Author: cdm016

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Men Softball Sports

Athlete of the Week: Laura Sandford ’13

Chris McCree
Sports Editor

Player Profile:

Laura Sandford

Junior

Second base

Hometown: New Egypt, N.J.

Major: Political Science and History

 

Season Statistics:

Avg: .226

GP: 40

Hits: 19

Runs: 3

RBIs: 7

 

Behind the strong offensive performance by Bison second baseman Laura Sandford ’13, the softball team was to earn its first Patriot League series win this weekend over Holy Cross. During the four-game series, Sandford was able to hit an impressive .533, recording eight hits along with two RBIs. After dropping the first game of the series to the Crusaders, the Orange and Blue were able to snap their 13-game losing streak behind a walk-off RBI by Sandford in the ninth. Sanford went two-for-five in the game and drove in two of the team’s four runs. For the first time in her career, Sandford was able to record three multi-hit games in a row, and her current four-game hitting streak ties a career best mark she set a year ago.

In the midst of a tough season thus far, Sandford’s hot streak could not have come at a better time for the Orange and Blue. Currently sitting at 3-13 in the Patriot League with one series remaining, the Bison will look to rally through the end of the year and try and make a postseason push, but their success will be largely dependent on their ability to put runs on the board. During their 16 league games this season, the Orange and Blue have managed to score three runs or more in just five games.

This weekend, Sandford and the Bison will travel to Lafayette for their final regular season series.

Categories
Beyond the Bison Sports

Beyond the Bison: “Nothing like it”

By Julian Dorey

Columnist

 

There are plenty of cliché quotes in sports. One that I hear (and say) seemingly every April is: “There’s nothing like playoff hockey.”

What does that really mean, though? All four major sports have a postseason, and all of them are exciting. So what is it about hockey?

It’s simple: a hockey game has the quickest ups and downs. Contrary to a sport like basketball, a goal in hockey means a lot. A simple basket in the NBA is just two or three points out of 100.  In hockey, a goal might be one of two.

When you compare hockey to a sport like baseball, it’s easy to say baseball can be just as exciting—the final scores often look similar to hockey (4-3, 5-2, etc.). But in baseball, it’s very clear as to when a team can score: when it’s up to bat. In hockey, a power play for one team can easily culminate with an errant pass leading to a breakaway goal for the shorthanded team.

In the playoffs, especially—with blood pressure and nerves high, and tenacity at a new level—the typical NHL game is “back and forth.” Every time a player approaches the blue line fans move up in their seats a little bit. Each shot is met with some kind of verbal reaction. The nerves and emotions of every fan shift faster than the skates of every player on the ice.

There’s no other way to explain it. Playoff hockey brings something out of fans that no other sport can. If I had a nickel for every time I watched a playoff hockey game with a non-hockey fan and watched them slowly get into the game like it was life and death, I would be a millionaire.

Two years ago, an NHL team pulled off something in the playoffs that had been done only once in the history of any other sport (and just two previous times in hockey). The Philadelphia Flyers came back from a three game deficit to beat the Boston Bruins 4-3 in a best-of-seven-games series. What was even more shocking was the Flyers were down 3-0 in the first period of game seven in Boston and came back to win the game 4-3 in regulation. If that doesn’t get you going, I don’t know what does.

Results like that tend to make the case for me. And, trust me, there are plenty more great examples.

There are also the traditions. Perhaps the most well-known one is the playoff beard. Each spring, most of the NHL players in the playoffs relegate their razors to the bottom cabinet. It’s supposed to be a “team unity” thing or something. To most fans, it’s just another funky, off-beat part of the playoffs that adds a little flavor. By the conference finals, most of the remaining players look more like cavemen than athletes. It doesn’t seem to affect their play, though.

This year is already off to an incredible start. More than 10 games across all of the first round series have gone to overtime. Upsets are brewing everywhere.

The only thing that remains the same from last year is the feeling everyone gets watching the drama unfold.

Tune in—it’ll be worth your while.

Categories
Lacrosse Sports Women

Female rookie of the year

By Ajan Caneda

Staff Writer

In her first game, against No. 5 Duke, first-year lacrosse player Arriana Sajjad ’15 proved that she could compete against the country’s elite. The game was only the first indication of Sajjad’s ability to be a force for the Bison.

