2000-2001 Lock Haven University Track and Field Schedule/Results

Indoor Track and Field

Outdoor Track and Field

*CLICK HERE FOR LHU HIGH SCHOOL CLASSIC RESULTS: Boys / Girls
*CLICK HERE FOR LHU BALD EAGLE INVITIONAL RESULTS: Boys / Girls

Thurs.-Sat., May 9-12, 2001
PSAC Championships
Shippensburg, Penn.
        The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field teams competed at the 2001 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships this Thursday through Saturday, with both men’s and women’s teams finishing in second place. Three school records fell as LHU athletes claimed seven conference titles and seven individuals qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships. Lock Haven had a total of 16 All-PSAC (finishes no lower than third place) performances.
       In the men’s competition, Kutztown University defended its title by posting 138 team points. Lock Haven was second with 85 points, followed by Slippery Rock University with 71 points. On the women’s side, Slippery Rock University claimed the team championship, recording 133 points. The Lady Eagles came in second with 94 team points, while East Stroudsburg University (85 points), Millersville University (84 points), and Kutztown University (83.5 points) finished three-four-five separated by only 1.5 points.
       Senior Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West) led the Lady Eagle forces, dethroning the two-time defending high jump champion from Clarion University with a clearance of 5’ 6-1/4” on her first attempt at the height for the PSAC title. That jump provisionally qualified her for the national championship meet, as does her point total in her runner-up finish in the heptathlon (4,568 points). Krysiewski also placed fifth in the 100 meter hurdles in a time of 15.10.
      Sophomore pole vaulter J.J. Held (Slatington/Northwestern Lehigh) drew a large crowd as she vaulted to a new school and championship record height of 11’9”. That mark bettered her previously set personal best and school record by almost a foot and a half and provisionally qualified her for the NCAA meet.
      Defending her individual crown in the 400 meters was Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens), who sprinted across the finish in 57.09 seconds. Farrow was also on the third-place 4x100 meter relay squad. Capturing her second PSAC title was junior Brianna Bair (Howard/Bellefonte), who marked a national qualifying distance of 140’11” in the javelin for the crown.
      On the men’s side, two individual Bald Eagles and one relay team earned PSAC titles. Sophomore Matt Stinson (Wescosville/Emmaus) paced LHU with a championship performance in the decathlon, setting a new school record with an NCAA provisionally qualifying point total of 6,435 points. Due to a fellow Bald Eagle’s injury, Stinson also filled in to help lead the 4x100 meter relay team to victory.
      Stinson, along with sophomore Joe Webster (Folcroft/Monsignor Bonner), freshman Teon Higgs (East Greenville/Upper Perkiomen), and senior Jonathan Chichilitti (Levittown/Neshaminy), cruised to the first place finish in the 4x100 relay with a clocking of 41.47, their best recorded time this season.
      In the field events, LHU rookie Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) surpassed the field for his first PSAC title in the discus, bettering the rest of his competition by almost 20 feet with a throw of 167’6” . Teammate Nick Slotterback (Lewisburg/Lewisburg) took fourth place in the javelin in a field that included seven NCAA qualifiers, himself throwing a personal best and national provisionally qualifying distance of 199’1”.
      The LHU track and field teams will take select individuals and relay squads to the NCAA Division II National Championships from May 22-26 at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Saturday, May 5, 2001
LHU Qualifier
Lock Haven, Penn.
        The Lock Haven University track and field teams wrapped up their regular season at home on Saturday, hosting the LHU Qualifier at Hubert Jack Stadium. One school record fell for LHU, and both the men and women's teams posted two individual qualifiers for the NCAA Division II National Championships.
        Sophomore J.J. Held (Slatington/Northwestern Lehigh) led the way for the Lady Eagles, taking second in the pole vault with a school-record clearance of 10' 3". Classmate Sandy Ritz (West Hazleton/Hazleton) won the long jump with a leap of 18' 6", provisionally qualifying her for the NCAA Championships. Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens), also a sophomore, won the 100 meters in 12.72 and placed second in the 200 meters with a 25.60 clocking.
        Junior Brianna Bair (Howard/Bellefonte) continued her streak of provisional qualifying marks, taking the javelin title with a toss of 133' 4", while fellow junior Katrin Olsen (Newbugh, NY/Marlboro) took the 800 meters in a brisk 2:15.63.
        The Lady Eagle's Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West), a senior, claimed victory in the 100 meter hurdles in 15.14 in addition to earning the runner-up spot in the high jump with a clearance of 5' 3".
        On the men's side, rookie Jacob Merrill (Montrose/Montrose) led the way with three victories. He won the 400 meter intermediate hurdles in 53.84, the long jump with a mark of 21' 9", and the triple jump with a leap of 44' 3-3/4". Fellow freshman Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) won the discus with a provisional qualifying mark of 160' 2" and took second in the shot put with a toss of 46' 1".
        Junior Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) led from start to finish in the 800 meters, moving up to eighth in the national rankings with a 1:51.08 victory.
        In just his first 200 meter race of the season, sophomore Joe Webster (Folcroft/Monsignor Bonner) ran a PSAC-leading time of 22.03 for the win, while rookie Nick Slotterback (Lewisburg/Lewisburg) won the javelin with a toss of 186' 7".

