Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh heads to West Point this weekend
4/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh heads to West Point, New York this weekend to compete at the 2009 Patriot League Track and Field Outdoor Championships, held at Shea Stadium on the campus of the United State Military Academy. The action kicks off at 10:00 AM on Friday morning with the women’s hammer and concludes at 5:15 on Saturday afternoon with the awards ceremony. “We’re ready to go, we’re anxious to get up to Army and start competing,” Lehigh head coach Matt Utesch commented. “This is the time of year everyone gets excited about; I think we’re in a good position heading into the weekend and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish.”
Leading the way on the women’s side for Lehigh is a trio of seniors in Sarah Serwo, Shannon Alejandro and Jen Therkorn. Serwo is the defending champion in the 800 and she also claimed the title in the 1000 at the Indoor Championships earlier this semester. Alejandro will look to defend her crown in the 1500 after winning the title at last year’s Outdoor Championships, while Therkorn will compete in the 800 with Serwo. Lauren Sternick, a freshman who has gotten her career off to a strong start, including a victory in the 800 at the Greyhound Invite two weeks ago, will compete with Alejandro in the 1500.
Lehigh’s three seniors, Serwo, Alejandro and Therkorn, will team with freshman Alexandra Neville in the 4x800, an event they won at the Indoor Championships, while Serwo, Therkorn and Neville will compete in the 4x400 relay.
In the field events, sophomore Emily Settle will look to continue her strong performance in the hammer, which included a medal-winning throw at the Penn Relays on April 23 and a first place showing at the Lehigh Games on April 25. Settle set her personal record on both of those days.
“The league is as level a playing field as it’s ever been on the women’s side,” Utesch commented. “Points will be at a premium and the scores will be tight. We’re expecting a close competition and we’re hoping for personal records and Patriot League records along the way.”
Other Mountain Hawks to keep an eye on include sophomore Charrell Mack in the long jump, junior Ashlee Atwell and sophomore Krista Belick in the pole vault, freshman Idelis Matias in the hurdles, freshman Katherine Pierce in the middle distance events, freshman Alexandra Doersam in the jumps and senior Lindsey Corbetta in the sprints and jumps. “That group is vitally important to helping us score points this weekend,” Utesch explained. “Their performance will go a long way in determining our final spot.”
On the men’s side, senior E.J. Shuck will look to build on the pentathlon championship he won during the indoor championships as he gets set to compete in the decathlon this weekend. Junior Khalil Uqdah also won a title at the indoor championships, clearing 16’ 6 3/4” in the pole vault to defeat the next closest competitor by more than a full foot. “Those two young men are fully capable of winning their events this weekend,” Utesch explained. “They’re ready to go and we’re anxious to see what they do.”
Also in the field events, junior Nick Ray enters this weekend as one of the top competitors throughout the entire league in the shot put, while sophomore James Pachucki will look to build on his solid performance of a year ago when he placed second at the outdoor championships in the javelin. Freshman Alex Maurer will compete in the high jump and multi events, while classmate Kyle Forrest will look to make noise in the multi events.
In the track events, senior Scott Robinson has been locked in of late, winning the 400 hurdles at the Greyhound Invite and the Lehigh Games the last two weekends, and placing second in the same event at the Bison Outdoor Classic in early April. “He’s running as well as he ever has and I know he’s focused on trying to win a Patriot League Championship in the 400-hurdles and the 400-meters,” Utesch said. “Scott will also look to score in the short hurdles.”
In the 4x400 relay, Lehigh will march out a lineup consisting of Robinson, Forrest, sophomore Niall Buckley and freshman Ifeanyi Edochie, while in the distance events, the Mountain Hawks are sending a strong contingent of competitors up to West Point. Senior Jon Wetzel will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, seniors Dan DeWitt and Ben Lampi and sophomore Dan McClimon will run in the 5000 and DeWitt and sophomores Evans Kosgei and Steve Sample, who has already qualified for the IC4A Championship, will compete in the 10,000.
Action gets underway at 10:00 AM on Friday and will resume on Saturday morning beginning at 9:00 AM.
Watch Sarah Serwo, E.J. Schuck, and Head Coach Matt Utesch preview the PL Championships
