Melanie Buczko and Maria Garcia Earn Spots in NCAA Championships

Freshman Vaulter Qualifies Automatically, Senior Thrower Gets At-Large Bid to National Meet

Melanie Buczko finished fourth in the pole vault at the NCAA East Regionals, earning her a spot in the national meet.

May 28, 2004

Women's Results | Men's Results

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Bucknell freshman Melanie Buczko affirmed her status as one of the best pole vaulters on the east coast Friday afternoon, finishing fourth in the competition at the NCAA East Regional meet at the University of Florida. She was one of two Bison to earn bids to the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, on June 9-12, as Maria Garcia claimed an at-large bid to the national meet despite an eighth-place finish at Florida in the hammer throw competition.

Buczko topped out at a height of 13'1 �" before attempting to clear the next increment, 13'5 �", which would have broken her own school record by 2 �". Event winner Chelo Canino of Princeton won by surmounting that height sooner than Fanni Juhasz of Georgia and Laura Olson of Buffalo.

Garcia needed to finish in the top five in the hammer throw competition on Friday to ensure herself a berth in the NCAA Championships, but had a top distance on the day of 195'6". However, as the same event completed at the other three regionals around the country, Garcia's season-best of 202'8", earned at the Patriot League Championships a month ago, was the fifth-highest season best of any hammer thrower not to finish in the top five in her region, giving Garcia the final spot in the national meet.

Angie Hall competed in the pole vault for Bucknell as well, finishing ninth by vaulting 12'4". That bests her personal high and Bucknell second-best all-time by �".

The meet schedule did not favor Tolu Fayanjuola, as the junior sprinter/jumper had also qualified for the 100 meters but was unable to compete as she was still involved in the long jump. In the field event, Fayanjuola finished 34th with a leap of 17'6 �".

Noel Powell was Bucknell's only male entrant in the NCAA Regionals, competing in the long jump where he finished 14th, jumping 23'4 �".

The Bison will feature just one athlete on Saturday, as Ann Doty will perform in the triple jump at 6 p.m.