Her offensive savvy and dedication in practice are admired by her teammates and head coach, Randall Goldsborough.

“She is constantly pushing her teammates to improve and perform which in turn helps her learn how to lead both on and off the field. She works extremely hard in each drill every day which has helped her become a very consistent player,” Goldsborough said. “I expect that she will be one of the top players in the nation before she graduates in three years.”

Sajjad certainly showed that she is ready to live up to that challenge when she faced Duke in her first collegiate game, scoring two of her team’s three goals against one of the formidable defenses in the country. In the Bison’s next game, she posted another two goals in a loss against No. 17 Penn State. Despite the losses, she gained valuable experience against two of the best teams in the country and solidified her spot in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.

“Arriana is not easily intimidated and lives for a challenge, even though she is one of the youngest accomplished players in our league,” Goldsborough said. “We played Duke, and she scored two goals against an All-American goalie and one of the top ranked defenses in the country. Since then, she has continued to gain confidence in her abilities and is one of the top players in the league.”

At this point in the season, Sajjad is the leading scorer on her team with 38 goals, along with 51 points, in 17 games. Her most impressive performance was against Liberty on March 21, where she posted a career-high six goals, including the game-winner in overtime. This, followed by a five-goal showing against conference rival American, led to her being named the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week.

“Liberty was just an amazing upset and, most importantly, it showed us that we are truly incredible and strong when we play together as a team,” she said. “To come back from being down by nine and winning in overtime was a huge confidence boost for us, and that really showed how capable we are.”

Despite her individual accolades, she remains humble and remembers the guidance her coaches have provided, along with the bond she has with her teammates.

“My coaches and teammates, especially the upperclassmen, have been extremely patient with me when I made mistakes and unbelievably supportive of all my accomplishments, as they are with everyone on the team,” she said. “They have taught me a lot and made me into a more mature, team player. Also, I am incredibly close with my freshman class, and I could not be more fortunate and thankful to have come into a team with this group of girls. They are my support net and best friends and our friendship made all the difference in my transition.”

Teammate Katelyn Miller ’14 has recognized Sajjad’s emergence as a player and leader, which includes adding new dimensions to her already solid repertoire.

“In the beginning of the season, Arriana was playing only attack and was put in mainly a cutting position. Throughout the season she has been diversified by playing some midfield and being a double threat on attack by being a great cutter and driver,” Miller said. “I think she matured a lot through the first couple months and has been able to come up big in tight situations by helping in transition, winning the draw or taking it to goal when we are down.”

In the Orange and Blue’s game against Binghamton on April 14, she scored three times in her ninth multi-goal game of the season. Her efficient scoring stems from her consistent accuracy; she has a 77.2 shot-on-goal percentage. The effort she puts in practice is mirrored on the field, as she has also recovered 58 draw controls.

As the regular season concludes, Sajjad is looking towards the postseason and focused on continuing to improve. She remains optimistic about the direction the team is going in, while her motivation to compete in the Patriot League tournament fuels her sensational play.

“Our juniors and sophomores have really stepped up this season to fulfill this leadership role and they’ve done a great job so far handling all of us freshman. We also have a large incoming class to look forward to that will push us to become better, so it’s only up from here,” she said. “Personally, for the rest of the season and next year, I am looking to stay mentally strong and make smarter decisions with the ball on the offensive end. For next season I would definitely want to see us competing in the Patriot League Championships. That may seem like a little bit of a jump, but I know we’ll get there. That’s definitely my ultimate goal. We’ve improved so much this season and only continue to get stronger.”

Her work ethic and perseverance embody the prestigious Bison athletic tradition. Sajjad looks to accomplish a lot during her next three years, and she is on her way to becoming one of the best players, not only in the Patriot League, but in the nation.

Categories
Men Sports Wrestling

Male Rookie of the Year

By Scott Padula
Staff Writer

Throughout the year, Austin Miller ’15 has proven he is and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the wrestling team. In his first year of collegiate competition, Miller captured a team-best 22 victories, placed third at the EIWA Championships and became the first rookie wrestler for the Orange and Blue to qualify for NCAA Championships since 2009. On the year, Miller posted a record of 22-14 and separated himself as a top-of-the-line competitor for the Bison.

