2007 PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships
May 3-5, 2007
Hosted by Shippensburg University
Seth Grove Stadium
Shippensburg, Pa.
Shippensburg University will serve as the host site for the 2007 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships beginning on Thursday, May 3 and running through Saturday, May 5 at Seth Grove Stadium.
Daily admission to this week’s conference championship is $7 for adults and $2 for children or students not enrolled at member institutions. There are NO complimentary tickets or all-session passes. Students from PSAC member institutions will be admitted free with a valid ID and PSAC passes will be honored.
Competition begins on Thursday with the men’s and women’s heptathlon and decathlon at 10:30 a.m. On Friday, both events conclude starting at 9:30 a.m., while the first individual event begins at 8:00 a.m., with the women’s 10,000-meter run. Also on Friday morning, the first field event gets under way with the men’s hammer throw at 8:30 a.m.
The championships conclude on Saturday with the finals of the women’s hammer beginning at 9:00 a.m., while opening ceremonies and track events start at 11:00 a.m.
This will be the 77th year of the men’s championship and the 29th year of the women’s championship. Including 2007, Shippensburg has served as host of the men’s championship a conference-leading 28 times and of the women’s championship six times, also a league-best.
The first men’s championship was contested in 1928 when West Chester won the first of its league-best 24 titles. After the Golden Rams, Shippensburg, the four-time defending champion, has won 16 conference crowns, followed by Millersville with 12.
Slippery Rock won the first contested women’s championship in 1979 and since then, has won a conference-leading 13 titles. Shippensburg and Millersville have each won four while Kutztown and West Chester have three.
The Rock has won three of the last four PSAC women’s titles, including last year’s convincing 100-point victory over second-place Lock Haven.
The last time Seth Grove Stadium hosted the conference championship was in 2001 when Kutztown won the men’s title and Slippery Rock won the first of its four women’s titles over the last six years.
Shippensburg will be looking to become the 18th men’s team to win a conference championship in its own facility and the first since Kutztown did it in 2002. Should the Lady Raiders win their first PSAC title since 1998, it would mark the seventh time that a women’s team has hosted the championship trophy in its own facility.
A second-straight title would make Slippery Rock the third women’s team to have won both the indoor and outdoor championship in the same year, joining Lock Haven and Kutztown who each did it in 2002 and 2005, respectively.
Meanwhile, Shippensburg is the only team on the men’s side to have won both conference titles in the same year, accomplishing the feat back-to-back in 2005 and 2006.
Men’s Preview
Despite Shippensburg’s four consecutive men’s crowns, the Red Raiders look to be challenged by Lock Haven, this year’s indoor champion, as well as Slippery Rock and Kutztown who have each finished second and third, respectively, at the last two outdoor championships.
Among the top athletes to watch are Slippery Rock’s Jeff Weiss and Preston Gibbs, Bradley Rager of California (Pa.) and Shippensburg’s Mark Anderson.
Weiss was named Championship Most Valuable Track Athlete a year ago after winning the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs. Gibbs was named Championship Most Valuable Field Athlete in 2005 after taking first in the triple jump and placing second in the long jump.
Rager enters this year’s championship with a total of four conference titles two his credit, winning both the 200 and 400-meter dash in 2005 and 2006. He was named Championship Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Track Athlete in 2005.
One of the PSAC’s top throwers over the last two seasons, Anderson won three championships at last year’s meet, taking first in the shot put, discus and hammer en route to earning Championship Most Valuable Field Athlete honors.
Below is an event-by-event notebook of what to watch for at this year’s championship.
100-meter dash: One of six men’s events without a returning champion … Cyrus Wesley of Cheyney is the top-seeded athlete with a time of 10.80 seconds … Wesley finished third lat year … Shippensburg’s Jamal James, who finished second a year ago, is seeded second at 10.83 seconds.
200-meter dash: Bradley Rager of California (Pa.) is looking for his third-straight championship … seeded fifth, he would become the first athlete in the history of the event to win three times … Shippensburg’s Jamal James has the conference’s top time this season with a mark of 21.81 seconds … he finished fifth last year … second-seeded Cyrus Wesley of Cheyney was second a year ago … Cheyney has won the event four of the last 10 years … Edinboro’s Kyle Wunz was fourth.
400-meter dash: Like the 200-meter dash, Rager is looking for his third-straight championship … he would be the third athlete to win three-straight … Slippery Rock’s Bob Brennan won four consecutive from 1980-83 … Scott Eisenhart of Kutztown won three from 2001-03 … Kyle Wunz of Kutztown, who finished fourth in 2006, is seeded sixth … Millersville’s Wyatt Hall was seventh … Paul Martin of Lock Haven is the top seed at 48.74 seconds, followed by Nehemiah Leary of West Chester at 48.77 seconds.
