(Lock Haven, Pa.) – Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona), a freshman student-athlete on the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania men’s track and field team, was selected as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Men’s Track and Field Rookie of the Year.
            Carey captured the PSAC title in the discus, outdistancing the rest of the field by over 20 feet with a winning throw of 167’6” at the conference meet.  An NCAA Division II National Championship qualifier, Carey finished 14^th with a toss of 163’10”. The Bald Eagle rookie set a new LHU record in the discus this season with his career best throw of 175’4” earlier this year.  He placed fourth at the Penn Relays in the event, and went undefeated in all other regular season competition.  Carey was also selected as the NCAA Division II East Region Male Athlete of the Year.
            The Lock Haven men’s track team finished as the runners-up at this year’s PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) – Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania’s Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte), Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) and Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West) each earned All-America accolades to highlight the Bald and Lady Eagle track teams’ performances at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships being held at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville this weekend.   
            “This is the most All-Americans we’ve ever come back with, and especially the most for our women’s team,” said LHU Head Coach Mark Elliston.  “I can’t say enough about the way all of our athletes competed, and I’m extremely proud of the effort all six of them gave. For Marsha (Krysiewski), it was just great for her to close out her Lock Haven career as an All-American.  Brianna (Bair) and Jen (Farrow) are very deserving of their All-American titles, and I hope they’ll make the trip again next year.”           
           Junior Brianna Bair  repeated as an All-American in the javelin, throwing a 138’4” to take seventh place out of the 16-strong field.  Bair was also the PSAC champion in the event this season.  This was her third straight appearance at the national meet.
            Sophomore sprinter Jennifer Farrow became LHU’s second All-American on the day, recording a 57.66 in the 400-meter dash finals for an eighth-place finish.  She had advanced to the finals of the 400-meters after clocking a 56.48 in the preliminary round.  A two-time PSAC champion in the event, this marks Farrow’s first All-America award after finishing ninth in the 400 meters at last year’s national meet.
           Senior Marsha Krysiewski made her first appearance at nationals one to remember, finishing in a tie for third place in the high jump for All-America honors with a clearance of 5’5 ¾”.  She tied for third with a familiar competitor in Clarion University’s Melissa Yearous.   Krysiewski had beaten the two-time defending PSAC champion in the event at this season’s conference championships with a clearance of 5’6 ¼” for the title.  
            The senior Lady Eagle also competed in the heptathlon, closing out the event with a personal best total of 4,618 points for a ninth-place finish – just one place out of All-America honors.  Coming into nationals seeded 16^th out of the 16 vying for the title, Krysiewski’s final score is the best recorded in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference this season as well as the second best in LHU history.  
            Two-time All-American and 1999 800-meter champion Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) fell just short of his quest for a second national title, finishing ninth in the finals of the 800-meter run with a 1:58.12.  Sauls had put himself in prime position to earn another top-eight certificate in the 800 meters by clocking a 1:50.94 in the preliminary heat yesterday, the fifth fastest time of the day, to advance to the finals.  Sauls’ time in the preliminary heat was his best performance this season in the 800 meters, and was less than one second off his school record time of 1:49.95 set at the national championships in the 1999 season.  
           In his first appearance at nationals, freshman Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) finished in 14^th place in the men’s discus with a throw of 163’10”.  Sophomore Lady Eagle Jocelyn Held (Slatington/ Northwestern Lehigh), also making her debut at the NCAA meet, cleared 10’4” to finish 16^th in the finals of the pole vault.  

