Lehigh University
Bucknell Invitational
Freshmen boost Lehigh in first league test
1/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
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The result was not surprising to Lehigh head coach Matt Utesch after his team was missing several of its key point scorers on both sides. In fact, Utesch said there were many positives to take from the meet.
“I feel really good about our freshman class,” Utesch said. “They are really tough and competed very well out there. They did a very nice job today.”
Freshman distance runner Katherine Pierce scored the lone win for the Brown and White on Saturday, taking the title in the 5,000 meters. Pierce made a name for herself as the top freshman runner for the Mountain Hawks cross country team in the fall, but this meet provided a new challenge for the talented young runner.
“This was her first time ever running on an indoor track,” Utesch said about Pierce, who was a swimmer in high school. “It’s really a pretty huge accomplishment to do that in her first race.”
Bucknell claimed the overall title on both the men’s and women’s side. The Bison scored 205 points on the women’s side, and 193 on the men’s side. The Lehigh women scored 66 points to finish third out of six teams, while the men scored 63 to tie for fourth of five.
Lehigh athletes finished second in five events at Bucknell. Nick Ray earned a second-place finish in the shot put with a throw of 52’ 4.” Jen Therkorn and Nail Buckley came in second the women’s and men’s 800 meters, respectively. Sarah Serwo grabbed a second-place spot in the 1000 meters, and Krista Bellick set a personal record in the pole vault at 10 feet for her second-finish.
Senior multi-event athlete E.J. Schuck set a personal record in the high jump, flying 6’ 4 ¾,” finishing in fifth place. Schuck also came near his personal best in the long jump (fourth place) and set a new personal best in the finals of the hurdles, where he finished fourth.
“He was a real leader out there for us,” Utesch said. “All of those improvements are setting him up for an excellent run for the Patriot League Championships in the heptathlon.”
Lehigh took this meet as an opportunity to rest several key point scorers in advance of the Lehigh Covert Classic and Multi-Event in Rauch Field House on Jan. 23-24. But Utesch said that gave a great opportunity for the young athletes to light a fire under their upperclassmen teammates.
“The thing I told the team is that the aggressive racing style from the freshmen is exactly what our team needs across the board,” Utesch said. “Our freshmen are teaching the upperclassmen a strong lesson. They’re bringing it, and it’s just a great situation for us to be in.”