800-meter run: Sean Strauman of Indiana (Pa.) is a two-time defending champion and is the top-seeded athlete in the event with a time of 1:51.27 … his time is the eighth-best in Division II this season … Millersville’s Adam Malloy placed fifth in 2006 and is seeded fifth this year … second-seeded Corey Spidell of Lock Haven has the 28th-fastest time in the NCAA with a mark of 1:52.96.
1,500-meter run: One of the most wide open events in the men’s championship … Cory Spidell of Lock Haven and Iuri Pinto of East Stroudsburg are the favorites … Spidell, who finished sixth at last year’s conference championship, has the PSAC’s top time at 3:52.70 which is the 22nd-fastest in Division II … Pinto is right behind at 3:52.73, the nation’s 23rd-best time … East Stroudsburg’s Drew Nesbit placed fourth a year ago.
5,000-meter run: Arguably the hottest contested event at this year’s championship … the conference’s top nine fastest times are also ranked in the top 43 in Division II … defending champion Jeff Weiss of Slippery Rock is the clear favorite, clocking in at 14:04.94, the third-fastest time in the NCAA and nearly eight seconds faster than Chris Clark of California (Pa.) … Clark’s time of 14:12.62 is the seventh-best in Division II this season … he finished third last year … Slippery Rock has three of the top nine times in the event led by Weiss, Pat Reagan who is third and Chris Geddis who is ninth … other returning place winners include East Stroudsburg’s Iuri Pinto and Shippensburg’s Richard Hanslovan.
10,000-meter run: Weiss is also the defending champion and favorite in the 10K … his time of 29:59.30 is the 10th best time in Division II … Nate Shelly of Indiana (Pa.), Chris Geddis of Slippery Rock and Mikhail Litvinov of Bloomsburg are the other returning participants from 2006 … Geddis placed eighth.
110-meter hurdles: Slippery Rock’s Shayne Cooper is the returning champion, but has the PSAC sixth-fastest time this season … Paul Martin of Lock Haven has the event’s top time of 14.65 seconds which is also 24th in Division II … behind Cooper, Shippensburg’s Bernie Richards is the top returning place winner after finishing third a year ago … his time of 15.18 seconds is seeded fifth … Kutztown has two of the top four fastest times in third-seeded Justin Gibbs and fourth-seeded Kurt Redley … both placed fourth and sixth, respectively, last year.
400-meter hurdles: Bernie Richards of Shippensburg is the top-seed at 53.18 seconds, 0.09 seconds faster than last year’s NCAA provisional time that put him second … Lock Haven’s Paul Martin is seeded second, followed by Nate Shadeck of Slippery Rock who placed third a year ago … teammate Andy Notareschi is seeded seventh which is where he placed in 2006.
3,000-meter steeplechase: Returning champion Chris Robson is the favorite, clocking in at 9:12.10 which is also the 10th best time in the NCAA … he will be challenged by Shippensburg’s Richard Hanslovan, a newcomer to the event, but not to Robson … the two have been battling over the past four years in distance events as well on cross country courses … Hanslovan is seeded second, 13 seconds behind Robson, and ranked 24th in Division II … Hanslovan’s teammate, Stephen Lobianco is seeded fifth after placing eighth last year … Jake Moore of Slippery Rock and Bobby Houston of Indiana (Pa.) placed fourth and sixth a year ago.
4x100-meter relay: Slippery Rock is the defending champion, but is seeded fifth entering this year’s championship … West Chester and Shippensburg are ranked first and second, separated by just 0.03 seconds, with West Chester clocking in at 41.83 seconds … Shippensburg placed second in 2006 while Indiana (Pa.), seeded 10th, won the title in 2005.
4x400-meter relay: Shippensburg is the favorite again this season and has won three of the last five mile-relay titles … returning champion Kutztown is seeded 10th … 2006 runner-up Slippery Rock is seventh … West Chester follows Shippensburg in second, just 0.37 seconds behind.
High Jump: Lock Haven’s Jim Dempsey is the two-time defending champion and is seeded second … Eric Broadbent of West Chester has the PSAC’s top mark of 6-feet, 11-inches, the 10th best performance in Division II this season … Dempsey’s mark of 6-feet, 9 1/2-inches is 12th … his teammate, Ivars Lurops, placed second last year and is seeded third this year … seven of the top-eight place winners from 2006 are seeded in the top-eight.