“Wrestling is a unique sport where there are numerous different aspects: mental, physical and emotional. Austin has done a tremendous job in figuring these areas of the sport out, and is an extremely confident individual. He has a bright future here at Bucknell, and will accomplish his goals of becoming an All-American and NCAA champion if he continues to build on the successes and failures he has had this past year,” team co-captain Joe McMullan ’13 said.

Time and time again, Miller proved to be a tremendous competitor, elevating his game to unparalleled levels when it mattered most. Notably, Miller won a pivotal match against ranked opponent Garrett Frey of Princeton by a score of 10-9. Miller’s win marked his first win over a ranked opponent and jump-started a  27-9 Bison victory. 

Later in the season, Miller went 3-1 versus four seeded opponents at the EIWA Championships. His only loss came in the semifinal round at the hands of Frank Perrelli of Cornell, the eventual EIWA champion of the 125-pound weight class.

One way in which Miller was able to achieve his tremendous success was through an unwavering determination to improve and develop into a more balanced wrestler. Every day, Miller entered the wrestling room with a commitment that was second to none.

“I put in a lot of extra hours in the wrestling room individually to prepare for competition just as most people put in many extra hours studying for a big test. In the end it was just the belief in what my coaches were telling me to do and the belief in myself to improve and get better every day,” Miller said.

Still, Miller attributes a large portion of the success he has experienced this season to the faith he put in his coaches. Through their tutelage, Miller was able to make a smooth transition from high school to collegiate wrestling and has improved his technique significantly since stepping on campus.

“I think most of my success was due to the transition that I made. I was able to make this transition by working a lot individually with my coaches. I tried my best to listen to everything they said and improve upon my lesser strengths which they pointed out. One thing my coach always says is to be a ‘student of the sport’ and I really did my best to accomplish that,” Miller said.

Although Miller achieved phenomenal success that any collegiate wrestler would be proud of, Miller is not satisfied. He claims that he has not reached his full potential in his young collegiate wrestling career. Miller’s unrelenting attitude matches that of a champion and his drive certainly serves as a primary reason why Miller was so successful in his first season.

If Miller continues to approach the sport with his unwavering confidence and strong work ethic, it is likely that he will add to his already impressive list of accomplishments. Already eyeing next season, the Orange and Blue faithful should expect nothing less than great things from Austin Miller as he looks to improve on a fantastic rookie season.

” I am very proud of Austin and all that he has accomplished during his freshman campaign,” said head coach Dan Wirnsberger. “His best wrestling is ahead of him because of his commitment and dedication for the sport he loves.  Austin is well deserving of this honor.”

Categories
Sports Swimming & Diving Women

Female Athlete of the Year

By Katherine Harris

Staff Writer

Women’s diver Katie Hetherington ’15 could have never anticipated the immediate success she would have when she first stepped into Arthur D. Kinney Jr. Natatorium this fall.

“I think I had a really great season and I accomplished a lot more than I expected to,” Hetherington said. “My only real expectation was to make it to Patriots.”

Because Hetherington was already a successful diver in high school before she arrived on campus, especially in the three-meter board, coaches knew that she was going to make a big impact on the diving program. Even they didn’t anticipate exactly how much of a splash she was going to make in the competitive waters.

“I knew she was going to be good, but I had no idea she was as good as she is,” diving coach Errol Carter said. “I knew she would be our next team record holder but had no idea it would all happen in her first semester.”

While it is often difficult for first-years to come into a program and succeed right away, standing out was not an issue for Hetherington, whose success in the pool was immediate. In fact, she was already breaking records in her first-ever collegiate meet this fall.

In the meet on Oct. 1, Hetherington outperformed not only the divers from opposing UMBC, but also a very talented group of teammates, diving her way into the school record books. Her score of 264.68 broke the one-meter board record for the Bison, and also created what she cites as one of her most memorable performances of the season.

