Bucknell Women's Track & Field Begins Indoor Campaign with Bison Opener Saturday

Bucknell Opens Indoor Patriot League Title Defense with Home Meet

Caroline Tolli

Nov. 29, 2012

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell women's track and field won its 14th Patriot League indoor championship last February. The Orange & Blue begin the road to their title defense this weekend with the Bison Opener at Gerhard Fieldhouse on Saturday. Action begins at 9:30 a.m. with live results available at BucknellBison.com.

Saturday's meet will be the first of five at Gerhard Fieldhouse. Bucknell's home schedule this winter also includes the Bucknell Mini Meet (Jan. 5, 2013), Gulden Invitational (Jan. 19), Bison Open & Multi (Jan. 25-26) and the Bucknell Winter Classic (Feb. 9).

Below is an in-depth look at the upcoming 2012-13 Bucknell women's track and field season.

"We have a very well-balanced track and field team returning as well as a few freshmen who can contribute immediately," said 13-time Patriot League Coach of the Year Kevin Donner, who is entering his 12th season with Bucknell. "Our expectations are always Patriot League championships and it will be up to our captains and upperclassmen to develop a team culture that will allow us to achieve those goals."

The winning culture has been present for many years with the Bison women's track and field team. Bucknell has 14 indoor league titles and a dozen more on the outdoor track. Although the Orange and Blue graduated several key players from those most recent championship teams, including perennial All-League distance runner Stephanie Fulmer and 2012 indoor and outdoor shot put champion Sarah Bella, a solid majority of Bucknell's points from the league meets return for the 2012-13 campaign.

SPRINTS
Leading an impressive group of sprinters this season will be Sasha Hornock. In addition to racking up 23 points in individual events at the two 2012 Patriot League Championships, Hornock also had a hand in three school records during the year. The senior tied the top 60-meter mark at the PL indoor meet and also took down the 4x100 and 4x200 records outdoors. Joining her on the record-setting relays were Taylor Funk, Kim Nagotko, Emma Rice and Jennifer Zymet. Only Funk graduated from that group, promising another strong year in both the short sprints and relays.

Zymet will continue to anchor the longer sprints. The junior is a two-time defending conference champion in the 400 meters and has her name inked in the program record books a total of 16 times after just two years.

HURDLES
With Funk's graduation, the hurdle experience falls to Allison Daley, who placed sixth in the 400 hurdles at last spring's Patriot League Championships. Chelsea Lodato also got some races with the relatively inexperienced group while also spending some time at the middle distances.

Notable Newcomer: Jen Silvestri

MID-DISTANCE
Like the sprints, middle distance is another area that has been tested and come through with flying colors. Hana Casalnova and Beth Braunegg both set a school record in the 1,000 last winter, but it was Caroline Tolli to took the Patriot League title in the event. Casalnova, Lodato and Emily Waksmunski scored in the 800 at the PL indoor meet, while Casalnova and Braunegg were the point-getters in the outdoor 800.

While individuals do not also combine to make a good team, things worked in Bucknell's favor with the 4x800 relay. Braunegg, Waksmunski, Tolli and Casalnova posted the sixth-best time in program history at the Patriot League Indoor Championships. They teamed up again at the outdoor meet a few months later, setting both a school and a Patriot League record with the win.

DISTANCE
Bucknell's distance runners are relatively young, led by sophomores Maddie Dulac, Katie Jessee and Betsy Edinger and senior Leah Goeke, but each enjoyed their own success at varying times throughout the 2011-12 season.

Edinger kicked things off with a strong cross country season, missing an All-League citation by just five seconds. Dulac shined indoors where she scored at the PL meet in both the mile and 3,000 meters, making her the only Bison distance runner to score in more than one individual event. Jessee settled in at the 5,000 meters late last spring and earned her way on to the Patriot League roster where she was 11th in the event. The veteran of the group, Goeke narrowly missed defending her conference title in the steeplechase and placed second with the best time of her career.

Notable Newcomers: Meghan Carroll, Alison Billas

THROWS
It sounds strange to say considering the returning firepower, but graduation may have hit Bison throws the hardest, taking former Patriot League champions Bella, Rebecca Misko and Kat Folger out of the mix. Back, however, is senior Abby Monaghan has put up top-four finishes in the weight throw each of the last two years and scored in the discus multiple times as well. Kathryn Wahls also made strides in the hammer throw, cracking the program top 10 for the first time in her career late in the season.

Tayler Siegrist continued her run as one of the team's top javelin throwers. The senior earned her second consecutive trip to the NCAA East Preliminaries last spring and maintained her No. 4 spot on the program record list. Sophomore Erin Norris also became a contender in the javelin.

Notable Newcomer: Sophia Nnadi

JUMPS
Alexandra Romanelli literally jumped to the front of the pack last year when she surprised even herself with second-place finishes in the triple and long jump at the indoor league championships. She also moved herself into the top six in the program record books in both events indoors and scored in both outdoors.

Romanelli had company in the scoring columns. Jessica Matsinger established herself as one of the top triple jumpers in the league, placing fourth indoors and fifth outdoors, while Hornock maintained her status as a factor in the long jump. Rebekka Vuojolainen split her time between pole vault and triple jump and should continue to make an impact in both throughout the upcoming year as will Alyssa Cardillo and Olivia Massey.

POLE VAULT
Emily Ando catapulted to the top of the podium in the pole vault last year winning the Patriot League titles both indoors and outdoors. She was not alone at the top. Autumn Schellenberger cleared an identical height of 11-9 ¾ at the indoor league meet but took second in a jump off with her teammate. The duo is tied for fifth in indoor program annals, while Ando is third outdoors.

Depth will be a strength for the Bison at pole vault. Close on Ando's and Schellenberger's heels are Vuojolainen, Yanelis Mestre and Kristin Sundy. Like her older teammates, Mestre moved into the program top 10 last season for both the indoor and outdoor pole vault, while Vuojolainen earned the distinction indoors and Sundy outdoors.

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