Pole Vault: Another wide open event at this year’s championship … just one of the top eight place winners are back … Kutztown’s Brian Dodds placed second in 2006 and is seeded third this season … Troy Litten of Indiana (Pa.), and formerly of Shippensburg, has the conference’s top mark at just over 16-feet which is ranked 10th in the NCAA … teammate Alec Rice is second at 15-feet, 1-inch.
Long Jump: Cheyney’s Jamir Gates is the only returning place winner ranked among the top eight heading into this year’s championship … he placed sixth in 2006 and is seeded fifth … Andy Richard of East Stroudsburg, who won the event at the 2005 conference championships, is seeded sixth … Caesar Westbrook of Indiana (Pa.) and Shippensburg’s Sean Cohick are the favorites.
Triple Jump: West Chester’s Eric Broadbent looks to win his first title after finishing second last year … he owns the conference’s top mark at 48-feet, 3 1/2-inches … Preston Gibbs of Slippery Rock placed third a year ago and won the event in 2005 … he is seeded fourth this year … Maurice Barbour of Shippensburg is seeded third after placing fifth last year.
Shot Put: This was one of three throwing events won by Shippensburg’s Mark Anderson in 2006 … the returning champion is seeded fifth this year, just behind teammate Shaun Minnich who placed third a year ago … 2006 runner-up Steve Tyson of Kutztown is the clear favorite as his mark of 54-feet, 1-inch is the top seed, nearly three feet farther than Brian Dell of Slippery Rock … Tyson is also ranked 13th in Division II.
Discus: Anderson won this event a year ago, but is seeded 10th this year … newcomer and top-seeded Mike Gray of Mansfield is the favorite to win the event as his mark of 160-feet, 9-inches is the 19th-best in the NCAA this season … Anderson’s teammate, David Green, who placed third in 2006, is seeded second …Green and East Stroudsburg’s Jeremy Burger finished second last year and is seeded third.
Hammer: While Anderson will have some work to do in the previous two throwing events, he is the favorite to win his second consecutive title in the hammer … he is the conference’s top seed, six-feet ahead of Green who is second … Green was also second to Anderson in 2006 … Shippensburg owns three of the PSAC’s top four marks as Nate Reider is seeded fourth … he placed seventh last year … Slippery Rock’s Adam Jones is third after finishing fifth a year ago.
Javelin: Like the 5K, the javelin is one of the PSACconference’s top men’s events … the top four seeds in the conference are also ranked in the top-10 in Division II, led by Ken Cardullo of East Stroudsburg … his mark of 210-feet, 3-inches is the third best in the NCAA, followed closely by Reider who is fourth at 209-feet, 10-inches … Reider is the defending champion … Rob Conrad of Indiana (Pa.) and Nate Hardic of Slippery Rock are ranked sixth and ninth in the NCAA, respectively … Conrad placed third in 2006.
Decathlon: The event is expected to be a two-man contest between Slippery Rock’s Paul Schwab and Clarion’s Dan Patton … Schwab is the defending champion and is ranked 11th in Division II while Patton is ranked 17th … fifth-seeded Shawn Clancy finished second a year ago … Mike Rose of Slippery Rock and Ian Clark of Kutztown are also returning place winners.
Women’s Preview
Following last season’s convincing victory in which it totaled a 100-point margin over second-place Lock Haven, Slippery Rock is the clear favorite to win its conference-leading 14th PSAC title.
Entering this year’s championship, The Rock has the top-seeded student-athlete in 10 of the 22 contested events and boasts 10 returning champions.
Meanwhile, Kutztown, Lock Haven and Shippensburg are expected to be battling it out for second. Kutztown has finished at least third in the last three championships while Shippensburg has won four titles, second behind Slippery Rock.
Slippery Rock’s Andi Rose and Vera McDaniel as well as Clarion’s Erin Richard will be some of the top athletes to watch this week.
Rose is the defending champion in the100 and 400-meter hurdles and is the top seed in both entering this week’s competition. She already has four combined titles, winning both in 2004 as well. Rose was named Championship Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Track Athlete in 2006.
Like Rose, McDaniel is the returning champion in two events while entering as the top seed in those events as well. Last year, she won the 100 and 200-meter dash.
Richard enters this year’s championship as the top-seeded athlete in the 3,000-meter run, 5K and 10K. She is the returning champion in both the 1,500 and 3,000-meter run, but will compete only in the 3K, 5K and 10K.
Below is an event-by-event notebook of what to watch for at this year’s championship.