“I was very nervous at the beginning of the meet because I expected a lot of myself, as I do every meet. Honestly, the possibility of breaking a record never crossed my mind. I was just hoping to not mess up too badly,” Hetherington said. “When I was told I broke the one-meter record, I was ecstatic. I would not have been more excited.”

And the success didn’t stop there by a long shot as Hetherington continued her first collegiate season. On Nov. 18, she broke the three-meter board school record at the Bucknell Invitational with a score of 285.05.

“[Hetherington] was in second or third place after the prelims and her score was within a couple of points of the record. I recall her saying, ‘I want to break that record.’ That night during finals, she shattered the record and qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Meet, the second [Bison] to do so in my time [13 seasons] as coach here,” Carter said.

By the end of the season, Hetherington had won both boards on five different occasions for a total of 13 overall wins. At the Patriot League Championships, a third-place finish in the 1m and a second in the 3m rounded out her impressive in-conference season.

Part of what has made Hetherington so successful in her career already is her willingness to learn and listen to what her coaches have to say to her. She has also supported her teammates in a sport where individual competition is very intense to say the least.

“She is not only a great athlete, but a great teammate as well. She is so humble, and she brings an energy to practice that is completely unique from everyone else on the team,” teammate Tara Boyle ’15 said. “It is way too hard to pick a best performance of hers from this season because she was so consistently successful all year.”

Hetherington’s scores also qualified her for the NCAA Zone “A” Diving Meet, a competition where the top four divers qualify for seeds in the NCAA Championships. The first-year represented the Bison as their solo competitor at the event, placing 41st on the 1m board and 36th on the 3m board with scores of 192.75 and 204.85 in the respective preliminaries.

“Katie’s such a strong competitor because she never lets herself get psyched out mentally.  She always keeps it positive and has so much fun in practice and at meets, making her not only a better diver but also an influential contributor to the team dynamic,” teammate Liz Porcellio ’13 said.

Even with all of this success as a first-year, Hetherington is far from satisfied. She has already set her sights on her goals for next year and hopes to take her impressive performances to new heights in her sophomore season.

“Next year my goal would be to qualify to Zones again and hopefully perform better there. I would also like to learn some harder dives to increase the difficulty of my list,” Hetherington said.

The first-year’s coaches are also excited at the prospect of her improving even more in the years to come. In the off-season, she will be working with them constantly to keep herself ahead of the competition, especially many of her own teammates who are working very hard to reach her level of success as well.

“I feel that if Katie gets over her hangups that many divers have, and starts to believe how good she can be, the sky is the limit,” Carter said. “She already has the dives and skill; we need to fine-tune some of those skills and get her tough dives consistently good. If her next few years are anything like this one, I see the records getting higher and higher and her doing better and better at the NCAA Zone meet and potentially getting close to Nationals.”

Categories
Football Men Sports

Male Athlete of the Year

By Alex Wagner
Assistant Sports Editor

To put it plainly, Bryce Robertson ’12 embodies what college football coaches look for in their players.  The cornerback and punt returner is an exceptional athlete with a strong drive to succeed, as well as a great teammate and leader on and off the field.  These qualities have made him a standout student-athlete over his four years, which has culminated in an outstanding senior campaign.

In his hometown of Reserve, La., Robertson was a football and basketball star at East St. John High School. Although he was certainly an accomplished player from an area with quality high school programs, it was not easy to tell what a huge role he would play during his time in Lewisburg.

Even for a casual fan, Robertson’s impact on the Orange and Blue’s football program is clear. His numerous accolades and statistics speak for themselves. He was named the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Elite Defensive Back for 2011. He was an All-American selection by the Associate Press, The Sports Network, Walter Camp and Phil Steele. He was a First Team All-Patriot League selection, Academic All-Patriot League Football selection and a C. Dale Wolfe Recognition Award recipient, given to the most inspirational player on the team.

Robertson’s 13 interceptions in 2011 shattered the previous 24-year-old Patriot League record of nine. In fact, it is not uncommon for a whole team to have less than 13 interceptions during a season. His 184 interception return yards were a program record, which also helped him add up a career high 346 all-purpose yards in 2011. He was also tied for a team-high with six pass breakups.