Saturday, April 21, 2001
Lafayette Invitational
Easton, Penn.
             The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field teams again produced a number of standout performances this weekend, scoring eight first-place finishes and four NCAA provisional qualifiers at the Lafayette Invitational, an unscored meet, on Saturday.
           The 1999 NCAA Outdoor National Champion in the 800 meters, junior Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) headlined the field this weekend, capturing two individual titles along with running the anchor leg of the second place 4x400 meter relay team. Sauls recorded times of 48.38 in the 400 meters and 1:52.9 in the 800 meters. His 400 meters time gives him the fastest mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and he remains on top of the conference in the 800 meters as well. He anchored the 4x400 meter relay squad which took second in a new conference leading time of 3:16.1.
          Matt Stinson (Wescosville/Emmaus) and Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) led the Haven forces in the field, as Stinson secured first place in the long jump and Carey surpassed his competition in the discus throw to remain unbeaten on the season. Stinson out-jumped his closest competitor in the long jump by six inches, recording a 22’1” mark. He also placed third in the 110 meter hurdles (15.41). Carey continues to impress in the discus, claiming a 14-1/2 foot victory with a heave of 166’11” to keep alive his unbeaten streak this season.
         The Lady Eagles’ Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) captured the 400 meters title in an NCAA provisional qualifying of 56.36, and also recorded her best performance this season in the 200 meters, clocking a 25.37, the third fastest time in the PSAC. Sandy Ritz (West Hazleton/Hazleton) was the winner in the triple jump, recording her best mark of the season with a 37’4” jump, in addition to taking second in the long jump (18’5”) and the 100 meters (12.62).
         Farrow and Ritz were both also victorious as part of the winning 4x100 meter relay team, along with Melissa Namey (New Kensington/Burrell) and Briana Winkler (Newark, N.Y./Newark), which finished ahead of the pack with a 48.33. Their time is the fastest in the conference so far this season. Other top placewinners included Lauren Bechtel (Exton/Downingtown), who outran her competition in the 10,000 meter run.

