2009 PAC MEN'S TRACK & FIELD
SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Saturday, April 25, 2009
2009 PAC Championships
Harold Burry Stadium
Westminster College - New Wilmington, Pa.

Women
1. Westminster - 150
2t. Thiel - 121
2t. Waynesburg - 121
4. Wash. & Jeff. - 80
5. Bethany - 74
6. Grove City - 43
Geneva - unscored

FOUR FROM PAC EARN ESPN XC/T&F HONORS
Four PAC student-athletes have been honored with selection to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II College Division Cross Country/Track & Field teams for men and women, released by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on June 4. On the women's side, Waynesburg senior Megan Grover (3.95 grade-point average, biology/pre-dental) was a first team selection, while second team honors went to Grove City senior Julia Seward (3.96, English) and Bethany junior Jodi Bodo (3.87, communication). The lone men's honoree on the first team was junior Derek Kruse (3.96, biology) of Grove City. Both Grover and Kruse now advance to the Academic All-America ballot.

THOMAS MORE TO ADD TRACK & FIELD PROGRAM
Thomas More College Director of Athletics Terry Connor announced on May 28 that the College will add men’s and women’s track & field to the school’s athletic department. The two teams will compete on the club level during the 2009-2010 academic year and the College will look at elevating the teams to varsity status the following year. When the teams are elevated to varsity status it will bring the number of total intercollegiate sports at Thomas More to 16.

TOMCAT TRIO EARNS ALL-AMERICA HONORS, BAUMGARD 12TH IN HIGH JUMP AT NCAAs
The final day of competition at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio, concluded on May 23. Thiel College saw all three of its runners earn All-America honors with top eight performances. Junior Alex Eaton paced the Tomcats by placing second in the 400 meter dash with a school-record time of 47.56. Senior teammate Dorran Coley earned his fourth consecutive A-A honor in the 110 meter high hurdles after finishing sixth in 14.60. Finally, the Tomcat women were paced by Cara Riffe, who came in sixth in the 400 meter dash in 56.47. Washington & Jefferson was represented at nationals by senior Summer Baumgard, who placed 12th with a personal-best mark of 5-2 1/2.

THREE TOMCAT RUNNERS REACH NCAA FINALS
Three Thiel College runners each advanced to the finals in their respective events on day two of the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio on May 22. Thiel senior Dorran Coley advanced to the 110 meter high hurdle finals for the fourth time in his career with a prelim time of 14.55. His junior teammate, Alex Eaton, reached the finals in the 400 meter dash with a school-record time of 48.87, the third-best time in the preliminary heats. Finally, the Thiel women were well represented by junior Cara Riffe, who advanced to the finals with a school-record mark of 56.10. The finals for all three events will take place on Saturday, May 23.

PAC DUO COMPETES IN JAVELIN AT NCAAs
Two PAC track & field standouts competed in the javelin on Thursday, May 21 at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. On the men's side, Washington & Jefferson senior Curt Jones just missed the championship cut as he finished in 10th place with a toss of 189-8 (57.81m). In women's competition, Waynesburg sophomore Elisha Jones placed 11th overall with a toss of 132-11 (40.53m). The championships continue on Friday and Saturday (May 22-23).

SIX PAC T&F STANDOUTS QUALIFY FOR NCAAs
Six PAC track & field standouts from three different schools have qualified to compete at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, taking place May 21-23 at Don Drumm Stadium at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. Thiel leads the PAC contingent with three qualifiers: Alex Eaton (men's 400 meter dash), Dorran Coley (men's 110 meter high hurdles) and Cara Riffe (women's 400 meter dash). W&J is sending Curt Jones (men's javelin) and Summer Baumgard (women's high jump), while Waynesburg will send Elisha Jones (women's javelin)

PAC COMPETES AT ECAC D-III CHAMPIONSHIPS
Several PAC schools competed over the weekend at the ECAC Division III Track & Field Championships, hosted by Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. The conference was paced by the Waynesburg women, who finished seventh in team competition behind freshman Marybeth Rocco's winning toss in the javelin. Saint Vincent was led by Adam Smith, as the senior placed second in the 5,000 meter run to help the Bearcat men place 17th in men's competition. For Grove City, Chris Huber placed fourth in the shot put, while Bethany was paced by Jodi Bodo, who finished fifth in the 400 meter dash.

GENEVA'S BEAR WINS NCCAA JAVELIN TITLE
Geneva College senior women's track & field standout Tiffany Bear captured the javelin title at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championship, which took place Saturday (May 2) at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marian, Ind. Bear posted a mark of 140-4 to win the event by nearly eight feet.

WC WOMEN REPEAT AS TRACK & FIELD CHAMPS
The Westminster College women repeated as team champions at the 2009 PAC Track & Field Championships, hosted by Westminster at Harold Burry Stadium in New Wilmington, Pa. The Titan women scored 143 points to finish ahead of Thiel and Waynesburg, who tied for second (123). Two Thiel athletes earned MVP honors: Cara Riffe (women's track) and Kim Stitt (women's field). Coach of the Year laurels went to Jason Falvo of Waynesburg. Complete individual results are now online.

W&J'S BAUMGARD NAMED INDOOR ALL-AMERICAN
Washington & Jefferson College senior Summer Baumgard became the second female student-athlete in school history to earn All-America track & field honors on Friday after tying for seventh place in the high jump at the 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships hosted by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. 