These numbers are the work of a player who led the Bison defense that forced 39 turnovers, contributing to a +2.45 turnover margin per game, which led the nation.

But in reality, the awards and statistics don’t tell the whole story. Head coach Joe Susan paints a better picture of what makes Robertson such a special player.

“Bryce is confident in his ability, [which] is critical to being a cornerback at any level in football. He anticipates well. He is an explosive athlete and has very good strength for someone at his position. He has very good quickness, and good speed. He has very good hands [which] make catching interceptions a lot easier. He is fearless, a critical factor for a corner,” Susan said.

When speaking about what makes him successful, Robertson is quick to highlight three main factors.

“Firstly, the new coaching staff implemented a new defensive scheme upon their arrival. I embraced the challenge and did what I had to on and off the field in order to become the most productive player I could for the team. Secondly, the full support of my coaches also was monumental in my success on the field. Lastly, but definitely not least, the outstanding pressure that was produced by our defensive line and blitz schemes also added to what I was able to accomplish on the field,” Robertson said.

Any great player must learn to work well with and learn from their coaching staff, and Robertson certainly embraced the lessons of cornerbacks coach Chip Taylor, who Robertson says has been the most influential figure for him at the University.

“He was a good friend to me and some of the other guys on the team. He has taught me many things that I have assimilated into my game in order to become a more complete player, as well as many life lessons that I will keep with me throughout my life long after my tenure at Bucknell has ended,” Robertson said.

Although his play at cornerback has garnered him much attention, Robertson is also extremely valuable to the Bison as a punt returner. In 2011, he returned 18 punts for 140 yards.

“He was consistent as a punt returner and saved our team many hidden yards just by catching punts,” Susan said.

Despite the huge success he enjoyed during his final season, the going was not always easy for Robertson. He was hampered by a hamstring injury during his junior year, which meant that he had to commit to making changes so that he would be healthy for the 2011 season.

“He was an example for others in the weight room and in our running program. He was always willing to do extra work be it physical or mental, ‘student of the game’ work,” Susan said.

The extra work in the off season obviously paid off for Robertson and the Bison in 2011, when they saw an impressive five-win turnaround from the previous year.

Robertson’s favorite moments during the season were every time the team gathered after a win to sing their fight song. It is certainly gratifying when all of the work put in during practice and weight room sessions produces the desired goal.

Due to the confidence gained during this past season, Robertson plans to enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

“My plan after graduation is to chase the dream. It is not often that people get to actually make a living participating in a sport that they aspired to be a part of since they were a toddler. So it is truly a blessing that I have the opportunity to do so, and … I [intend] to take full advantage of it,” Robertson said.

Everyone in the Bison community certainly wishes him the best of luck in his journey to take his game to the highest level. But if that doesn’t work out for him, he has a promising backup plan as well.

“I would be more than happy to obtain a finance career and become a productive member of society, building off the foundation of a Bucknell education,” Robertson said.

Susan agrees that Robertson is prepared for life after college, wherever that may lead him.

“As a coaching staff we feel fortunate to have the privilege of coaching young men like Bryce. He is a very charismatic young man who has a great sense of people,” Susan said.

No matter what comes for Robertson in the coming years, the Orange and Blue will always be grateful for his huge contributions to the football program.

Categories
Featured Football Men Sports

Coach of the Year


By Eric Brod
Senior Writer

Great leaders often define themselves in times of controversy or crisis. For head football coach Joseph Susan, the defining moment of his early career as coach of the Orange and Blue could have come this season.

After the team finished 1-10 in his first season, Susan knew he had a tough task ahead of him in revitalizing the football program. Just one year later, the Bison, propelled by a newfound tenacity and team unity under Susan, improved to 6-5 overall (2-3 in league play) and set the tone going into the 2012 season as a contender in the Patriot League.

“Each team is buying into the system that Coach Susan is trying implement with the Bucknell Football program,” said tight end Terna Ityokumbul ’13.  “I think it’s also another year running the same plays and not just running the plays to run them, but knowing what each person’s role in the play is and seeing the overall picture.”

To improve by five wins in one season with just an 11-game schedule is no small feat for any team, and takes a strong and supportive leader to get players to buy into a system after producing just one win in the prior season. 