100-meter dash: Vera McDaniel leads a 1-2 Slippery Rock attack as she and Janiece Rash are the top two seeds … McDaniel’s top mark is 12.14 seconds with Rash clocking in at 12.35 seconds … in addition, McDaniel won last year’s event while Rash placed second … Siobhan Richards placed fourth in 2006 and is seeded third this year at 12.52 seconds.
200-meter dash: McDaniel is also the returning champion and favorite here as well … she is the lone returning top-eight place winner from last year … East Stroudsburg’s Katherine Doyle is seeded second with McDaniel’s teammate, Lacey Cochran, third.
400-meter dash: Probably the most wide-open event in the women’s championship this year … there is no returning champion and only Doofan Tor-Agbidye is a returning place winner after finishing second last year … she is seeded fourth … Lacey Cochran of Slippery Rock is the top seed and the only PSAC athlete under 57 seconds at 56.69 … however, Shippensburg’s Mary Dell, the 2007 PSAC Women’s Indoor Rookie of the Year, is seeded second and looks to challenge for her first outdoor championship after finishing second in the 400 indoors.
800-meter run: Lost to graduation is 2006 champion Michelle Kelly of Edinboro while Shippensburg’s Kristen McGoldrick is not competing this year … Lock Haven’s Shala Simms leads the pack as the top seed after placing third last year … returning place winners include Holly Urban of California (Pa.) and Priscilla Jennings of Millersville who placed fifth and sixth, respectively, a year ago.
1,500-meter run: While returning champion and sixth-seeded Erin Richard will not compete here, there is no shortage of athletes to watch … Millersville’s Priscilla Jennings is the top seed and leads three athletes that are ranked among the top 27 in Division II … she placed sixth last year and is ranked 13th nationally at 4:34.96 … 2006 runner-up Nicole Dann of Mansfield is seeded second and ranked 19th in the NCAA while Maureen Newell of Indiana (Pa.) is third in the PSAC and 27th nationally.
3,000-meter run: Richard will look for her second consecutive championship … she is the top seed and is one of three athletes ranked among the top-27 in the NCAA … Richard is 17th at 10:06.37 … her top challenger should be Slippery Rock’s Jen Harpp who is second in the PSAC and 21st nationally at 10:08.10 … Stephanie Williams of Kutztown is the conference’s third-seed and ranked 27th in the NCAA.
5,000-meter run: Instead of defending her championship in the 1,500-meter run, Clarion’s Erin Richard will look for her first in the 5K … her time of 16:41.39 is 29 seconds faster than the next closest PSAC competitor and is the third-fastest time in Division II … Richard leads six conference runners who are ranked among the top-20 nationally … Holly Whoolery of Slippery Rock is sixth nationally and seeded second at 17:11.00 … she finished fifth in 2006.
10,000-meter run: Whoolery, the returning champion, is seeded fifth at 38:12.60 … she will be battling again with Kutztown’s Stephanie Williams who finished third a year ago, but is seeded first this year … both will also be challenged by fourth-seeded and 2006 runner-up Sarah Bounds of Bloomsburg.
100-meter hurdles: Two-time champion Andi Rose of Slippery Rock will be back to defend her championship again after winning in 2004 and 2006 … her time of 13.99 seconds is the top seed and also sixth in Division II … West Chester’s Danielle Scardino is seeded second at 14.60 seconds after she placed eighth last year … Slippery Rock boasts three of the top-six seeds and returns three of last year’s top three place winners … in addition to Rose, The Rock also boasts Melissa Sopher and Sunny Daugherty.
400-meter hurdles: Rose is also the favorite to win her third championship here after winning in 2004 and 2006 … her time of 1:00.72 is the top seed and ranked fifth in the NCAA … she will have some tough competition from East Stroudsburg’s Leslie Martin and teammate Melissa Sopher who are ranked 14th and 17th nationally, respectively … Sopher finished sixth a year ago … Jessica Sackin of Slippery Rock is seeded fourth, giving The Rock three of the top four seeds.
3,000-meter steeplechase: Three of the top four place winners from a year ago return and are also seeded among the top four competitors this year … Clarion’s Tasha Wheatley is the favorite to win her first title as she is the top seed at 11:07.43 which is also 10th in Division II … Raissa Weiss of Slippery Rock is second in the PSAC and 15th nationally while Desiree Bower of Kutztown is third and 18th … 2006 runner-up Rachel Hall of Mansfield is seeded fourth … Wheatley and Bower finished third and fourth, respectively, a year ago.
