Posted: 02/19/2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Lehigh women’s track and field team placed third while the men’s team placed fourth at the Patriot League Championships. The women had 14 All-League performances highlighted by three from Jessica Kendzor. A pair of school records also fell on the women's side. The men had three All-League performances, two coming from Stephen Tutunjian who was named the male field athlete of the meet.
“It is an excellent track meet and everybody comes and brings their best,” said head coach Matt Utesch. “We scored just about every single point that we could, but came up a little bit short. It’s a little frustrating, but I couldn’t be more proud of all of the efforts. They left everything they had out there and you can’t ask for more.”
After being part of the winning 4X800 team on Saturday, Kendzor won the 800-meter run to give Lehigh 10 points with an ECAC qualifying time of 2:13.46. Perry finished sixth in the event to earn one point for the Mountain Hawks.
Kendzor was then part of the women’s distance medley team took first with an ECAC qualifying time of 12:02.21. Kendzor was joined on the team by Danielle Albergo, Lauren Pietrosh and Perry whom earned 10 points for the Mountain Hawks.
All of the first place finishers – four events, 14 Mountain Hawks in total - earned First Team All-Patriot League honors including Brook Astor who placed first Saturday in the pentathlon.
Lehigh had four more All-League members on the second team for those who took second place at the Championships.
Perry placed second in the one mile run to earn eight points with an ECAC qualifying time of 4:54.72, which broke the Lehigh school record of 4:58.77 which was set in 2006 by Jennifer Schappert. Plombon placed right behind Perry in third for six points and an ECAC qualifying time of 4:55.46.
Plombon then finished second in the 3,000-meter run to earn eight points for the Mountain Hawks as she finished with an ECAC qualifying time of 9:49.36, which was just 0.31 behind first. The time also was a new school record as Plombon crushed her own previous time of 9:55.83. Katherine Pierce finished closely behind in third for six points with an ECAC qualifying time of 9:49.85.
Brook Astor, who won the pentathlon Saturday, placed fourth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.94, just 0.11 away from first as she earned Lehigh four points.
In the 60-meter dash, Alexandra Doersam placed fourth to earn four points for the Mountain Hawks as her time of 7.88 was just 0.04 away from the Lehigh school record. Doersam earned another four points for Lehigh after she also placed fourth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.57 which was 0.22 away from first.
In the 1,000-meter rush, Lauren Pietrosh placed sixth for one point with a time of 2:58.95.
In the 400-meter dash, Halie Carter placed fifth for two points with a time of 59.29. Carter was also part of Lehigh’s 4X400-meter relay team that placed fourth for two points with a time of 3:58.24. Carter was joined on the team my Melissa Knapp, Kristin Slotnick and Elizabeth McManus.
In the field events Sunday, Serenah Polite and Tiffany Penge placed fifth and sixth respectively in the triple jump to earn three points for the Mountain Hawks. Polite jumped 11.08m while Penge jumped 11.00m. In the pole vault, Jonelle Jerwick placed sixth for one point with a distance of 3.30m.
Bucknell won the title with 164 points while Navy, the defending champion, finished second with 124 points. Behind Lehigh, Holy Cross (79), Colgate (56) and Lafayette (42) rounded out fourth through sixth, respectively.
On the men’s side, after Tutunjian won the long jump on Saturday, he won the triple jump Sunday with an IC4A qualifying distance of 14.71m. Tutunjian was named First Team All Patriot League.
Lehigh’s other All-Leaguer was Kyle Forrest who placed second in the heptathlon Saturday.
In the 200-meter dash, Devin Monroe placed fourth to earn four points for the Mountain Hawks as he finished with a time of 22.31, just missing an IC4A qualifying time of 22.24. Martin Otieno placed sixth in the event to earn one point with a time of 22.38.
Monroe and Otieno were also part of Lehigh’s 4X400-meter relay time that placed third for six points and qualified for the IC4As with a time of 3:19.07. The duo was joined by John Ciavardelli and Justin Mahoney.
Mahoney then took fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.06 to earn four points for the Mountain Hawks.
In the men’s distance medley, the team of Kenneth Wilkinson, Seth Robinson, Daniel Paez and Samuel Bernitt placed third for six points with an IC4A qualifying time of 10:10.31.
Bernitt also qualified for the IC4As in the mile run after finishing fourth with a time of 4:14.63 to earn four points for Lehigh.
In the shot put, Christopher Buck placed sixth to earn two points with a distance of 15.00m.
Bucknell won the title with 185 points while Navy, the defending champion, finished second with 176.5 points. Army placed third with 106 points and behind Lehigh, was Lafayette (41.25), Colgate (65), American (10) and Holy Cross (7)
Lehigh will return to action in two weeks when the Mountain Hawks compete at the ECAC Championships in Boston, Mass. on March 2-3.
“I believe we are taking a record number of people – about 30 who qualified between relays and individual events,” Utesch said. “Hopefully, we can go up there and make an impact regionally so we are excited about what’s to come.”
Patriot League Championship women’s final standings
1. Bucknell (164 points)
2. Navy (124)
3. Lehigh (108)
4. Holy Cross (70)
5. Colgate (56)
5. Army (56)
7. Lafayette (42)
Patriot League Championship men’s final standings
1. Bucknell (185 points)
2. Navy (176.25)
3. Army (106)
4. Lehigh (65)
5. Lafayette (41.25)
6. Colgate (29.50)
7. American (10)
8. Holy Cross (7)