“I believe the biggest difference in our team this year was the way our players bought into how we approach the game. It is not an overnight process,” Susan said. “The impact of how we strength train, how we condition, how we study the game is one that takes time to build.”

Susan said trust among the players and coaches is essential to building a successful football program.

“There was a lot more trust in one another [this year]. [Players] also developed a lot more self-confidence. That is crucial to being able to play together,” Susan said. “Trust is a word that has depth of meaning when it comes to tying 95 players, nine coaches, five trainers, six managers and other support personnel into one vision.”

Quite possibly the greatest change in the team was seen on defense, where the Bison held the FCS’s highest turnover differential in the regular season at +27. The Bison also recorded their first shutout since 2001 with their 21-0 win over Fordham.

“One of the biggest changes was how we did with the ball,” Susan said. “We led the nation in turnover margin. It is something we teach, and something we practice every day. Our players have to trust the system for it to work.”

Bryce Robertson ’12, who led the nation in interceptions with 13, said Susan worked with the players to build trust and change the overall mindset of the team through his SAM concept. SAM stands for “Selfless, Accountable and Mentally tough,” and everything that Susan has implemented into the program revolves around these three ideas.

For Robertson personally, Susan’s teachings were a major factor for him having one of the top seasons for a defender in the entire history of the Orange and Blue football program.

“A good amount of the success I had this season can be attributed to Coach Susan’s teaching this past year because much of it was a direct result of buying in to his way of doing things,” Robertson said. “I was always selfless in the way I approached each game, and did what I could do to be the best at my position in order to be accountable to my team every time I was called to perform.”

For Robertson and his teammates, Susan’s effectiveness can be attributed to his unwavering toughness in all situations.

“In choosing one memory I would say that the time when he suffered a wipeout one game on our sideline would be the winner,” Robertson said. “The play was heading towards our sideline directly at Coach Susan. Right before the ball carrier reached the sideline he was undercut by a defensive player who then undercut Coach Susan. After the play he calmly rose to his feet, looked around and smiled. From that day on I had a new outlook on the difference between pain and injury.”

It is clear that Susan has the Bison heading in a positive direction as they look towards building upon the improvements made throughout the 2011 season. With a strong defense and a rising offense led by running back Tyler Smith ’13, Susan expects the Orange and Blue to achieve new levels of success in 2012.

“There is one goal for our program: for every player to work to be the very best they can be. The human element comes into play and we cannot allow distractions to change our course,” Susan said. “There are no awards for second place. We are working to win championships. We will win the right way. Our players will be leaders on and off the field. They will be leaders beyond their time at this special place.”

Without a doubt, the Orange and Blue football team has a tremendous leader in place to guide it for many years to come.

Categories
Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis finishes season with win

By Chris McCree
Sports Editor

The men’s tennis team closed out its regular season with a 7-2 victory over Bloomsburg this past Wednesday, leaving the Bison with a 9-13 record heading into the Patriot League Tournament.

The Bison took two out of three doubles matches from the Huskies. Gregg Cohenca ’12 and Aidan Lynch ’14 came away with an 8-5 victory at No. 1 doubles, while Josh Katten ’13 and Evan Zimmer ’13 extended their doubles winning streak to 10 at No. 2 doubles. The Bison’s only doubles loss came at the No. 3 spot with the duo of Scott Bernstein ’14 and Kelly Morque ’13 losing 8-5.

In singles, the Orange and Blue took five of six matches, sweeping spots two through six. Katten continued his strong play in the second spot, taking down Mark Schroeder 7-5, 6-0. Octavio Canibe ’15 played in the tightest match of the day at No. 5 singles, taking down Tyler Pultro in three sets. After winning the first set 6-2, Canibe fell in the second set 6-7(1), but managed to take the tiebreaker 12-10. The Bison’s only singles loss of the day came at the No. 1 spot as Zimmer fell in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.

Currently riding a two-game winning streak, the Orange and Blue will look to carry their momentum into the Patriot League Tournament in Annapolis, Md. The Bison will take on Colgate in the first round starting today at 9 a.m. The last time the two teams met was back on April 6, when the Bison came away with a 4-3 victory at home.