PAC TEAMS, ATHLETES EARN USTFCCCA HONORS
Four track & field teams and seven student-athletes from the PAC have earned academic honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Waynesburg (3.44 GPA), Westminster (3.171 GPA) and Washington & Jefferson (3.10 GPA) were each named All-Academic Women's Teams for maintaining a team grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. In addition, six PAC individuals were tabbed to the All-Academic Women's team by posting a 3.25 GPA while meeting an NCAA Division III automatic or provisional qualifying standard: Jessica Cooper, Abbey Basta and Jill Diamond of Westminster; Ashley Dodd and Elisha Jones of Waynesburg; and Kelli Gee of W&J. On the men's side, Westminster (3.035) was the lone men's team represented, while Virgil Marshall of W&J was the lone male individual honored.

PAC PLACES 10 ON COSIDA/ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT II XC/T&F TEAMS
A total of 10 PAC athletes (eight women, two men)bhave been named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II College Division Cross Country/Track & Field teams for men and women, announced on June 5 by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Five of the honorees were first team selections who now will move on to the Academic All-America ballot, with teams scheduled to be announced later in the month. Both men's honorees - seniors Tim Monaghan on Waynesburg and Virgil Marshall of W&J - were first team honorees. Women's first team selections were W&J senior Kelli Gee, Waynesburg junior Ashley Dodd, and Grove City junior Julia Seward. Second team laurels went to the Waynesburg duo of senior Michelle Cross and sophomore Melissa Cox, W&J senior Lauren Weinheimer, Westminster senior Leanna Stitt, and Bethany sophomore Jodi Bodo.

RECORD SEVEN PAC ATHLETES EARN ALL-AMERICA HONORS AT 2008 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
A conference-record seven PAC student-athletes (five men, two women) earned All-America honors at the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which took place May 22-24 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Leading the way on the men's side was Thiel freshman Josh Jones, who finished second in the nation in the high jump. Jones, the 2008 NCAA indoor high jump national champion, cleared 6-11 1/2 (2.12m), the same as national champion Cody Stelzer of Whitworth who won due to fewer jumps. Two PAC athletes earned A-A honors in the 110 meter high hurdles, as Thiel junior Dorran Coley placed third (14.39) while Bethany sophomore Matt Cruse was seventh (14.56). Tomcat senior Alex Eaton finished seventh in the 400 (48.02), while W&J senior Doug Melton was eighth in the discus (162-8, 49.59m) to round out the honorees. Thiel placed in a tie for 19th in the men's team race with 16 points. On the women's side, leading the way was Westminster senior Jessica Cooper, who placed third in the high jump (5-5 3/4, 1.67m), while freshman Elisha Jones of Waynesburg also earned All-America recognition in the javelin with a toss of 138-6 (42.22m). Westminster placed in a tie for 44th (6 points) in team competition. A complete recap of all 16 PAC men's & women's performers is online.

RECORD 16 PAC STUDENT-ATHLETES QUALIFY FOR NCAA D-III OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
A conference-record 16 PAC student-athletes (11 women, five men) have qualified and been selected to compete at the 2008 NCAA Division III Men's & Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships, scheduled for May 22-24 in Oshkosh, Wisc. Leading the men's qualifiers will be freshman Josh Jones of Thiel, the 2008 NCAA Division III indoor national champion in the high jump, who will look to capture the outdoor title as well. He is joined by Tomcat teammates Dorran Coley (110 high hurdles) and Alex Eaton (400) as well as Bethany's Matt Cruse (110 & 400 hurdles) and W&J's Doug Melton (discus). On the women's side, Westminster's Megan Harding (100) will join the qualifying Titan 4x100 relay team (Abbey Basta, Jill Diamond, Seun Olarewaju), while Patrice Page (400) headlines the Thiel 4x100 qualifying team (Kate DeGeorge, Chavonne Green, LaToya Locke). Locke will also compete in the triple jump at the national meet. Other PAC female qualifiers included Jessica Cooper of Westminster (high Jump) and the Waynesburg duo of Elisha Jones (javelin) and Ashley Dodd (pole vault).

WU'S JONES, W&J'S MELTON CAPTURE TITLES
AT 2008 ECAC OUTDOOR  CHAMPIONSHIPS
A pair of PAC athletes captured event titles at the 2008 ECAC Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., on May 15-16. Waynesburg freshman Elisha Jones captured the women's javelin with a toss of 41.71 meters (136-10), while Washington & Jefferson senior Doug Melton won the men's discus with a mark of 46.45 meters (152-5).



Westminster Titans
2009 PAC Women's Track & Field Champions


Cara Riffe, Thiel
2009 PAC Women's Track MVP


Kim Stitt, Thiel
2009 PAC Women's Field MVP


Jason Falvo, Waynesburg
2009 PAC Women's Coach of the Year
 

Quick Hits

Track & Field Composite Schedule
Track & Field Release
Track & Field Championship
Track & Field All-Conference Awards

2009 Athletes of the Week
March 22
Track: Jodi Bodo, Bethany
Field: Marybeth Rocco, Waynesburg

March 29
Track: Kristen Carter, Grove City/
          Megan Harding
, Westminster
Field: Kim Stitt, Thiel

April 5
Track: Jodi Bodo, Bethany
Field: Krystal Baker, Waynesburg

April 12
Track: Cara Riffe, Thiel
Field: Latoya Locke, Thiel

April 19
Track: Katelyn Kushner, Westminster
Field: Merrissa Malcolm, Westminster