EAST
STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The
Lock Haven University men’s and women’s track squads
both finished second today at the Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships hosted by
East Stroudsburg University. The second-place
finishes snap a three-year streak of titles for the
LHU men, and gives the women a five-place
improvement from their finish of seventh in 2004.
While the
women’s team featured no individual champions,
numerous performers contributed points to the
effort. Senior
Sara McCleary (Rockton, Pa./DuBois) earned
the team’s lone runner-up finish in the high jump,
with teammate
Kirsten Schuyler (Williamsport,
Pa./Williamsport) taking third for the Lady
Eagles.
Freshmen
Ashley Hartman (Garrett, Pa./Berlin
Brothersvalley) and
Nicole Kulp (Hatboro, Pa./William Tennent),
and senior
Bri Palazzi (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) each
earned third- and fourth place finishes for the
Haven. Hartman took third in the 55 meters and
fourth in the 200 meters, while Palazzi was third
and Kulp fourth in the long jump, and reverse order
in the triple jump.
Sophomore
Maggie Borden’s (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic)
third-place in the 400 meters combined with a third
in the distance medley relay gave the Lady Eagles 80
points, 25 off the pace set by champion Kutztown
University.
The men’s team
garnered four individual championships, aiding the
team to 101 points, just 24 off the pace set by
champion Shippensburg University. Junior
Keith Veldhuis (Thamesford,
Ontario/Ingersoll DCI)
needed a win in the final event to take the
heptathlon title by just 10 points.
Sophomore
Aaron Benson (Mt. Jewett, Pa./Kane Area)
topped his own PSAC Championship record with a
14:58.87 first-place finish in the 5000 meters.
Junior
William Buckenmeyer (Alexander, N.Y./Alexander
Central) completed the 1-2 sweep for the Bald
Eagles in that event.
In the high
jump, sophomore
Jim Dempsey (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon)
earned his first conference title with a 6-foot-7
leap, topping the competition by two inches. Junior
Fieldon Daubert (Annville, Pa./Annville-Cleonia)
completed the quartet of champions with a weight
toss win.
Senior
Chris Cowan (Horseheads, N.Y./Thomas A. Edison)
combined with Benson for a 2-3 finish in the 3000
meters, while the 4x800 relay also nabbed a
second-place finish.
McCleary, Schuyler, Hartman, Kulp,
Palazzi, Borden, Veldhuis, Benson, Buckenmeyer,
Dempsey, Daubert, Cowan and the rest of the LHU
track and field teams begin their outdoor season
March 26 at the Susquehanna Invitational.