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field student-athletes Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) and Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West) were voted the Male and Female NCAA Division II East Region Athletes of the Year, as released yesterday by the Division II Cross Country/Track and Field Coaches Association.
          Freshman discus thrower Tom Carey was selected as the East Region’s Male Athlete of the Year.  Carey set a new Lock Haven record in the discus with a season best of 175’4”.  This year’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference discus champion, the rookie outdistanced the rest of the field by almost 20 feet with his winning toss of 167’6” at the conference meet.  He placed fourth at the prestigious Penn Relays in the event, and went undefeated in all other competition during the regular season.  Carey is currently 11^th on the national list entering into the NCAA championships this weekend.
            Senior Marsha Krysiewski became the first track athlete in Lock Haven history to qualify for competition in two events at the national championships, the heptathlon and the high jump. She captured the PSAC high jump title with an NCAA qualifying mark of 5’6 ¼”, making all her clearances on the first attempt. She finished second at the conference championships in the heptathlon with an NCAA provisional qualifying score of 4,568 points.  Krysiewski also ran the second leg of the fifth-place finishing 4x400 meter relay at the PSAC championships.
        Kutztown University’s Brian Mondschein was voted the East Region Men’s Coach of the Year, and Slippery Rock’s John Papa earned East Region Women’s Coach of the Year honors.
            Six members of the Lock Haven men’s and women’s track and field teams, including Carey and Krysiewski, are in competition this weekend at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships being held at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville from May 24-26.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Two Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania women’s track and field student-athletes, Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) and Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West), are both in All-America contention after the first day of competition at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships being held at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
            Despite gusting winds and rain, sophomore sprinter Jennifer Farrow ran a 56.48 in her qualifying heat of the 400-meter dash.  That time was good enough to advance her to the finals, ranking her sixth out of the eight finalists and assuring her All-America honors.  The 400 meter finals are scheduled for Saturday, May 26, at 7:10 p.m.
            After four events in the first day of competition, senior heptathlete Marsha Krysiewski’s 2855 points places her sixth among the field of 16 athletes.  Krysiewski cleared 5’6 ½” to take first in the high jump competition and posted personal records in the shot put (31’08 ¾”) and the 200 meter dash (27.47). She also ran a 15.07 in the 100-meter hurdles. The final three events (long jump, javelin, 800-meter run) will take place tomorrow beginning at noon. 
            The NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships run through Saturday, May 26.  The top eight finishers in each event garner All-America honors and also score points toward the team title.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Scott Lightfoot (Medford, N.J./Shawnee), a junior track and field student-athlete for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, has been named to the 2001 Verizon/CoSIDA College Division Academic All-District Spring Men’s At-Large team, as announced today by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Lightfoot earned a spot on the All-District Second Team.
         Lightfoot, a junior middle distance runner for the Bald Eagle track and field team, garnered Second Team Academic All-District honors after maintaining a 3.81 GPA in his Health Science major at LHU.  Despite a spring season hampered by injury, he was a 2001 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference outdoor track and field championships qualifier in the 800 meters, finishing ninth.  Lightfoot was an All-Eastern College Athletic Conference runner during the 2001 indoor track and field season, placing fifth in the 800 meter run at the ECAC Championships.  He was also selected by the Lock Haven coaches as the 2001 LHU Track and Field Distance Award winner.
        Prior to the 2001 seasons, Lightfoot was a member of LHU’s back-to-back ECAC champion 4x800 meter relay teams (1999, 2000), helped the 4x400 meter relay capture a PSAC title in 1999, and has collected multiple All-ECAC and All-PSAC accolades.
       A total of 20 student-athletes from District II (non-NCAA Division I colleges and universities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia) were selected to the Academic All-District II teams as announced and voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). To be nominated for the Verizon Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be a sophomore with a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average and a starter or significant reserve on his or her team.  The Spring Men’s At-Large grouping includes athletes in golf, lacrosse, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  A school-record six Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field student-athletes will travel to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville for the 2001 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Track and Field Championships being held this weekend, May 24-26 at Ralph Korte Stadium.  Bald and Lady Eagle athletes meeting the qualifying standards and selected to compete include: Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) in the javelin, Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) in the 400 meters, Jocelyn Held (Slatington/Northwestern  Lehigh) in the pole vault, Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West) in the heptathlon and the high jump, Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) in the 800 meters, and Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) in the discus.
            “It is definitely the largest squad to date to make the national trip,” said Lock Haven Head Track and Field Coach Mark Elliston.  “I believe all six have a real shot at becoming All-Americans.  We are about to see if all their hard work is going to pay off.  I know this group of young men and women will represent Lock Haven University well.”
            Senior Marsha Krysiewski makes LHU history as the first person in school record to qualify for two events at the national championships after meeting the NCAA standards in both the high jump and the heptathlon.  Her leap of 5’ 6-1/4” for the high jump title at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships placed her 13^th in the nation and qualified her for the national meet.  Krysiewski also scored 4,568 points in a runner-up finish in the heptathlon at the PSAC meet, and will compete in a 16-woman field for the title and All-America honors.
            Junior Brianna Bair will be looking for a repeat All-American performance in the javelin after finishing fourth in the event at last year’s national championships.  Her throw of 150’5” seats her fourth in the nation entering this weekend’s competition.  This will be Bair’s third consecutive trip to the NCAA meet.
            In the 400 meter race, sophomore Jennifer Farrow makes her second trip in as many years to the NCAA championships.  Last season Farrow advanced to the national finals with a school and PSAC all-time record of 55.76, finishing one spot away from receiving All-America honors in ninth place.  This season, the sophomore Lady Eagle defended her PSAC title in the event and clocked a fastest time of 56.29 at the Bucknell Invitational earlier this spring.  
            Sophomore pole vaulter Jocelyn Held makes her first appearance on the national scene after etching her name into the record books with a PSAC championship and LHU record clearance of 11’9” for the conference crown.  She currently owns the tenth best mark in the nation.
            In the men’s competition, Matt Sauls, the 1999 NCAA Division II 800 meters champion and two-time All-American, will make the familiar trek back to the national meet after a missing last year’s outdoor season due to injury.  Clocking a season-fastest time of 1:51.08 at the LHU Qualifier in early May, Sauls is seated 10^th among 19 national qualifiers in the event. 
            The sixth national championships participant from Lock Haven is freshman Tom Carey.  Carey took little time accustoming himself to collegiate competition, finishing first in the discus in every meet this season.  In his inaugural PSAC championships, the rookie captured the title with a throw of 167’6”.  Carey’s best distance this season came at the Susquehanna Invitational with a school-record heave of 175’04”. 
            The top eight competitors in each event at the NCAA Division II National Championships earn All-America honors in addition to scoring points toward the team title. Competition begins on Thursday, May 24^th and will conclude on Saturday, May 26^th. 

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Two Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field student-athletes, junior Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) and sophomore Sandy Ritz (West Hazleton/Hazleton), earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Men’s Track and Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors, respectively, for events ending May 6. 
            Matt Sauls receives the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week award after winning the 800 meters at the LHU Qualifier on Saturday, outrunning his closest competitor by over four and a half seconds.  His time of 1:51.08 is the fastest PSAC time this season, and ranks Sauls seventh in the nation.
            Sandy Ritz, a sophomore, earns Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after capturing the individual victory in the long jump at the LHU Qualifier with a personal best and NCAA Division II provisional qualifying leap of 18’6”.  Her mark ranks her second in the conference entering into this weekend’s competition. 
            The Lock Haven University Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams will next compete at the 2001 PSAC Track and Field Championships being held at Shippensburg University this week, Thursday through Saturday, May 10-12.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona), a member of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania men’s track and field team, was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference’s Field Athlete of the Week for events ending April 22. This is his third ECAC and second PSAC weekly accolade this season.
        Carey, a freshman on the LHU track and field team, marked an NCAA Division II provisionally qualifying distance in the discus with a winning throw of 166' 10-3/4" at the Lafayette Invitational this past Saturday.  Carey is currently ranked eighth in Division II and remains undefeated this season in his respective event.

Sandy Ritz (West Hazleton/Hazleton), a member of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania women’s track and field team, was selected as the Eastern College Athletic Conference Field Performer of the Week for events ending on April 22.
          Ritz, a sophomore, won the triple jump at this past weekend’s Lafayette Invitational with a jump of 37’ 4-1/4” in addition to taking runner-up honors in the long jump with a leap of 18’ 5-1/4”, just three-quarters of an inch shy of the NCAA provisional standard.  Ritz also ran the third leg of LHU’s winning 4x100 meter relay (PSAC-leading 48.33), took second in the 100 meter dash (12.62) and fourth in the 200 meters (26.0). 
       The LHU track and field teams next compete at the Penn Relays from April 26-28 and then return home for the LHU Qualifier on May 5 starting at 11 a.m. at Hubert Jack Stadium.

