PSU National Invitational)
- Kevin Macleod - 400-Meter Dash (49.00; PSU National Invitational); (48.05; IC4A Championships)
- Wallace Campbell - Mile (4:09.26; Bucknell Winter Classic); 3,000-meter run (8:14.27; Akron Open); 5,000-Meter Run (14:39.82; PL Championships)
- Kyle Ramer - 1,000-Meter Run (2:29.44; PSU National Invitational)
- Nicholas Hruch - High Jump (6-8 ¼; Bucknell Winter Classic/PL Championships)
- Drew Fitzgerald - High Jump (6-8 ¼; PL Championships/IC4A Championships)
- James Meyer - Weight Throw (56-1; PL Championships)

Top-10 All-Time During Indoor Season -
- 60-Meter Hurdles - Kevin Macleod (8.29; No. 1 all-time; PL Championships); Andrew Yehl (8.32; No. 2 all-time; PL Championships), Ryan White (8.69; No. 9 all-time; Gulden Relays)
- 55-Meter Dash - A.J. Kizekai (6.54; No. 8 all-time; Bucknell Winter Classic)
- 60-Meter Dash - A.J. Kizekai (7.01; Tied No. 1 all-time; PL Championships); Rashod Bumpers (7.08; No. 3 all-time; PL Championships); Jason Davis (7.11; No. 4 all-time; PL Championships); Kerry Boyle (7.17; No. 6 all-time; Bison Opener); Kevin Macleod (7.19; No. 7 all-time; Bison Opener)
- 200-Meter Dash - Kevin Macleod (22.43; No. 5 all-time; Bucknell Winter Classic); Andrew Yehl (22.66; No. 8 all-time; PSU National Invitational)
- 300-Meter Dash - Andrew Yehl (36.49; No. 7 all-time; Bison Opener)
- 400-Meter Dash - Kerry Boyle (47.56; No. 1 all-time; PSU National Invitational); Kevin Macleod (48.05; No. 2 all-time; IC4A Championships); Guy Castranova (49.18; No. 4 all-time; Akron Open)
- Mile - Wallace Campbell (4:09.26; No. 7 all-time; Bucknell Winter Classic)
- 3,000-Meter Run - Wallace Campbell (8:14.27; No. 8 all-time; Akron Open)
- 4x400 Relay - Clement Gyan, Kyle Anthony, Guy Castranova, Kerry Boyle (3:20.21; No. 10 all-time; Gulden Relays)
- High Jump - Nicholas Hruch (6-8 ¼; No. 6 all-time; Bucknell Winter Classic); Drew Fitzgerald (6-8 ¼, No. 6 all-time; PL Championships/IC4A Championships)
- Pole Vault - David Mante (16-3 ¼, No. 2 all-time; PL Championships)
- Weight Throw - James Meyer (56-1; No. 7 all-time; PL Championships)
- Shot Put - Timothy Medlock (53-9; No. 1 all-time; PL Championships); Jonathan Lockhart (50-0; No. 7 all-time; PL Championships)

2007-08 Indoor Honors -
- On Feb. 12, Medlock earned Patriot League Field Athlete of the Week honors for his performance at the Bucknell Winter Classic. Medlock won the shot put, posting an IC4A-qualifying distance of 52-6. Medlock went on to place eighth in the weight throw with a distance of 47-10.
- Macleod was named Patriot League Track Athlete of the Week on Dec. 11, after setting a new school record at the time in the preliminaries for the 60-meter hurdles at the Bison Opener. He ran a time of 8.34 seconds, surpassing his own record of 8.36, set last season. MacLeod placed third out of 29 athletes in the prelim for the event.
- Anthony was named the league's Field Athlete of the Week on Dec. 11, after winning two events at the Bison Opener, posting IC4A-qualifying marks in each. He took first in the long jump (23-2 ¾) and went on to win the triple jump (21-6 ¼). This is the second-consecutive season that Anthony has won both events at the Bison Opener.
- On Dec. 1, Anthony earned Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week honors for his performance at the Bison Opener.

Looking Ahead -
- After opening the outdoor season in College Park, Md. and in Selinsgrove, Pa. on March 29, Bucknell will send athletes to the Auburn Invitational in Auburn, Ala. and to the Princeton Invitational in Princeton, N.J., April 4-5.
- The Orange and Blue will then host two home meets, the Bison Outdoor Classic, April 11-12, and the Bucknell Team Challenge, April 19.
- Bucknell will send athletes to the Penn Relays, April 24-26, and to the Shippensburg Invitational, April 26, before heading to the Patriot League Outdoor Championships, hosted by Navy in Annapolis, Md., May 2-3.
- The ECAC and IC4A Championships are set for May 16-18, in Princeton, N.J. The NCAA East Regional Championships are scheduled for May 30-31 and the NCAA Championships will take place June 11-14, in Des Moines, Iowa.