Saturday, April 14, 2001
Bucknell Invitational
Lewisburg, Penn.
            The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field teams turned in their best performances of the season this weekend, breaking one school record and provisionally qualifying five athletes for the NCAA Division II National Championships in May.
            Sophomore Matt Stinson (Wescosville/Emmaus) competed at the Millersville Multi-Events at Millersville University on Friday and Saturday, finishing second overall and meeting the NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the decathlon. Stinson won both the long jump (22' 10") and 100 meters (11.21) out of the 10 events contested, finishing with a new school record point total of 6,356 points. His mark currently ranks him ninth in the nation.
            Joining Stinson at Millersville was senior Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West), who finished in second as well with a point total of 4,281 points.
            In addition to athletes competing in the multi-events competition, the majority of LHU's squads traveled to Bucknell University on Saturday, where both the men's and women's teams finished a strong second out of the eight Division I and II teams competing.
            Leading the way for the Bald Eagles was rookie Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona), who remains undefeated on the year in the discus throw. His mark of 172' 4" moves him into eighth nationally, and ranks him as the top Division II freshman in the nation.
            Sophomores Joe Webster (Folcroft/Monsignor Bonner) and Nathan Fiala (Indiana/Indiana) each claimed victory in their specialties. Webster won the 400 meters in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-leading time of 48.44, while Fiala took the win in the 110 meter high hurdles (15.43) in runner-up honors in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles (55.76).
            Freshman Jacob Merrill (Montrose/Montrose) won the 400 meter intermediate hurdles in a time of 54.62 seconds in addition to taking second in the triple jump (46' 0"), while Webster, Mike Smith (Greensburg/Greensburg Central Catholic), Jonathan Chichilitti (Levittown/Neshaminy) and Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) combined to win the 4x400 meter relay in a PSAC leading time of 3:17.63.
            The women were led by three NCAA provisional qualifiers, including sophomores Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) and Mindy Cressley (Rochester Mills/Punxsutawney) along with junior Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte). Bair (134' 11") and Cressley (131' 0-1/4") finished one-two for Lock Haven in the javelin, where Bair currently leads the nation by seven feet and Cressley ranks in at 16th. Farrow won the 400 meters in a PSAC-leading time of 56.29, ranking her seventh in the nation, and took third-place honors in the 200 meters ini 25.94 seconds.
            The women's 4x100 meter relay, comprised of Melissa Namey (New Kensington/Burrell), Briana Winkler (Andes, NY/Newark), Katrin Olsen (Newburgh, NY/Marlboro) and Farrow, turned in the Lady Eagle's only other win on the day in a time of 49.83.

Wednesday, April 11, 2001
PSAC Tri Meet
Bloomsburg, Lock Haven & Mansfield
Lock Haven, Penn.

Saturday, April 7, 2001
Shippensburg Quad
Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Penn.
        The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania track and field teams' individual performances dominated the fields at the Shippensburg Quad Meet against the host university and PSAC rivals Millersville University and Mansfield University on Saturday. Combined, the men's and women's squads claimed 20 event titles of the 39 contested, broke one school record, and sported three NCAA provisional qualifiers.
        The Lady Eagles amassed 219 points in the battle for the team title, claiming a 15-point victory over Millersville. Shippensburg finished in third with 189 points, while Mansfield was fourth with 42. The Bald Eagles lacked the depth to match host-Shippensburg, taking runner-up honors with 195 points to the Red Raiders' 202. Millersville was third with 166 points and Mansfield took fourth with 48.
        Junior All-American Brianna Bair (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) moved herself atop of the NCAA Division II rankings with her toss of 144' 10" in the javelin, winning the event by a 19-foot margin. Teammate Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) gave the Lady Eagles two wins in the 400 meters (56.94) and 200 meters (22.66) in addition to anchoring the Lady Eagles' winning 4x100 meter relay (48.82) and second-place finishing 4x400 meter relay team (4:00.56).
        Sophomore Sandy Ritz (West Hazleton/Hazleton) claimed two titles of her own, besting the field in both the long jump (17' 10-1/4") and triple jump (37' 2"), in addition to taking second in the 100 meter dash (12.82). Ritz joined Farrow on the team's victorious 4x100 meter relay team. Senior Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West), another multiple winner, took top honors in both the 100 meter hurdles (15.27) and high jump (5' 3").
        1999 NCAA Division II 800 meter champion Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy), twice an All-American, looks poised to make a run at this year's title after red-shirting the 2000 Outdoor season. His four-second victory in the 800 meter race (1:52.15) currently ranks him ninth in the nation. Sauls came back to anchor the men's 4x400 meter relay to victory with a 47.7 second split. The team's time of 3:19.09 bettered the team's previous best this season and currently leads the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
        Rookie Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) easily out-distanced the field in the discus for the second week in a row, again meeting the NCAA Provisional Standard with a mark of 168' 2". Carey also took third in the shot put with a throw of 46' 6-1/4". Fellow freshman Jacob Merrill (Montrose/Montrose) took first in both the 400 meter intermediate hurdles (54.68) and triple jump (44' 2-3/4") and ran on the Bald Eagles' winning 4x400 meter relay.
        Sophomore Matt Stinson (Wescosville/Emmaus) claimed the long jump for The Haven (22' 0-1/2") and took second in the high jump (6' 2"), which was decided by a jump-off with the eventual winner.