Stacie Miller (Lock Haven/Lock Haven), a senior on the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania softball team, earned Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Week for all games ending on April 22.  This marks her first ECAC weekly honor of the season.
            Miller hit .583 (7-12) with seven RBI, six runs, two homers and a double last week to help The Haven to a 4-0 week. The senior catcher’s RBI production for the week gave her 72 for her career, a new all-time standard for the Lady Eagles.  Her nine home runs this season is also a new LHU mark.   The senior catcher was also named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Player of the Week earlier in the week.
            On the season, Miller is leading the Lady Eagles, hitting .446 with 13 doubles, nine homeruns, and 34 RBI’s.  The LHU softball team, 16-17 overall and 10-6 in the PSAC West, will next host Indiana (PA) University tomorrow, April 26, at 3 p.m.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Four Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field athletes earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week honors for competition ending April 15.
            Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte), Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens), Matt Stinson (Wescosville/Emmaus), and Joe Webster (Folcroft/Monsignor Bonner) all turned in top level performances this past week, earning them their respective PSAC Athlete of the Week honors.
            Junior javelin standout Brianna Bair received Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors for the second straight week, bettering her nation-leading mark last Wednesday at the PSAC Tri-Meet versus Mansfield University and Bloomsburg University by throwing a distance of 150’5”.  That mark was a meet record and personal best which also keeps her atop of the Division II standings by seven feet.  She won the Bucknell Classic on Saturday with a mark of 134’11” off a grass runway. She shares this week’s award with East Stroudsburg’s triple jumper Quanette Jester.
            Sophomore sprinter Jennifer Farrow earns the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honor after taking first in the 400 meters at the Bucknell Classic in a PSAC-leading and NCAA Division II provisional qualifying time of 56.29.  That time currently ranks her seventh in the nation.  She also anchored the Lady Eagles’ winning 4x100 meter relay team (49.83), runner-up 4x400 meter relay team (4:04.56), and claimed second in the 200 meters (25.94).  Farrow won four events at the Tri-Meet last Wednesday, anchoring both the 4x100 (51.31) and 4x400 (4:31.91) relays to victory as well as first place finishes in the 400 meters (59.23) and 200 meters (no time).
 LHU sophomore Matt Stinson receives Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after taking second in the decathlon at the Millersville Multis this past weekend with an NCAA Division II provisional qualifying point total of 6,356 points. His point total also broke LHU’s 16-year old school record by over 300 points.  Stinson won the 100 meters (11.21) and the long jump (22’10”) out of the ten events over the weekend.  Last Wednesday, he captured second in the long jump and in the discus at the PSAC Tri-Meet.
            Joe Webster, a sophomore, garnered Men’s Track Athlete of the Week accolades after leading LHU to victory at the PSAC Tri-Meet last Wednesday, claiming wins in three events in meet record time.  He won the 400 meters by over 3 ½ seconds in 49.30, and ran the lead-off leg for both the winning 4x100 meter relay (43.22) and winning 4x400 meter relay (3:23.65). This Saturday at the Bucknell Classic, Webster took top honors in the 400 meters in a PSAC-leading time of 48.44 in addition to leading both relays to wins in times that currently lead the conference (4x100 - 41.99; 4x400 – 3:17.63).
            The Lock Haven University men’s and women’s track and field teams will next compete at the Lafayette College Invitational on Saturday, April 21.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte), a junior member of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania women’s track and field team, earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors as announced this afternoon.
            Bair won the javelin at the Shippensburg Quad this past weekend, topping her closest competitor by 19 feet with a season-best toss of 144’10”.  A returning All-American in the event, Bair’s effort placed her atop this season’s current NCAA Division II rankings.
            The junior thrower is a two-time NCAA Championship qualifier, and captured her first All-America certificate in the 2000 outdoor season, finishing fourth in the javelin at the national championships. 
            The Lock Haven University track and field teams will host a PSAC Tri-Meet tomorrow, April 11, at Hubert Jack Stadium. Other teams competing will be Bloomsburg University and Mansfield University.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona), a freshman student-athlete for the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania men’s track and field team, earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference Field Athlete of the Week honors for events ending on April 2.
            Carey tore up the competition along with school and meet records with a discus throw of 175’4” at the Susquehanna Invitational last Saturday.  His mark bettered the old LHU record by an astonishing 17 feet and the previous meet record by eight feet.  Carey’s throw was four feet shy of the all-time best throw by any athlete in the PSAC, and qualified him provisionally for the NCAA Division II Championships.  His performance currently ranks second among all NCAA Division II athletes this season.
            The Lock Haven University track and field teams will next be in action on April 7 for a PSAC/USTF Series Meet being held at Shippensburg University.  Other teams in competition include Millersville University and Mansfield University.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Jacob Merrill (Montrose/Montrose), a freshman track and field athlete for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, was selected as the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division II Men’s Field Athlete of the Week for events through February 12. 
            Merrill automatically qualified for the upcoming ECAC Championships in three events on Saturday at the Bucknell Winter Classic.  The rookie Bald Eagle won the triple jump title by nearly two feet with a jump of 47’ 7-1/2”, breaking former All-American Carl Fisher’s 11 year old school record in the event and becoming the first Bald Eagle to surpass the 47-foot barrier indoors.  That mark was also good enough to provisionally qualify Merrill for the NCAA Division II National Championships, ranking him 13^th in the nation.
            He went 21’ ¾” in the long jump, finishing 11^th overall, and also ran a 50.6 split in the 4x400 Meter Relay that finished in second place.  The relay’s ECAC qualifying time of 3:25.53 was the fourth fastest time in LHU history.            
           The LHU Track and Field teams have one more meet before the ECAC Championships, traveling to Cornell University for the Kane Invitational on Saturday, February 17.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference’s Field Athlete of the Week for events ending Jan. 22.
            Carey, a freshman on the LHU track and field team, put in a top-notch performance at the Bucknell University Octagonal this past Saturday.  He shattered Lock Haven’s school 35-pound weight throw record by more than five feet with his fifth place toss of 47’1”.  Carey also claimed the Bald Eagles’ only individual victory of the day in the shot put with a throw of 46’6-1/4”.
            Lock Haven University was the only non-Division I school competing at the Octagonal Meet, with the men finishing in fifth place.  Up next for the Bald Eagles is the Penn State National Open on Jan. 26-27.

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June 6, 2000 -- LHU'S MOYER MERITS PSAC SPRING TOP TEN AWARD

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Steve Moyer (Woodbury/Northern Bedford), a member of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania men's track and field team, was selected as a recipient of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Spring Top Ten Award.  The Top Ten Awards recognize five male and five female student-athletes from the PSAC who distinguish themselves in the classroom, as well as in the arena of competition.  The conference designates Top Ten Award winners after each of the competitive sports seasons, fall, winter and spring. 

            Moyer, a senior, capped off his final season on LHU's track and field team with his second straight All-America honor in the 3000-meter steeplechase.  His time of 9:06.08 recorded at the NCAA Division II National Championship meet narrowly eclipsed his existing school standard in the event.  Moyer also defended his title in the 3000 steeplechase at this year's PSAC Championships, and earned All-PSAC recognition in the 5,000-meter run.  He is a three-time All-American, earning two certificates in track and field and the third this past fall in cross country.  Moyer earned a perfect 4.00 over the 2000 spring semester, earning Dean's List honors, and closes the year with a cumulative 3.353 GPA in Health and Physical Education. This is his second consecutive Spring season as a recipient of the PSAC Top Ten Award.

