April 18, 2012

Patriot League Outdoor Track and Field Weekly Release (4.18.12)

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Less than three weeks remain before the outdoor track and field teams compete at the Patriot League Championship in Worcester, Mass., on May 4-5, and all eight schools are gearing up.

Lafayette’s Jerome Rudolph looks like he’s ready to take on the League in the 100 dash, lowering his career-best mark in the event to 10.39 seconds with his first-place finish at the Moravian College Pollard Invitational. He now holds the League’s fastest times in the 100 and 200 (21.22). He ranks fourth on the IC4A performance list in the 100 and 10th in the 200.

Rudolph, for the fourth consecutive week, was named the Patriot League Male Track Athlete of the Week. He ties a Patriot League single-season record for Track Athlete of the Week awards, matching the mark set by Philip Sakala (Army, 2005).

He was joined by teammate Lauren Kelly, a sophomore distance runner, who won the Female Track Athlete of the Week award. She finished 12th in the 10,000 at the Moravian College Pollard Invitational with an ECAC time of 36:21.72.

The other four weekly awards were split among Army, Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh.

Bucknell’s Leonard Joseph won his second career outdoor weekly award, being named the Male Field Athlete of the Week, after finishing second in the hammer at the Bison Outdoor Classic with an IC4A distance of 200-1. He also placed ninth in the discus with a distance of 154-10.

Jessica Waggoner also won her second outdoor weekly award with a first-place finish in the discus at the Army 5-Way Meet, posting an ECAC distance of 153-3. She is currently eighth among ECAC qualifiers in the discus. She was named the Female Field Athlete of the Week.

Lehigh’s Justin Mahoney was named the Male Rookie of the Week and Colgate’s Megan Keane was named the Female Rookie of the Week.

All eight schools will be in action this weekend, which includes Army, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy at the Larry Ellis Invitational.


Patriot League Notebook

NAVY MEN RANKED 4TH IN USTFCCCA REGION POLL
The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released its third regional poll on April 17 with the Navy men at No. 4 in the Mid-Atlantic Region with 378.64 points. Bucknell remained in fifth with 337.24 points, and Lafayette moved up a spot to No. 9 (265.04). Lehigh moved into the Top 15 with 179.57 points, taking over 14th. Army dropped five places in the Northeast Region to eighth place with 316.12.

On the women’s side, is the only team in the Top 15 rankings, sitting at No. 14 in the Mid-Atlantic Region poll with 187.97 points.

NAVY’S DUNCAVAGE LEADS IC4A DISCUS QUALIFIERS
Navy sophomore Zack Duncavage is the top IC4A qualifier in the discus with his distance of 181-6, which he posted at Star Meet. Duncavage unleashed a discus throw of 181-6 to take first place in the event and score five team points for Navy. The Mids were in a battle with Army late in the meet when the discus was completed and added to the team score and Duncavage’s points helped Navy keep the score close with Army. Duncavage’s discus mark is a personal record by 10 feet. Duncavage broke Nate Michael’s 2004 school record of 178-11.

Patriot League Outdoor Track and Field Weekly Awards

MALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
JEROME RUDOLPH, LAFAYETTE Sr., Lithonia, Ga.
Rudolph wins his fourth straight weekly award in outdoor track with another career-best time in the 100, lowering his IC4A qualifying time to 10.39 seconds with a first-place finish at the Moravian College Coach Pollard Invite. He ties a Patriot League single-season record for Track Athlete of the Week awards, matching the mark set by Philip Sakala (Army, 2005).

FEMALE TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
LAUREN KELLY, LAFAYETTE So., Ridgefield Park, N.J.
Kelly posted an ECAC time of 36:21.72 in the 10,000 at the Bison Outdoor Classic. She finished 12th in the race, winning her first weekly award in outdoor track.

MALE FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
LEONARD JOSEPH, BUCKNELL Sr., Whitesboro, N.Y.
Joseph finished second in the hammer at the Bison Outdoor Classic with a career-best and IC4A distance of 200-1, which was the fourth-best mark in program history. Joseph also finished ninth in the discus (154-10).

FEMALE FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
JESSICA WAGGONER, ARMY So., Minden, Nev.
Waggoner placed first in the discus at the Army 5-Way Meet with an ECAC distance of 153-3, which ranks second in the Patriot League this season and eighth among all ECAC qualifiers. This is Waggoner’s second weekly award in outdoor track this season.

MALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
JUSTIN MAHONEY, LEHIGH Fr., North Baldwin, N.Y.
Mahoney placed second in the 400 dash at the Moravian College Coach Pollard Invitational, finishing with a time of 48.60 seconds, just short of an IC4A-qualifying mark. He was part of the IC4A-qualifying 400 relay team (42.03).

FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
MEGAN KEANE, COLGATE Fr., Darien, Conn.
Keane finished in 19th place in the 1,500 at the Bison Outdoor Classic, posting a time of 4:36.65, which was a new Colgate freshman record. It also ranks fourth in the Patriot League this season.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
JOSH OLSEN, AMERICAN Sr., Thomaston, Conn.
Olsen finished first in the 5,000 at the Bison Outdoor Classic, posting an IC4A time of 14:22.60.

JORDAN DONALDSON, BUCKNELL Sr., Saxton, Pa.
Donaldson placed fifth in the 800 with an IC4A time of 1:50.96 at the Bison Outdoor Classic.

EMILY LIGGETT, BUCKNELL Sr., Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Liggett finished fifth in the 5,000 with an ECAC time of 17:05.91 at the Bison Outdoor Classic.

TAYLER SIEGRIST, BUCKNELL Jr., Madison, N.J.
Siegrist finished third in the javelin with an ECAC distance of 141-8 at the Bison Outdoor Classic.

CHELSEA BURNS, COLGATE Sr., Seattle, Wash.
Burns finished ninth in the 1,500 at the Bison Outdoor Classic with an ECAC time of 4:28.13, which ranks second in the League this year.

REBECCA DUHAMEL, LEHIGH So., Wenatchee, Wash.
Duhamel finished first in a pair of events, including an ECAC distance of 139-5 in the discus. She also placed first in the shot put (43-0¼).

MILES SNELGROVE, NAVY Jr., Lebanon, Conn.
Snelgrove finished first in the javelin with an IC4A distance of 215-11 at the Kent Taylor/Joe Hilton Invitational.

DOMINIC DELLA PELLE, NAVY Sr., Kennett Square, Pa.
Della Pelle posted an IC4A time of 3:47.69 in the 1,500, finishing fifth at the Kent Taylor/Joe Hilton Invitational.