Saturday, March 31, 2001
Susquehanna Invitational
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Penn.

        Usually throwing events don’t get many spectators at track and field meets, but when Lock Haven University’s Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) entered the discus circle at Saturday’s Susquehanna Invitational, people flooded out of the stands to watch.
        Cary, a freshman at LHU, didn’t disappoint. Five of his six throws were beyond the marked lines on the field, causing ohh’s and ahh’s to rise among spectators. At the completion of the finals, Carey had a best throw of 175’ 4”, breaking LHU’s school record by nearly 17 feet and overtaking the previous meet record by eight feet. His mark was just four feet shy of the all-time best throw by an athlete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and qualified him provisionally for the NCAA Championships to be held in Edwardsville, Ill. in May. He currently ranks second in the nation amongst Division II athletes.
        A number of other performances by LHU athletes were nearly as impressive. Sophomore Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) won the 400 meter dash by over three seconds in a PSAC-leading time of 57.56. She also finished as runner-up in the 100 meters (12.82) and 200 meters (25.93) to Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Amber Plowden, an All-American in both events. To complete a busy day for Farrow, she anchored the Lady Eagles’ 4x100 meter relay team to victory in a meet-record time of 48.80 and the 4x400 meter relay team to third place in 4:05.42.
        Joining Farrow on the winning 4x100 meter relay team was sophomore Sandy Ritz (West Hazleton/Hazleton), who won also won the triple jump (34’ 9”), took third in the long jump (16’ 4”) and claimed fourth in the 100 meter dash (13.06).
        Senior Lauren Bechtel (Exton/Downingtown) took 11 seconds off her school record in the 10,000 meters, finishing a close second in 38:34.14. With six laps to go in the race, Bechtel trailed Millersville’s Betty Mohler by nearly 35 seconds, but managed to close to within six by the finish.
        In her 3000 meter steeplechase debut, sophomore Jessica Stoltzfus (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) ran to an impressive fifth-place finish in 12:19.63, just 19 seconds shy of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. It marked a new era for LHU track and field as it was the first time a Lady Eagle had contested the event, which was recently added to the NCAA and PSAC Championships. Her time ranks her third in the conference.
        Bald Eagle senior Jonathan Chichilitti (Levittown/Neshaminy) ran to victory in a tightly-contested 100 meter dash final (11.28) that saw a mere tenth or a second separate the top five athletes. In addition to taking third in the 200 meters (22.82), Chichilitti anchored a victorious 4x100 meter relay team (42.67) and ran the third leg of LHU’s 4x400 meter relay which finished fourth (3:22.85).
        Joining Chichilitti on the 4x400 meter relay was junior Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) who also took second in the 400 meter race with a PSAC-leading time of 49.20.
        A duo of Bald Eagle rookies also made some noise at the Invitational. Jacob Merrill (Montrose/Montrose) claimed a pair of runner-up honors in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles (55.31) and triple jump (43’ 6”) while Nick Slotterback (Lewisburg/Lewisburg) was the top collegian in the javelin throw with a toss of 191’ 5”.
        Sophomore Gary Fisher (Montoursville/Montoursville) claimed LHU’s final win of the day in the long jump with a leap of 22’ 1”, outdistancing teammate Matt Stinson (Wescosville/Emmaus) by an inch for the victory.

Place-winners at the Susquehanna Invitational:

Friday, March 23-Saturday, March 24, 2001
Earlybird Invitational
Clarion University