To be a candidate for the Top Ten Awards, a student-athlete must have achieved a minimum of a 3.25 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.  Only student-athletes from the spring sports season are eligible for the Spring Top Ten Awards.  Those sports include baseball, golf, lacrosse, softball, men's tennis, and men's and women's track and field.

            The Top Ten Awards provide the PSAC an extra tier in the recognition of the top student-athletes on all PSAC squads with 3.25 cumulative GPA's or better.  Additionally, Top Ten Award winners are eligible for the PSAC Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards.  

            To view the entire list of PSAC Spring Top Ten winners, go to http://www.lhup.edu/psac/Scholar-Athletes.htm.

May 26 - LHU'S MOYER CLAIMS ALL-AMERICA HONORS AT NCAA DIVISION II TRACK AND FIELD NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Steve Moyer (Woodbury/Northern Bedford), a senior track and field student-athlete at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, claimed his third career All-America honors by finishing seventh in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase at the 2000 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships being held at Paul Derr Track on the campus of North Carolina State University from May 25-27.  LHU teammates sophomore Rob Mortensen (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) and freshman Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) both advanced to the finals in their respective races by recording solid times in their preliminary races. 

            Moyer duplicated his 1999 finish at the national meet by earning seventh place and All-America honors in the 3000 meter steeplechase, recording a time of 9:06.08.  His time tops the school record mark of 9:06.26, which he set at the Penn Relays this past April. This is the third All-America certificate for the Bald Eagle senior, having earned the honor last year in the 3000 steeplechase (7^th place) and last fall as LHU's top finisher at the cross country nationals (41^st place). Moyer is also a two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion in the steeplechase, having won the conference crown in each of the past two seasons.  Vladimir Golias of Central Missouri State was this year's gold medallist in the 3000 steeplechase, crossing the finish line in 8:43.01. 

Rob Mortensen, the PSAC champion in the 800 and 1500 meters, advanced to the finals in the 1,500 Meter run to be held tomorrow, recording a 3:53.94 in the qualifying race. 

Jennifer Farrow will race in the finals of the 400 Meter dash tomorrow after clocking a personal best and new LHU record of 55.76 in the preliminaries this evening.  Her time is also a new all-time PSAC record.  She captured the PSAC gold medal in the 400 meters two weeks ago, breaking a 17-year old conference championships record with a time of 55.88. 

            Fellow Lady Eagle Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) is scheduled to compete in the javelin tomorrow morning.  She is seeded sixth in the 10-woman field.

May 22, 2000 - LHU TO SEND FOUR ATHLETES TO 
                     NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Four Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field athletes have been selected to compete at the NCAA Division II National Championships to be held at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., from Thursday, May 25 through Saturday, May 27.

Senior Steve Moyer (Woodbury/Northern Bedford) enters the championships with the highest seed for LHU.  His time of 9:06.26 in the 3000 meter steeplechase ranks him fifth in the field of 12, just over 16 seconds behind the leader, Vladimir Golias of Central Missouri State University.  Moyer’s qualifying time was the top performance by a Division II athlete at the Penn Relays back in April and set a new LHU school record.  In addition, he won his second consecutive steeplechase title at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships on May 13^th in addition to earning All-PSAC honors with his third-place finish in the 5000 meters.  Moyer finished seventh-place in the event to earn All-America honors at last season’s national championships and he was also an All-American in cross country last fall.

“Moyer is a machine,” comments LHU’s Head Track and Field Coach Mark Elliston.  “He powers his way through the steeplechase and by his competitors.  He was a little nervous at last year’s meet, but this year he’s hungry to do well.  I’d look for him to be pretty high on the podium when the race is over.”

The Lady Eagles’ top seed in Raleigh will be sophomore Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) in the javelin who is currently ranked sixth in the 10-woman field.  Bair has a season-best this year of 143’ 1-3/4” and will be one of three PSAC athletes in the event.  Millersville’s Jennifer Smith, the PSAC Champion in the event, sits on Bair’s heels with a throw of 143’ 1” while Jen Grube of East Stroudsburg is seeded eighth with a toss of 141’ 5”.  This will be Bair’s second time competing at the national meet after finishing 10^th in the javelin last year.

“After being a little disappointed with how things turned out at last year’s championships, Brianna is ready to leave her mark at the national level,” says Elliston.  “She has an amazing arm and is both consistent and aggressive.  Millersville’s Smith nipped her at PSAC’s, but I don’t see her letting that happen again.”

Robert Mortensen (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington), a sophomore, will represent the Bald Eagles in the 1500 meters for the second-consecutive year at the championships. An indoor All-American in the mile (6^th ~ 4:07.21), Mortensen is just under seven seconds behind the national leader in the event, Alfred Rugema of Abilene Christian (Tex.) University.  Mortensen led Lock Haven to a third-place team finish at the PSAC Championships by claiming titles in both the 800 and 1500 meter events.  His season-best time of 3:51.38 seconds came from his victory at the Bucknell Heptagonal held in April. 

“Rob has been virtually untouchable in the conference this season, and has proven himself to be one of the premier milers on the East Coast,” says Elliston.  “He has rarely been challenged all year, so I’d look for him to be in the thick of things and drop his time significantly next week.”

LHU’s final participant at the national championships will be rookie Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) in the 400 meters where she is currently ranked fourteenth in a field of 18 athletes.  Farrow has distinguished herself as the fastest 400 meter runner in PSAC Championship history after breaking a 17-year old conference record with her win on May 13^th.  Her time of 55.88 was also an LHU record, and is just over two seconds behind current national leader Tanya Oxley of St. Augustine’s College (N.C.).  

 “Jen has helped lift this women’s team, leading them to second place at this year’s PSAC Championships,” comments Elliston.  “She has gotten stronger and faster in each competition and nationals shouldn’t be any different.  If she can stay composed this week then I’m confident Jen will do very well.”

May 9, 2000 - LHU’s Olsen and Mills Earn PSAC Track and 
                   Field Athlete of the Week Honors

(Lock Haven, Pa.) – Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field athletes Jeff Mills (Everett, PA/Everett) and Katrin Olsen (Newburgh, N.Y./Marlboro) were honored by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for their performances at last weekend’s LHU Qualifier at Hubert Jack Stadium.

Mills, a senior competing in his last home meet, was spectacular this weekend, posting three wins, two seconds, an NCAA Qualifying mark and a stadium record at the Qualifier.  For his efforts he was named the Men’s PSAC Field Athlete of the Week.

