Maria Garcia and Noel Powell Named Patriot League Athletes of the Week

Thrower Breaks School Hammer Record, Sprinter Wins Two Last Weekend

Noel Powell is the Patriot League Men's Track Athlete of the Week

April 13, 2004

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell's Maria Garcia (Providence, R.I./Hope) and Noel Powell (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) have been named, respectively, as the Patriot League Women's Field Athlete of the Week and Men's Track Athlete of the Week for their performances at the Bison Outdoor Classic, the first home meet of the outdoor track and field season. It is the first time this outdoor season that a Bucknell athlete has won league honors.

Garcia broke the school record in the hammer throw for the second time in as many weeks. The senior entered the outdoor season holding the Bucknell mark at 180'11", broke it for the first time this year at the Maryland Invitational on Apr. 3, at 186'1", and upped the mark again this Saturday to 188'11 �". She is three-for-three in hammer throw wins this outdoor season. The win is the second for Garcia after claiming the award on Feb. 17 following a school-record breaking weight throw performance during the indoor schedule.

Powell earns the honor for winning both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at Bucknell's meet. He won the 200 in an IC4A-qualifying 21.72 seconds, while winning the 100 in 10.96 seconds. The victories came by thrillingly thin margins, as the senior outran Cornell's Rahim Wooley by .01 seconds in the 100, and defeated Buffalo's Bryan Weinstein by .04 seconds. Powell is already the school record holder in both events with a 100 personal best of 10.52 and a 200 high of 21.34. The award is his first Men's Track Athlete of the Week honor of the year, but Powell did win the Men's Field Athlete of the Week award on Jan. 17 after winning the long jump at the Bucknell Octagonal during the indoor season.

The Bucknell track and field squads will be back in action on Saturday in the Bucknell Quadrangular, the last home meet of the 2003-04 school year.