        The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania men's and women's track and field teams braved gusting winds and frigid temperatures this weekend at Clarion University's Earlybird Invitational, turning in a number of fine performances.
        Freshman Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) led the Bald Eagles with his victory in the discus, winning with a school-record throw of 158' 11", just 13 inches shy of qualifying for the NCAA Division II National Championships. Fellow rookie Jacob Merrill (Montrose/Montrose) recorded a pair of victories in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles (56.97) and the triple jump (44' 3") in addition to taking second in the long jump (20' 7-1/2").
        Sophomores Matt Stinson (Wescosville/Emmaus) and Jeremy Bradley (Needmore, Southern Fulton) finished the grueling two-day decathlon ahead of the field, with Stinson nabbing the victory with 5,908 points and Bradley taking second with 5763.
        In the pole vault, freshman Andy Pollison (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) took top honors with a clearance of 14' 0'.
        The Lady Eagles battled the winds for nine victories, led by sophomore Sandy Ritz (West Hazleton/Hazleton) with victories in both the 100 meters (12.89) and long jump (17' 0"). Classmates Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) and J.J. Held (Slatington/Northwestern Lehigh) joined Ritz on the podium, with Farrow claiming the 400 meter title (60.09) and Held vaulting to a tie for the top spot in the pole vault (9' 0").
        Senior Lauren Bechtel (Exton/Downingtown) followed up her runner-up finish in the 3000 meters (11:02.24) with a 19-second victory in the 5000 (19:23.22), while junior All-American Brianna Bair (Howard/Bellefonte) outdistanced the field with a win in the javelin (124' 10").
        In the heptathlon, senior Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West) scored 3,986 points to take the win over two days of competition.
        Both teams will return to action on Saturday, March 31, as they travel to Susquehanna University for the Susquehanna Invitational. Action begins at 10 a.m.

Top Three Place Finishers At Clarion Earlybird Invitational:

Saturday, February 24th-Sunday, February 25th, 2001
ECAC Indoor Championships
East Stroudsburg University

Senior Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference’s (ECAC) Outstanding Track Athlete of the Year and Head Coach Mark Elliston was selected the Men’s Coach of the Year as the Bald Eagle track and field team finished as the runner-up and the Lady Eagles finished fifth at the ECAC Championships being held at East Stroudsburg University this weekend. 

            Sauls helped lead the Bald Eagles to 123 team points for the runner-up finish to Kutztown University (163 points).  Millersville University was third among the 11-team field, tallying 73 points. A combined total of 31 individual all-conference awards were merited by both squads, including 17 in the men’s competition.  The Bald Eagles captured an impressive three of the four relay titles.  Three Bald Eagles, Sauls, Mike Gomes (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee), and Matt Stinson (Wescosville/Emmaus) were four-time All-ECAC performers.

            The Haven forces were led by Sauls as he repeated his 1999 standout performance to earn his second ECAC Outstanding Track Athlete award.  The Bald Eagle reclaimed his title in the 500 meters in a meet and school record time of 1:04.77 and was fourth in the 800 meters (1:59.32).  He overtook two runners in the anchor leg of the 4x800 meter relay to lead the LHU team, also consisting of Bryan Walter (Milton/Milton), James Eagler (Greencastle/James Buchannan), and Mike Gomes, to a time of 7:53.48 and the victory.  Sauls then came back and ran a 1:56 split in the third leg (800 meters) of the winning distance medley relay team, as he and teammates Mike Gomes, Brandon Shiposh (Ulster/Athens), and Ryan Comstock (West Chester/Henderson) crossed the finish in 10:38.86 for the conference title. 

            Sophomores Matt Stinson and Jeremy Bradley (Needmore/Southern Fulton) went one-two in the pentathlon, as Stinson compiled a school record 3,572 points for the victory.  The 4x200 meter relay squad also emerged triumphant, as Teon Higgs (East Greenville/Upper Perkiomen), Joe Webster (Folcroft/Monsignor Bonner), Mike Smith (Greensburg/Greensburg Central Catholic), and Jonathan Chichilitti (Levittown/Neshaminy) recorded a 1:31.97 to top the field. 

            The Lady Eagles posted 76 team points to earn fifth place among the 13-team field.  Kutztown University won the team title with 130 points.   Sophomore sprinter Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) led the Lady Eagles with four all-conference finishes, including a fourth-place finish in the 55 meter dash (7.52) and a fifth-place finish in the 200 meter dash (26.55). She ran the third leg of the 4x200 meter relay team of Sandy Ritz (West Hazleton/Hazleton), Briana Winkler (Andes, N.Y./Newark), and Melissa Namey (New Kensington/Burrell) that earned a third-place finish with a 1:46.26 time.  Farrow also anchored the 4x400 meter relay squad of Namey, Winkler, and Esther Akpakip (Hughesville/Hughesville) to a school record-setting time of 4:08.84, good enough for a sixth-place finish.

            Three other Lock Haven records were eclipsed on the day.  Senior Lauren Bechtel (Exton/Downingtown) bettered her own record in the 3,000 meters by nearly two seconds with a 10:52.79 and a sixth place finish for all-conference honors.  The distance medley relay team of Jessica Stoltzfus (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown), Akpakip, Katrin Olsen (Newburgh, N.Y./Marlboro), and Jana Kauffman (Strasburg/Lampeter-Strasburg) shattered the existing LHU mark of 13:03.59 with a 12:50.76 to take second place.  Kauffman also finished third in the 1,000 meters with a new school mark of 3:07.74.

            Lock Haven’s indoor season wraps up at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II National Championships on March 9-10 in Boston, Mass.

Lock Haven All-Conference Performances at the 2001 ECAC Championships:

Saturday, February 17th, 2001
Kane Invitational
Cornell University

            Senior Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) ran away from the field in the 500 meters and returned to help the 4x800 meter relay team take LHU’s only other victory of the day as LHU’s track and field teams traveled to Cornell University for the Kane Invitational on Saturday.  Freshman Jacob Merrill (Montrose/Montrose) also provided an encouraging performance in the triple jump as LHU heads into Saturday’s ECAC Championships, placing third in the event and bettering his own school record and NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark.
            Sauls sat on the leaders in the 500 meters before taking control of the race with 150 meters to go.  His time of 1:06.88 was nearly half a second faster than the runner-up.  He returned to run the third leg on LHU’s triumphant 4x800 meter relay team as he and teammates Bryan Walter (Milton/Milton), James Eagler (Greencastle/James Buchannan) and Ryan Comstock (West Chester/Henderson) controlled much of the race, finishing in a time of 8:09.51.
            Merrill improved upon the school record he set in the triple jump last week with a leap of 47’ 11-3/4” for third place.  His mark ranks him 13^th in the nation, and is the leading distance by a freshmen in Division II this season.
            Sophomore Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) lead the women’s squad with a second-place finish in the 200 meters (26.80) and a fourth-place run in the 400 meters (59.6).  Senior Marsha Krysiewski (Kingston/Wyoming Valley West) was The Haven’s other top place finisher with a fourth-place clearance of 5’ 4-1/4” in the high jump.
            Both teams will travel to East Stroudsburg University on Saturday, February 24^th,  and Sunday, February 25^th,  for the ECAC Division II Championships.  The men’s team is looking for their first ECAC title after finishing second for the last two seasons, while the women will try and move up in the standings after a best-ever fourth-place finish in 2000.

Saturday, February 10th, 2001
Bucknell Winter Classic
Bucknell University

            Lock Haven University’s Jacob Merrill (Montrose/Montrose) and Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) each claimed victory at Bucknell University’s Winter Classic on Saturday for the men’s track and field team while Lauren Bechtel’s (Exton/Downingtown) runner-up lead the way for the women’s squad.
            Merrill took the triple jump title by nearly two feet, breaking 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.  His mark of 47’ 7-1/2” also qualified him provisionally for the NCAA Division II Championships in Boston, currently ranking him 13^th in the nation.
            Sauls served notice that he is once again a force to be reckoned with in the 800 meters after sitting out most of the 2000 season with injury.  The former national champion outran his competition by over a second (1:55.86), just missing the NCAA provisional standard.
            Rookie Tom Carey (Altoona/Altoona) finished fourth in the 35-pound weight throw with a toss of 48’ 11”, breaking his own school record in the event for the third time this season.
            Sharing the leading duties with the race’s eventual winner, Bechtel took second place in the 5000 meters with a time of 18:55.19, the senior’s fastest non-championship time indoors.  Teammate Jennifer Farrow (Canton/Athens) was the only other top-three finisher for the Lady Eagles, turning in a time of 58.82 for third place in the 400 meters.