                With a clearance of 6’ 10-1/4” in the high jump, Mills became the second best in LHU history and currently ranks eighth among NCAA qualifiers.  He also ran the third leg of the Bald Eagles’ 4x100 meter relay (41.39) which set the LHU record, currently leads the PSAC by three quarters of a second, and just missed the NCAA provisional standard by a mere .09 seconds.  He then proceeded to win the long jump with a personal best of 23’ 4-3/4”, take second in the 200 meter dash in a PSAC qualifying time of 22.43, and second in the triple jump with a leap of 45’ 3”.  All marks were season bests for the senior.

                A sophomore for the Lady Eagles, Olsen ran a PSAC-leading 2:15.05 in her 800 meter win at the LHU qualifier, missing the NCAA Provisional mark by a mere half second.  Her time leads the conference by over two seconds and established a new stadium record.  It was also just .08 seconds off the Lady Eagle record and earned her recognition as the Women’s PSAC Track Athlete of the Week.

              Both Mills and Olsen will be favored to win their events at the upcoming PSAC Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships hosted by West Chester University from Thursday, May 11^th to Saturday, May 13^th. 

             (Lock Haven, Pa.) - For the second week in a row, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field athletes dominated the Eastern College Athletic Conference Female Track and Field Athlete of the Week honors.

            Freshman Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) was named the ECAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week for the second straight week after leading the Lady Eagles' 4x400 meter relay team to runner-up honors at last Thursday's Penn Relays Carnival in Philadelphia.  The rookie took the baton in next-to-last place, but overtook all but one of her opponents with her 55.2 anchor split.  The relay's final time was 3:58.58 seconds, the second fastest time in LHU history.

            Sophomore Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte), twice a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week, earned her second consecutive ECAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honor with a sixth-place performance in the javelin at last Thursday's Penn Relays Carnival.  Her throw was 137' 11", the fourth time this season she has thrown a provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships.

            The LHU track and field teams will compete in their final regular season meet as they host the LHU Qualifier on Saturday, May 6.  Action begins at 12:30 p.m. at LHU's Hubert Jack Stadium and Charlotte Smith Field.  

April 25, 2000 -- Three LHU Track and Field Athletes 
                        Earn ECAC Honors

            (Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field athletes dominated this week’s Eastern College Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week honors, winning three of the four awards bestowed.

            Freshman Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) was named the ECAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after her dazzling performance at last weekend’s Lafayette College Invitational.  The rookie took second place in the open 400 meter race, running the second fastest time in LHU history (56.70).  In addition, Farrow anchored both the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams to runner-up honors.  In the 4x100, the Canton native closed a huge gap down the homestretch, finishing in 48.87 seconds and falling just shy of victory.  The team was second in the 4x400 meter relay as well, with Farrow closing in a 56.0 second split to help the Lady Eagles break a 14-year old school record in 3:56.50.

            Sophomore Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte), twice a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week, earned her first ECAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week Honor by virtue of her meet-record throw in the javelin at Lafayette.  Her victorious mark of 141’ 3-1/2” currently ranks her fourth in the nation in her event.

            ECAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, junior Jonathan Chichilitti (Levittown/Neshaminy), won  the honor by virtue of his win in the 100 meters at last weekend’s competition in a time of 11.05 with his characteristic come-from-behind fashion.  Chichilitti brought the 4x100 meter relay team from 12 meters back when he received the handoff to within a tenth of a second of the winner as they crossed the line to claim second place.  On the 4x400 meter relay, which also finished second, the junior anchored the team to their fastest clocking this season (3:19) with a split of 48.2.

            All three LHU athletes will be competing on Thursday and Friday, April 27-28, at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

April 19, 2000 -- MORTENSEN, BAIR, AND MILLS EARN 
                        ATHLETE OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES
                       Mortensen and Bair Earn PSAC Honors While Mills and 
                               Mortensen Tally ECAC Recognition

            (Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania sophomores Rob Mortensen (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) and Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) have both been recognized by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for their accomplishments last week. Additionally Mortensen and senior Jeff Mills (Everett/Everett) were both honored by the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

            Mortensen was named the Men's PSAC and ECAC Track Athlete of the Week after winning three events and setting two Bald Eagle records this past week.  At the Mansfield University Tri-Meet on April 12^th Mortensen broke LHU's 3000-meter record by 20 seconds with his win in 8:46.74.  At the Bucknell Heptagonal meet held on Saturday, April 15^th, the sophomore won the 1500 meters in a school-record time of 3:51.38.  His time currently ranks him fourth in the nation amongst NCAA Division II competition.  Mortensen returned later in the meet to anchor LHU's 4x800 meter relay team to victory in a time of 7:52.28.

            Bair won the javelin competition at both of LHU's meets last week en route to being named the Women's PSAC Field Athlete of the Week.  The defending PSAC Champion, Bair's 141' 1" was a mere inch off her season's best performance which currently ranks her fourth in the nation. 

Mills claimed five titles in competition last week, including a pair of wins in the high jump, to earn the Men's ECAC Field Athlete of the Week honor.  The veteran's clearance of 6' 8" moves him atop the PSAC rankings in the high jump and just missed the national qualifying standard.  He also won the long jump at Bucknell (21' 6") and was a member of both victorious Bald Eagle relay teams.  The 4x100 meter relay tied the school record with a clocking of 42.02 while the 4x400 meter relay was golden in 3:20.14.

The LHU track and field teams will travel to Easton, Pa., for the Lafayette Invitational on Saturday, April 22 beginning at 10 a.m.  Both teams will then travel to the Penn Relays on Thursday, April 27, for two days of competition.

April 11, 2000--RITZ NAMED PSAC FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

            (Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania freshman Sandy Ritz (Hazleton/Hazleton) has been recognized by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for her performance at this past weekend's PSAC/United States Track and Field Coaches Association Quad Meet at LHU's Hubert Jack Stadium. 

             Ritz was named the Women's PSAC Field Athlete of the Week by virtue of her performance in the long jump.  The rookie took the lead in the long jump with a leap of 18' 0", only to better her mark later in the competition with a jump of 18' 1".  Her mark was the fourth best on LHU's all-time list, and currently ranks her second in the PSAC behind Slippery Rock University's Nikita Lewis, the NCAA Indoor National Champion in the event. 

             In addition to her efforts in the long jump, Ritz was a member of the Lady Eagles' victorious 4x100 meter relay team which finished in a time of 49.89 seconds.   

