(Posted April 1, 2006)

PITTSBURGH, Pa.? In its second outdoor meet of the season both the Juniata College men?s and women?s track and field teams placed in the top-8 at the Western PA Championships at Carnegie Mellon Saturday afternoon. The Juniata men were seventh out of the 15-team field while the Juniata women?s team earned an eighth-place finish among 16 schools.

For the Juniata women freshman Kelsey Buffenmeyer (Donegal/Mount Joy) provided much of the team?s points in the jump events. Buffenmeyer jumped to a second-place finish in the high jump and then added fourth-place effort in the long jump.

On the track the Eagles highest finish was from Katey Glunt (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) who ran to a fourth-place finish in the 5,000. Her time of 18:30.48 established a new Juniata record in the event, and as good for five points.

Also providing scoring performances on the track were Meghan Jones (Meadville/Meadville) who placed fifth in the 10,000 and Aubrey Cyphert (Seneca/North East) who was sixth in the 3,000 steeplechase.

For the Eagles men there were a pair of first-place finishes on the track. Randy Anderson (DuBois/DuBois) ran to a first-place finish in the 100 and then added a fourth-place finish in the 200. Justin Fritzius (Central York/York) then matched that effort with a first-place effort in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. His time of 9:35.73 established a new school record in the event.

Juniata added another three individual scoring performances on the track on the day. Chris Sheaffer (Central York/York) posted a fifth-place finish in the 1,000 run and also established a new school record with him time of 32:39.40. Tripp Rudolph (Upper St. Clair/Pittsburgh) added a seventh-place effort in the 800 on the day, while Mark Modak (Sandy Spring Friends/Gaithersburg, Md.) was eighth in the 400 hurdles. The quartet of Eric Hoover (Brandywine/Wilmington, Del.), Mike Vella (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg), Shawn Rumery (Thornton Academy/Dayton, Maine) and Rudolph notched a sixth-place effort in the 4x800 relay.

The Eagles men?s jumping corps then added more points for the Blue and Gold. Gary Ondecko Jr. (Bishop Carroll/Northern Cambria) was fourth in the long jump while Anderson and Matthew Booth (Allentown Central Catholic/Allentown) were fifth and seventh respectively. Booth then produced a sixth-place effort in the triple jump and Adam Loser (Central York/York) was eighth in the high jump.

The Juniata track teams will be back in action next Saturday as they compete at the Messiah Invitational.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.