Images courtesy of WCUPA Golden Rams Athletics Website
On January 27 and 28, West Chester University’s Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams competed in the 24th annual Bison Open at Bucknell University.
Overall it was a successful meet for the Golden Rams, with many participants setting event and personal records over the course of the weekend.
Starting on the men’s side, Ralph Casper impressed in the shot put pit with a throw of 61 feet 11 ½ inches, setting an event record in the process. Casper, a junior from York, is having an exceptional season thus far, having recently been recognized as the PSAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week for his performance.
Josh Farrell, a freshman from Bethlehem, finished with a time of 22.97 seconds in the 200 meter dash, good enough for ninth place overall. He followed this up with a seventh place finish in the 400 meter race with a time of 51.23 seconds. Colin Althoff and David Burnshaw also competed in the 400 meter event, setting personal records with times of 52.50 and 53.41 respectively.
In the pole vault, Andrew Puz, a graduate student from Exton, earned a fifth place finish with a mark of 13-7 ¼. Michael Neiman, Junior Duffault and Dayshawn Jacobs all finished within the top 10 in the high jump, with Jacobs also finishing in eighth place in the long jump event.
In the 800 meter event, William Zane set a new personal best with a time of 2:01.47 to finish 13th.
Last but not least, West Chester’s 4×400 meter relay team competed at Bison Open, finishing in fourth place overall with a time of 3:29.31.
Switching over to the women’s side, Annika Hummel delivered a stunning performance in the pole vault, reaching 12 feet en route to a first place finish. Hummel, a sophomore from Schwenksville, tied her own West Chester record during the event, one that she broke during the Gotham Cup earlier this season.
In the mile event, Bella Marchini, a graduate student from Schwenksville, came in second with a time of 5:14, good enough for a personal record. Marchini participated in the distance medley as well, helping lead the Golden Rams to a fifth place finish.
Sandra Jackson participated in two events over the weekend, finishing in fourth place in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.92 seconds, and 17th in the 200 meter event with a time of 27:04. Amanda Marquis finished right behind Jackson, clocking in at 27:23, good enough for a 20th place finish. Marquis also placed 10th in the 400 meter race with a time of 1:01:30.
Rachel Gemmell competed in two Indoor Pentathlon events: the 60 meter hurdle, and 800 meter dash. In the 60 meter hurdle, Gemmell finished with a time of 10.78 seconds, good enough for eighth place overall. In the 800 meter race, she took tenth place with a time of 3:28:35.
Both teams will be back in action with a split squad on February 5, competing in the DeSchriver and Richard Drake Invitationals. For more information on West Chester University’s track and field teams including schedules, statistics, rosters and more, please visit the Golden Rams athletics site.
Erick Klambara is a fourth-year student Media and Culture major who minors in journalism. Contact Erick at EK924666@wcupa.edu