Field Athletes with Leverage

Mike Gray, Senior, Mansfield University.

Gray threw 161-08 feet (49.28m) at the PSAC 2009 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, taking first place in the discus event. He also took first in the shot put event with a distance of 51-03.50 feet (15.63m). At the 2009 NCAA D-II Outdoor Track and Field National Meet, Gray took 11th in the discus throw with a toss of 150-00 feet. He had fouled his previous attempts and got a throw in bounds on his final attempt. Last year Gray placed 6th at the national meet, but according to Mansfield Athletics he has an "injury-plagued" 2009 season. If he is healthy this year, watch out for Gray to continue his dominance in both the discus and shot put events again.
Photo Courtesy of Mansfield Athletics

Russell Langley, Junior, IUP.

Langley competed at the javelin throw event during PSACs where he threw an attempt for 201-06 feet (61.42m), a first place and a qualifier for the NCAA D-II National Track and Field Championship Meet. Langley took 16th in the javelin at nationals with a throw of 183-00 feet.
Photo Courtesy of IUP Athletics

Andrew Batula, Sophomore, Shippensburg University.

Batula cleared 6-10.75 feet (2.10m) in the high jump at PSACs, which claimed first place honors and a trip to the NCAA meet. At nationals, Batula finished in 8th place, achieving All-American status for the season, when he cleared 6-9.5 feet. He became the Raiders' third high jump All-American and the team's first since 1988, according to Shippensburg University Athletics.
Photo Courtesy of Shippensburg Athletics

Matthew Gallup, Senior, East Stroudsburg University.

In the men's pole vault, Gallup looks like a strong favorite after he won the event at last year's PSAC Championship by clearing 16-00.75 feet (4.90m). Gallup went onto compete at the 2009 NCAA D-II National Track and Field Championship Meet where he was unable to make the meet's standard bar set at 15-11 feet. Four other competitors also didn't make height out of the 19 total athletics in the event. At the end of the 2009 season he was named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country (USTFCCCA) Division II All- Academic Team. Gallup also set the school record in the pole vault last with a height of 16-8 3/4 feet.
Photo Courtesy of ESU Athletics

PSAC Outdoor 4x400m Relay

Watch out for LHU's 4x400m relay to Repeat

4x400m Relay Results from 2009 PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Image from LHU Athletics

1 Lock Haven 3:13.70

Steve Roberts FR, Ben McConnell SR, Chris Jones FR, Chris Edelman JR

--The time qualified the relay for the 2009 NCAA D-II Track and Field Championships. They improved their time to 3:13.43 with the relay team of Martin, McConnell, Wilkinson, and Edelman.

2 Shippensburg 3:17.38

Juan Steward FR, Todd Phillips SO, Tyrek Nelson FR, Eric Wolfe FR

--With all four legs returning this relay should be a top contender again.

3 West Chester 3:17.76

Adam Swetra SR, Kyle Perry JR, Matt Houser JR, Craig Espenshade SO

--WCU loses Swetra, but retains three of four legs from their third place relay squad at last year's PSACs.

Decathlon Preview

Don Graybill won the men's decathlon at the 2009 PSAC Track and Field Championship Meet and will return this year as a senior competitor for Shippensburg University. Graybill scored a combined total of 6372 points in the 10 events, a new career best in the decathlon. He won the pole vault event with an attempt of 15-01.00 feet, respectively. Consistency is key in the event and Graybill showed that he has that element to be successful. He placed second in the long jump with an attempt of 21-04.75 feet, in the 110-meter hurdles in 16.60 seconds, as well as taking second in the high jump by clearing 6-03.25 feet. Graybill took the decathlon by 255 points over the second place finisher and scored 10 points for the PSAC championship team.
Photo Courtesy of Shippensburg Athletics

Who to Watch during the upcoming Indoor Track and Field Season

The 2009 Indoor Track and Field Season is fast approaching, as the Cross Country season is winding down. The Cross Country NCAA D-II Championships will take place on Sat. