Feb. 24, 2008

Complete Results
Photo Gallery

LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell women's track and field team won its seventh consecutive and 12th overall Patriot League indoor title on Sunday afternoon at Gerhard Fieldhouse, compiling 173 points to defeat second-place Lafayette (146), third-place Navy (87), fourth-place Army (75), fifth-place Lehigh (49), sixth-place Holy Cross (46), seventh-place Colgate (28) and eighth-place American (16). In defending its Patriot League indoor title, the Bucknell women's track and field team tied the record for most consecutive Patriot League titles by a women's program. Additionally, Bucknell now owns the record for most total championships by a women's program.

"I was so proud of how our ladies responded to a tough Lafayette team," said Bucknell head coach Kevin Donner. "To win our seventh Patriot League title in a row is unbelievable and I am very proud of everyone involved with this program."

On the third and final day of competition, Bucknell took three event titles. Senior Erin Cranmer-Hart (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock Area) won the mile, running a time of 5:04.84. The Orange and Blue took the top-two places in the 500-meter dash. Junior Megan Hathaway (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Niagara Wheatfield) was Patriot League champion in the event, running a time of 1:16.75, while senior Mariel Fink (Pennington, N.J./Hun School of Princeton) followed in second with a career-best time of 1:17.26. Bucknell's distance medley relay team of senior Offeibea Hanson-Hall (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle), junior Jenny Dalzell (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional), senior Victoria Gilbert (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) and Cranmer-Hart won the event with a time of 12:16.33.

Sophomore Amy Mantush (Drums, Pa./Hazleton) notched an ECAC standard in the triple jump. She established a career-best distance and the fourth-best mark in Bucknell history, 38-8 ¾ to place second. Also scoring in the event was senior Nicole Ayala (Reading, Pa./Holy Name) in fourth with a career best and the sixth-best distance all-time (38-0). Additionally, senior Denise Manero (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) established a career-best distance in the event (37-1/2) to place sixth and score for the Bison.

In the shot put, sophomore Chelsey Musante (Shelton, Pa./Shelton) notched a career-best mark of 43-1 to place third and score for the Bison. She posted the sixth-best distance in school history.

In the final for the 60-meter dash, sophomore Stephanie Evans (York, Pa./Central York) finished fourth with a time of 7.97 after running the second-fastest time in school history on Saturday in the semifinal, 7.92. Evans went on to place sixth in the final for the 200-meter dash. She notched a career-best time of 26.10.

Sophomore Jennifer Pierce (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J./Northern Highlands) scored for the Bison in the 400-meter dash; she placed fifth with a time of 58.96. In the 800-meter run, three Bison collected team points. Gilbert led the way in second place (2:18.96), sophomore Allison Janda (Plymouth, Mich./Salem) took third (2:19.03) and Dalzell finished in fourth (2:19.41).

Additionally, Bucknell had three athletes score in the 1,000-meter run. Hanson-Hall led the way in second with a time of 3:00.23 while sophomore Laura Cundey (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) notched a career-best time of 3:02.04 to place third and Cranmer-Hart stopped the clock at 3:02.08 for fourth.

In the 3,000-meter run, freshman Sarah Moniz (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet Regional) led Bucknell with a fourth-place finish in 10:09.27, a career-best time. Junior Nicole Falcaro (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./Delaware Valley) also scored in the event, placing sixth with a time of 10:16.19.

In the final event of the weekend, Bucknell's 4x400 relay team of Pierce, Janda, Fink and Hathway came in second with a time of 3:56.23.

The Bison are now set to prepare for the ECAC Championships, which are scheduled for March 8-9 in Boston, Mass. The indoor season will conclude, March 14-15, with the NCAA Championships in Fayettesville, Ark.