Sunday, February 4th, 2001
Dick DeShriver Invitational
East Stroudsburg University

            Freshman Jacob Merrill set a new meet record in the triple jump while classmate Tom Carey surpassed his own Lock Haven University mark in the thirty-five pound weight throw to lead LHU at Sunday’s Dick DeSchriver Invitational hosted by East Stroudsburg University.
            Merrill’s leap of 46’ 10-3/4” fell just a quarter inch short of the LHU record, but established a new meet standard as he won the Bald Eagle’s only event of the day.  Teammate Carey added nearly half a foot to his school record in taking fifth place in the weight throw with a mark of 48’ 4-3/4”.  
            Sophomore J.J. Held led the way for the Lady Eagles with a runner-up placing in the pole vault (10’ 0”) while senior Lauren Bechtel missed her school record in the 3000 meter race by a mere 0.06 to take third.  She returned later in the day to take fifth in the 1000 meters in a time of 3:18.41.  
            The meet hosted 37 teams containing over 500 athletes from Pennsylvania and the surrounding states.

Friday, January 26-Saturday, January 27, 2001
Penn State National Open
Penn State University

            The Lock Haven University men’s and women’s track and field teams took partial squads to the Penn State National Open, contested on Friday and Saturday at Penn State University.  The teams’ highlights included a new school record in the Distance Medley Relay for the women’s squad and a fourth-place finish in the 4x800 meter relay for the men.
            Sophomore Jana Kauffman (Strasburg/Lampeter-Strasburg) led things off for LHU’s DMR on the 1200-meter leg, followed by senior Briana Winkler (Andes, N.Y./Newark) running the 400 meters, sophomore Jessica Stoltzfus (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) on the 800-meter leg, and senior Lauren Bechtel (Exton/Downingtown) anchoring in the mile.  Combined, their time of 13:03.59 nipped LHU’s longest standing indoor relay record  (six years) by 0.35 of a second.  
            The men’s 4x800 meter relay team, composed of junior Scott Lightfoot (Medford, N.J./Shawnee), freshman Bryan Walter (Milton/Milton), and seniors Matt Sauls (Langhorne/Neshaminy) and James Eagler (Green Castle/James Buchannan), finished fourth overall, turning in a time of 7:56.93 despite a crash with the Princeton team on the first handoff that cost the team vital seconds.
            Freshman Jacob Merrill (Montrose/Montrose) finished 14^th in the triple jump with a leap of 46’ 1-1/4”, while sophomore Joe Webster (Folcroft/Monsignor Bonner) finished 31^st of 66 competitors in the 400 meters with a time of 50.50.
            “This meet attracts many of the best Division I teams from around the country, including UCLA, Goergetown, James Madison, Army, Virginia, the University of North Carolina and Syracuse” Commented LHU Head Track and Field Coach Mark Elliston.  “For us to have the opportunity to compete in a meet of that caliber in a facility like Penn State’s is great for us.  We competed well, and look forward to what the rest of the season has in store for us.”

Saturday, January 20, 2001
Bucknell University Octagonal Meet

            Three Lock Haven University track and field records fell this weekend as LHU’s men’s and women’s teams opened competition on Saturday at the Bucknell Octagonal Meet. 
            Freshmen Tom Carey and Andy Pollison etched their names in the LHU record books with their performances.  Carey shattered the men’s 35-pound weight throw record by over five feet with his fifth-place toss of 47’ 1”.  In addition, Carey claimed the Bald Eagles’ only victory of the day with a shot put of 46’ 6-1/4”.  Pollison broke teammate Eric Robinson’s pole vault record with a clearance of 14’ 9”, good enough for second place overall. 
            The Haven’s hurdling contingent was the team’s strength on the day, as four student-athletes turned in performances that ranked amongst LHU’s top seven all-time.  Sophomore Matt Stinson took second-place honors in the 55-meter hurdles in a time of 8.02, just ahead of sophomore Nathan Fiala who’d time of 8.21 seconds placed sixth.  Sophomore Jeremy Bradley (8.43) and rookie J.B. Shiposh (8.46) rounded out Lock Haven’s performances.
            Sophomore Joceyln Held placed third in the women’s pole vault to lead the Lady Eagles, breaking her own school mark by two inches with a 10’ 4” clearance.  Her mark met the NCAA National Championship provisional qualifying mark.  Teammate Marsha Krysiewski, a senior, had the women’s top finish on the day with her second-place finish in the high jump with a clearance of 5’ 2-1/2”.
            LHU was the only non-Division I school competing at the Octagonal Meet, with the men finishing fifth and the women finishing sixth amongst the eight teams at the competition.