Lehigh University
2010 Coach P. Open
Pierce breaks record to pace the Mountain Hawks
4/10/2010 10:30:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
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BETHLEHEM/LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Lehigh track and field teams wrapped up another successful weekend on Saturday, as members from both teams competed at two separate meets. The field competitors and sprinters headed across town to Moravian to compete in the 2010 Coach P. Open, while all the distance runners headed to Lewisburg and competed in the Bison Outdoor Classic. Sophomore Katherine Pierce highlighted another strong weekend for the Mountain Hawks, as she set a new school record in the 10000 meters.
“I’m pretty pleased with where we are right now,” head coach Matt Utesch said. “Some of our regulars weren’t in there this weekend because we wanted to rest them, but we had a lot of other people step up.”
Battling cold temperatures in Bucknell, Pierce was able to earn a second place finish in her first career 10000 meter race with a record-breaking time of 36:10.82. In the men’s 10000 meter, junior Stephen Sample finished in eighth place with a time of 30:16.54 and he was within three seconds of breaking the men’s school record. With their impressive 10k’s, both runners qualified for the postseason: Pierce (ECACs) and Sample (IC4As).
Sophomore Megan Hetzel was the top finisher in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a time of 11:31.6. Her classmate Carolyn Morse ran a new personal best in the 5000 meters with a time of 18:36.56 to earn a fifth place finish.
The field competitors and sprinters kept up the good marks after strong start to the Coach P. Open on Friday. Sophomore Stephen Tutunjian took first in the both the long (22’ 6.25”) and triple jump (47’ 1.50”) to pace the Mountain Hawks at Moravian.
Other strong performances on the men’s side included, sophomore Alex Maurer, who tied for first in the high jump (6’ 2.75”) and senior James Pachucki who finished second in the javelin with a throw of 197” 10”.
On the women’s side, freshman Jessica Perone set a new PR in the 400 meter hurdles as she took first with a time of 1:04.81. Senior Lauranne Kline was right behind her with a time of 1:06.97 to earn a second place finish.
In first career steeplechase, freshman Lisa Glover earned a third place finish with a time of 12:41.75. Her classmate E’lana Lemon set a new personal best in the discus with a throw of 130’ 5.0” to take second place. Another freshman, Melissa Romero, set a new PR in the javelin with a throw of 125’ 9.0” to finish in third. Rounding out Lehigh’s strong performances was senior Ashlee Atwell who finished in third place in the pole vault (10’ 11.75”).
The Mountain Hawks will return home and start to prepare for two more meets next weekend.
“Next weekend I’m expecting more of the same,” Utesch said. “We’re going to get some more people healed up so we can roll into the championship season. “We’re going to rest some kids that have fast times and continue to push those who don’t. We have to continue to build our seed marks for the Patriot League championships.”
Lehigh will return to action next weekend at the Larry Ellis Invitational and the Moravian Invitational.
Photography, 2010 (c) Specialty Photographic