             In her inaugural indoor track and field season, Ritz earned All-Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference honors in both the triple jump and 4x200 meter relay.  Ritz is a freshman elementary education major at LHU.

             Both the men's and women's teams carry NCAA Division II Outdoor National Dual Meet Rankings into this weekend's competition.  The women are currently ranked second in the nation with 182.69 points while the Bald Eagles sit in fourth in the national standings with 170.54 points.  Emporia (KS) State University leads both polls, the women with 188.40 points and the men with 186.64.

April 4, 2000 - MORTENSEN AND BAIR NAMED PSAC TRACK   
                     AND FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

             (Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania sophomores Rob Mortensen (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) and Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) have both been recognized by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for their efforts at the Lynchburg Invitational in Lynchburg, Va., this past weekend. 

             Mortensen was named the Men's PSAC Track Athlete of the Week by virtue of his victories in the 1500 and 5000 meters at the meet.  His meet-record time of 3:53.94 in the 1500 meters provisionally qualified him for the NCAA Division II National Championships and currently ranks him seventh in the nation in the event.  An All-American miler indoors, Mortensen returned to claim the 5000-meter title in a PSAC-qualifying time of 15:14.02, leading the Bald Eagles to a 1-2-3 finish in the event.

             Bair took the javelin title at Lynchburg with a throw of 141' 2" en route to being named the Women's PSAC Field Athlete of the Week.  Her mark, like Mortensen's, met the NCAA provisional qualifying mark, and currently ranks her third in the nation in the event.

             Both Mortensen and Bair qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships as freshmen last spring.  They will be featured along with eight other NCAA National Qualifiers from LHU, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, California University of Pennsylvania and Clarion University, at this weekend's United States Track Coaches Association/PSAC Quad meet to be hosted by Lock Haven University at Hubert Jack Stadium. 

             The meet, part of a series of meets funded in part by a grant from the United States Olympic Committee, limits the number of participants and is designed to run no longer than three hours. This year, PSAC schools will be among 74 universities and colleges that will host the spectator-friendly track & field competitions.  Meet action begins at 2:30pm and there is no cost for admission.

             (Lock Haven, Pa.) – Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania’s Steve Moyer (Woodbury/Northern Bedford) has been selected by Successful Farming magazine to its All-America Track and Field Farm Team. 

             Moyer earned All-America honors in the 3000-meter steeplechase at last spring's NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships in Emporia, Kan., where he finished eighth place overall.  He is the defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion, and his personal best time of nine minutes and 11.57 seconds in the event established a new LHU record.

        A five-time Eastern College Athletic Conference selection indoors, and a two-time All-PSAC selection in cross country, Moyer holds three individual Bald Eagle records as well as one relay record.  He was an All-America honoree in cross country this past fall.

           Moyer, a senior on the Bald Eagle’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams, will graduate in December with a health and physical education degree.  He currently holds a 3.25 grade point average and was named a recipient of the PSAC Top Ten Award last spring as one of the top ten student-athletes throughout the conference.

             The All-American Farm Team is a scholastic program sponsored by Dodge Truck and Successful Farming magazine to honor outstanding collegiate athletes who call a farm or ranch home.  This, the third part of the program, honors outstanding men and women athletes from the sports of softball, baseball and men’s and women’s track and field.  Similar teams are selected from the sports of football, volleyball, basketball and wrestling.

              Team selections are made by a panel of judges comprised of sports writers, broadcasters, college coaches and sports information directors.  All athletes named to the program’s first team receive a $500 scholarship donated in their name to the college they attend.  In addition, team captains receive a $750 scholarship.  All athletes and their parents receive a plaque honoring their selection to the team.

             This marks the fifth year for the All-American Farm Team program.  During that time the program has awarded $160,000 in scholarships to deserving athletes.

             Successful Farming Magazine is an agricultural journal with 1.5 million readers nation-wide.                                                                    

1999 Successful Farming Magazine All-America 
Track and Field Farm Team

First Team:                           Coby Miller (Captain), Auburn University
                                                Chad Gillespie, Doane College
                                                Steve Moyer, Lock Haven University
                                                Jonathan Prather, University of Colorado
                                                Mark Scharnberg, Augustana College (S.D.)

 Second Team:                      Patrick Thomas Irgens, North Dakota State University
                                                Ron Kingma, Dordt College
                                                Shane Rasby, University of Wyoming
                                                Nicholas Schauer, North Dakota State University
                                                Kyle Wies, University of Montana

  Honorable Mention:           Will Brownback, Widener University
                                                Tracy Hanzal, Minot State University
                                                Ryan Keith, University of Oregon
                                                Colin McArthur, University of Oregon
                                                Darren Moser, Western Illinois University
                                                Jon Nance, Texas A&M University   

March 11, 2000 -     LHU'S MORTENSEN CAPTURES ALL-AMERICA  
                           HONORS AT NCAA DIVISION II INDOOR 
                           TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
                           Mortensen Is LHU's First Male Indoor Track All-American

             (Lock Haven, Pa.) -- Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania student-athlete Rob Mortensen (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) captured his first All-America honors this afternoon with a sixth-place finish in the mile at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championships being held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Mass.

            Mortensen, Lock Haven's first male runner to qualify for the Indoor Track and Field Championships, became LHU's first male indoor track All-American by finishing sixth in the mile run with a time of 4:07.21.  The All-America award is the LHU sophomore's first ever.  Additionally, Mortensen's time shatters The Haven's school-record mark of 4:12.14, which he set just last weekend en route to winning the indoor mile title at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships. 

           Alfred Rugema of Abilene Christian won the mile run, setting a new NCAA Division II Championship Record with his first-place mark of 4:02.92.

            "Rob's performance here is encouraging, especially for down the road," said LHU Head Coach Mark Elliston.  "Down the home stretch, the three guys in front of Rob were running three wide, and he couldn't get around them.  Still, Rob has shown everyone here that he has developed the poise, discipline, and confidence to run the big races, and I'm extremely proud of his performance here this weekend."

2000 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field 
National Championships

Men's Mile Finals

1  Alfred Rugema (Jr., Abilene Christian)  4:02.92
2  John Kemboi (So., Abilene Christian)  4:04.15
3  Kevin Blacquiere (Jr., Hillsdale)  4:06.59
4  Nelson Laux (Jr., Western State)   4:06.63
5  Gilbert Tuhabonye (Sr., Abilene Christian)  4:06.91
6  Robert Mortensen (So., Lock Haven)   4:07.21

March 10, 2000 - MORTENSEN ADVANCES TO FINALS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -- Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania sophomore runner Rob Mortensen (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) advanced to the finals of the men's mile today at the 2000 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championships being held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Mass., from Friday, March 10 through Saturday, March 11.