Categories
Golf Men Sports

Men’s golf rallies on final day

By Alex Wagner
Assistant Sports Editor

The men’s golf team had a strong finish at the Navy Invitational last weekend, ending up in a three-way tie for eighth out of 20 schools after especially strong play in the final round on Sunday.

Despite a steady downpour and windy conditions in Annapolis, Md., J.J. Szmadzinski ’13 and Pete Scialabba ’15 led the Bison to a strong finish on the second day of competition. Szmadzinski shot a 75, tying for the fifth-lowest score among 109 players, which gave him a 152-stroke total for the weekend and a spot in the nine-way tie for 20th place. Scialabba finished with the same amount of strokes by following his 74 on Saturday with a 78 on Sunday.

“Weathering the elements played a huge factor especially on the second day at Navy, with high winds and steady rain resulting in much higher scoring than usual,” Szmadzinski said.

Schuyler Stitzer ’14, Will Bachman ’12 and Billy Wright ’14 rounded out the weekend for the Orange and Blue with overall scores of 155, 158 and 162 respectively.

This strong group effort moved the team from 14th place Sunday morning to a tie for eighth by the end of the day.  Only Penn, Navy and George Washington outshot the Bison on Sunday, which is a remarkable feat considering the unfavorable weather conditions.

Penn came away with the overall win, beating second-place George Washington by four strokes. Max Marsico of Penn took the individual title, shooting just one over par for the entire weekend.

“This weekend’s tournament at Navy was an important preparation for the Patriot League Championship at Bucknell this upcoming weekend. Most of the other Patriot League schools were there so it gave us a preliminary indication of how we stack up going into next week,” Szmadzinski said.

The Bison finished 10 strokes behind Navy and one stroke behind Colgate. They tied Lafayette and beat Lehigh by nine strokes.

The 2012 Patriot League Championship will be held at the Bucknell Golf Club tomorrow and Sunday.

 

Categories
Sports Track & Field Women

Women’s track blows away competition

By Katherine Harris
Writer

The women’s track and field team dominated in its last weekend of regular-season complete squad competition, winning the Bucknell Team Challenge on Saturday. The Bison beat out top teams including Duquesne, Penn State and Towson, earning a decisive 196.5 total points, over 70 more than second-place Duquesne.

On the track, it was the 800 meters where the Bison shone the brightest. Hana Casalnova ’14, Beth Braunegg ’14 and Caroline Tolli ’13 swept the top three spots on the day, with times moving them all into the school record books in the event. Casalnova’s 2:10.70 put her third in school history, while Braunegg and Tolli’s 2.11:74 and 2:12.02 put them now at fifth and sixth, respectively.

“This weekend’s meet fit really well into our schedule. We are only two weeks out from the Patriot League Championship, so it was really important to simulate that competition with a scored meet against some really solid teams,” Tolli said.

There were also many other victories for the Orange and Blue that day, including a win in the 4×800 meter relay with a time of 9:14.76. Katie Jessee ’15 ran a 10:16.86 and marked her first career victory in the 3,000 meters, while Taylor Funk ’12 showed she’s back in peak form with her 14.75 seconds winning the 100 meter hurdles. Also impressive was Kelly Grosskurth ’12 grabbing the victory in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 11:10.90.

The Bison also performed strongly on the field, with Autumn Schellenberger ’14 and Emily Ando ’14 taking first and second in the pole vault, both clearing 11’ 7.75’’. Abby Monaghan ’13 bested the field with the discus, breaking into fourth in the school record books with a throw of 151’ 9’’. In the javelin, Kat Folger ’12 broke her way into third in school history with a throw of 156’ 6’’.

“I am so proud of the girls on this team. We are really pulling together and the pieces are falling into place. I am very happy with our overall performances; we had a lot of great throws, jumps and times,” Monaghan said.

This weekend, the Bison will split up, with select members traveling to Philadelphia for the Penn Relays from Thursday through Saturday, with the rest of the team traveling to Bloomsburg’s Maroon & Gold Invitational on Friday. This will be the last chance for the Orange and Blue to prepare for the Patriot League Championships the following weekend.