4x100-meter relay: Led by Andi Rose and Vera McDaniel, Slippery Rock, winners of two of the last three titles, will once again be the favorite this year as the team’s time of 47.41 seconds is the top seed and ranked 19th in Division II … 2004 champion and 2006 runner-up East Stroudsburg is second at 48.51 seconds … Kutztown and Shippensburg, who placed third and fourth, respectively, a year ago, are seeded the same this year.
4x400-meter relay: Defending champion Slippery Rock, who snapped Kutztown’s three-year winning steak a year ago, is the favorite … the team’s time of 3:49.16 is first in the PSAC and 14th nationally … 2006 runner-up Kutztown is seeded fourth behind Lock Haven and Shippensburg.
High Jump: One of the most anticipated events in the women’s championship, the high jump features two former champions and six of the top-20 ranked athletes in Division II … third-seeded Cassie Williams of Indiana (Pa.) is the defending champion while 2005 winner Monica Speca of Shippensburg is seventh … Williams’ mark of 5-feet, 6-inches is ranked 23rd nationally … East Stroudsburg’s Leslie Martin is the top seed with a leap of 5-feet, 7 3/4-inches which is 10th-best in Division II … 2006 runner-up Chelsea Moore of Lock Haven is also second this year at 5-feet, 7 1/4-inches which is 12th in the NCAA.
Pole Vault: Defending champion Jennifer Hansen of Slippery Rock leads four athletes from The Rock who are ranked among the top-six seeds in the conference … her mark of 12-feet, 9 1/2-inches is also fifth in Division II … 2006 runner-up and teammate Katie Jones is second at 11-feet, 6 1/4-inches, tied with Abby McKissick, also of The Rock … McKissick was third last year.
Long Jump: Slippery Rock’s Jenny Kirsch is the defending champion and top seed at 18-feet, 3 1/4-inches, almost five inches ahead of second-seeded Casie Williams of Indiana (Pa.) who placed fifth a year ago … Williams’ mark of 17-feet, 10 3/4-inches is just ahead of Millersville’s Michele Frayne at 17-feet, 10 1/4-inches.
Triple Jump: Sunny Daugherty of Slippery Rock is the third and final defending champion for The Rock in the four throws events … she and teammate Serena Bond are seeded first and second, respectively … third-seeded Tandria Jones of Cheyney finished third a year ago … other 2006 place winners include Clarion’s Diane Kress and Casie Williams of Indiana (Pa.) who finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
Shot Put: Lock Haven’s Ginger Williams looks for her first shot put title after winning the discus a year ago … she enters as the top seed with a mark of 42-feet, 8 3/4-inches … her teammate Jennifer Andrews and Amanda Sines should be her top competition with Andrews coming in at 41-feet, 10-inches and Sines at 41-feet, 9 1/4-inches … Williams placed fourth last year with Andrews finishing sixth … Gretchen Colwell of Indiana (Pa.) placed fifth in 2006.
Discus: Williams will be defending her 2006 championship and like the shot put, will see top competition from Sines … Williams is the top seed at 134-feet, 1-inch while the second-seeded Sines is at 133-feet, 3-inches … Lock Haven’s Jakia Gumby is seeded third after finishing fourth a year ago.
Hammer: Shippensburg’s Megan Schweighofer is the favorite to win her first career individual title … she is the top seed and her mark of 163-feet, 3-inches is ranked 20th in Division II … Schweighofer, who placed third last year, is one of the top four seeds who all placed at last year’s championship … Lock Haven’s Richelle Reed is seeded second at 161-feet, 5-inches and finished seventh in 2006 … third-seeded Gretchen Colwell of Indiana (Pa.) placed fourth a year ago and is the only other competitor to surpass 150-feet, totaling 158-feet, 10-inches.
Javelin: Slippery Rock has claimed four of the last five javelin titles and will once again have a strong challenger in Susan Yuhas … her mark of 137-feet, 7-inches is seeded second and ranked 18th in Division II … she is just behind top-seeded and 16th ranked Jess Chong of East Stroudsburg who comes in at 137-feet, 8-inches … Yuhas’ teammate, Amber Moore, placed second a year ago, but is seeded sixth this year … third-seeded Ann Stinson of Clarion enters at 129-feet, 9-inches, almost eight feet behind Chong and Yuhas.
Heptathlon: Two-time defending champion Renee Marchand of Kuztown enters the competition seeded second and 13th nationally … 2006 runner-up and top-seeded Leslie Martin of East Stroudsburg will be looking for her first career title as her mark of 4,901 is the second-best total in the NCAA this season, just 43 points off the leader.