 Mortensen's time of 4:18.03 in the preliminary race was fast enough to advance the Bald Eagle to tomorrow's finals.  The 2000 ECAC Indoor Track and Field mile champion, his best time in the mile this season was 4:12.14, which was clocked last weekend at the ECAC Championships.

"It was a smart, tactical race for him," said LHU Assistant Coach Aaron Russell.  "Rob led for most of the race, finishing second in his heat.  He also went in the second heat, so he knew what time was needed to get into the finals and was able to save himself for the race tomorrow." 

The men's mile finals are slated for tomorrow, Saturday, at 1:40 p.m.

(Lock Haven, Pa.) –Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania student-athlete Rob Mortensen (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) will be representing the Bald Eagles at this weekend’s NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships to be held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Mass., on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11.

 Mortensen, a sophomore at LHU, is currently ranked third in the mile out of the 11 competitors selected to compete in the event.  Just a 4:28 miler in high school, Mortensen has made tremendous strides since joining the Lock Haven team as a walk-on in his freshman year.  His time of 4:12.14 won him the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) indoor mile title at last weekend’s championships in addition to breaking Lock Haven’s school record.

 “Rob has really been running well lately,” says LHU Head Coach Mark Elliston.  “He’s a little bit more than two seconds behind the top seed’s time, but he’s very capable of running with anyone right now.  Last weekend was only his third time running the mile this season, and he was out front by himself for the entire race.  Put him with a group of guys who can push him and there’s no telling what he’ll be able to do.”

This weekend will mark the third consecutive NCAA Championship in which Mortensen has competed.  Last May he ran in the 1500 meters at the Division II Outdoor National Championships where he failed to make the finals.  His time was the fastest recorded by a freshman within Division II and set a new LHU record.  This past  November he finished 77th at the Division II Cross Country National Championships.

 “He’s one of the hardest working, disciplined and motivated athletes I’ve ever encountered in my years of coaching,” says Elliston.  “He’ll do whatever it takes to get the most out of himself.  I can guarantee that he has every intention of going to Boston and winning the mile, and it really wouldn’t surprise me if he did.”

“I think it’s going to be a tactical race,” explains Mortensen.  “Everyone’s times are really compact and I think it’s going to come down to wants it more on the last lap and who’s willing to push their limits to go after it.”

 “Last year I was just a timid freshman going into the outdoor championships, and my inexperience really showed.  I was in great shape at the end of cross country but I had a few untimely injuries that really held me back at the end of the season.  I feel great right now, and I think I’m finally ready to take my running to another level and go after that All-America honor that has been eluding me.”

 In his three and a half semesters at The Haven, Mortensen has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Cross Country Rookie of the Year, twice earned cross country NCAA All-East Region and All-PSAC honors, five times been bestowed All-ECAC accolades, and currently holds five Bald Eagle records on the track.

 Preliminaries for the mile begin at 7:15pm on Friday, followed by the finals on Saturday at 1:40pm.       

Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania freshman student-athlete Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) has been named the Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Week by the Eastern College Athletic Conference for the week ending February 17^th.

Farrow led the Lady Eagles at last weekend’s Bucknell Winter Classic, winning the 400 meters in a school-record time of 59.23 seconds. Her eighth-place clocking of 27.05 in the 200 meters also eclipsed LHU’s four-year-old record, in addition to running lead off leg for the Lady Eagle's 4x400 meter relay team which also finished eighth.

In four meets this season, Farrow has shattered four school records, including the 60 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and the 400 meter dash on two occasions. She was also a member of LHU’s record-setting 4x400 meter relay team which bypassed the previous mark that had held for five years.

Farrow and LHU’s indoor track and field teams will return to action again this weekend at the Robert Kane Invitational hosted by Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania junior Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) has been named the Track Athlete of the Week by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) for the last week of January.

Sauls finished ninth place overall in the open 800 meters at Pennsylvania State University’s National Open on January 28 and 29. His school-record time of 1:52.64 provisionally qualified him for the NCAA Division II National Indoor Track and Field Championships, currently ranking him second in the Division.

Sauls ran the 1200-meter leg of the Bald Eagles’ Distance Medley Relay which finished 13^th in a time of 10:16.43, the second fastest time in LHU history. In addition, he anchored the 4x400 meter relay to a school-record time of 3:24.55, narrowly missing the NCAA championship standard.

Sauls, the 1999 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Champion in the 800 meters, will be in action again this weekend at the East Stroudsburg Invitational, hosted by East Stroudsburg University.

Sophomore Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) has been voted the 1999 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Track and Field Athlete of the Year by conference coaches while Bald Eagles Head Coach Mark Elliston has been chosen as the Men’s Track and Field Coach of the Year.

At their annual awards banquet, held at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, Elliston was named the United States Track and Field Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year (East Region). He was accompanied by the largest contingent of LHU student-athletes to have qualified for the championships since the University joined Division II. Two athletes earned All-America honors and led LHU to a 19^th place overall team finish, the school’s best-ever at the Division II level.

Under the tutelage of Elliston, LHU athletes broke a total of 23 school records and the men’s team went undefeated in conference mandated competition (6-0).

Senior Amy Perry of Edinboro University was named the PSAC Women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year while Slippery Rock University’s John Papa was selected as the PSAC Women’s Track and Field Coach of the Year.

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has announced that LHU’s Steve Moyer (Woodbury/Northern Bedford) has been named a recipient of their prestigious Spring Top 10 Award. The Top Ten Awards recognize five male and five female student-athletes who distinguish themselves in the classroom, as well as in the arena of competition. The conference designates Top Ten Award winners after each of the competitive sports seasons, fall, winter and spring.

The Top Ten Awards provide the PSAC an extra tier in the recognition of the top student-athletes on all PSAC squads with 3.25 cumulative GPAs or better. Additionally, the PSAC names the top Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Lock Haven University sophomore Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) took the lead of the men’s NCAA Division II 800 meter final with three hundred meters to go and never looked back. He opened up a gap between himself and the field that he never relinquished, winning LHU’s first national NCAA track and field title by nearly a half second.

"The confidence Matt got from his fifth-place finish in last year’s finals has been evident all season," commented Head Coach Mark Elliston. "He’s not intimidated by anyone he competes against, and that really showed. He ran the perfect race tonight and it’s really a culmination of all the hard work he’s put in this year."

The final, deemed the race to watch by local media, did not disappoint the large crowd on hand at Emporia State University’s Zola Witten Track in Emporia, Kans. Early leaders Jason Pate of Tarleton State University and Gilbert Tuhabonye of Abilene Christian lead the pack through a sluggish first 400 meters, which found Sauls sitting in fourth.

"We went through 400 meters with a high 55 second split, so I knew it was going to be a kicker’s race," Sauls commented after his victory. "I decided to make my move at the 300 mark and I took the lead from there."

As he entered the backstretch, Sauls brought the crowd to their feet as he surprised Pate and Tuhabonye by sprinting out to a two meter lead. It was a lead that he would not relinquish, as he went on to win in a time of 1:50.65.

"If I was going to lose, it wasn’t going to be because I let them control the second lap," Sauls recalls. "I just put everything I had into my kick from 300 meters and tried to toss in a few surges every hundred meters and hold my form through the finish."

The final sprint down the homestretch electrified the crowd, but Sauls maintained his lead and made his competitors dual for second place on the podium. Though his time of 1:50.65 was slower than the school-record 1:49.95 he recorded in the trials on Friday night, his victory more than made up for it.

"In the finals it’s not about how fast you run, but where you finish," said Assistant Coach Aaron Russell. "The pace went out slow and it really played to his strengths. He made a gutsy move heading into the backstretch, and it paid off for him. Before the race we discussed the importance of staying smooth and composed over the final 100 meters and he was really able to keep it together. His performance in the final was a combination of all the races he’d run this season. He put everything he learned together and scripted his own fairytale ending to the season."

Earlier in the week, junior Steve Moyer (Woodbury/Northern Bedford) earned LHU’s first All-American honors at the championship, placing seventh in the 3000 meter steeplechase (9:14.69). Freshman Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) finished a respectable 10^th in the Javelin (139’ 9") while fellow rookie freshman Rob Mortensen (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) rounded out LHU’s contingent with a 16^th place finish in the 1500 meters (3:58.40).

"Moyer ran a tough race as well, and we’re really proud of what he’s accomplished this season," said Elliston. "To top it off by being an All-American is icing on the cake. Mortensen and Bair gained some valuable experience here as freshman even though they were a little disappointed with their performances. There’s a lot of pressure on competitors at this level, and for them to get this exposure so early in their college careers will only benefit down the roac. I’m confident that all four of these athletes will be in the mix of things at future national championships."

Lock Haven sophomore Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) won the 800 meters and achored the winning 1600 meter relay en route to taking men’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete honors and leading the Bald Eagles to the men's team championship at the 1999 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships at Indiana (Pa.) University’s George P. Miller Stadium on Saturday.

Lock Haven finished with 106.67 points, outdistancing runner-up Kutztown Universtiy (98 points) and third place Shippensburg University (91). The championship was the first in 50 years for the Bald Eagles, who last won the PSAC title in 1948-49.

Five men garnered individual PSAC Championships in addition to the 1600 meter relay title to lead LHU’s efforts. Sophomore Jonathan Chichilitti’s (Levittown/Neshaminy) performances led the way as he placed in the top three in four events. A dramatic come-from-behind win in the 100 meters (10.79) was nearly matched in the 200 meters, but Chichilitti fell one-hundredth of a second short in 22.09. He also anchored the third-place 400-meter-relay team and ran the third leg of the winning 1600-meter-relay team along with Sauls, junior Jeff Mills (Everett/Everett) and freshman Scott Lightfoot (Medord, N.J/Shawnee).

Other LHU champions were Junior Steve Moyer (Woodbury/Northern Bedford), who ran away from the field in the 3000 meter steeplechase; Mills, who won the long jump on his last attempt (23’ 4"); and Michael Bergey (Milton/Hilton Area), who took top honors in the discus with his final throw of 158 feet. The toss by Bergey broke a 29 year old school record by three inches.

Two other school records fell in the relays for the LHU men, including the 400-meter-relay record (42.02-trials; old mark of 42.44) that had been set the previous week and the long-standing 1600-meter-relay record set back in 1980 (3:15.18; old mark of 3:15.60).

Other place-winners for the Bald Eagles were freshman Robert Mortensen (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington), third in the 1500 meters (3:57.42) and fourth in the 5000 meters (15:30.28); sophomore Ryan Comstock (West Chester/Henderson), third in the 5000 meters (15:28.56); junior Aaron Seese (Lewistown/Lewistown), freshman Gary Fisher (Montoursville/Montoursville), Mills and Chichilitti who took third place in the 400-meter-relay (42.51); Lightfoot, sixth in the 800 meters (1:55.27) and tied for fourth in the high jump (6’ 1-3/4"); sophomore Ryan Stauffer (Slippery Rock/Slippery Rock), tied for fourth in the high jump (6’ 1-3/4"); Mills, third in the high jump (6’ 3-3/4") and fourth in the triple jump (46’ 0"); Bergey, fourth in the shot put (48’ 8"); and freshman Freddie Joye (Waynesboro/Waynesboro), sixth in the discus (149’ 9").

The Lady Eagles had some strong individual performances, including two individual championships, en route to their eight place team finish. Sophomore Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West) won the grueling heptathlon with 4,074 points, while freshman Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) took the javelin with a toss of 146’ 9". Bair’s throw met the NCAA Championships Provisional Qualifying Standard and currently ranks fourth in the country. In addition, it marks the third time this season that Bair has broken the LHU school record.

Freshman Jessica Sedlack (Burdett, N.Y./Watkins Glen) joined Krysiewski on the podium for the heptathlon with fifth place honors (3375 points) while junior Betsy Moore (Reedsville/Indian Valley) garnered fifth-place honors in the high jump (5’ 0-1/2"). Sophomore Lauren Bechtel (Exton/Downingtown) battled her way to sixth place honors in the 5000 meters (18:19.59) in a race where the top four spots were won by NCAA All-Americans. Thrower Gabi George (New Oxford/New Oxford) also turned in her career best in the shot put, where her throw of 39’ 1" garnered fifth place.

While the season has concluded for most members of the LHU track and field team, select members will compete at Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, Ohio, on Friday, May 14^th in preparation for the NCAA Championships which will be held on May 26-29^th at Emporia, Kan.

Lock Haven University sophomore Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Track Athlete of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.

Sauls captured the title in the 800 meters at the Shippensburg Qualifier on May 1, finishing in a time of 1:51.4, nearly five seconds better than his closest competitor. His time currently leads the PSAC and meets NCAA provisional qualifying standards.

Sauls, the Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Track Championship MVP, joins his LHU teammates in competing at the PSAC Track and Field Championships, May 6-8, at Indiana (Pa.) University.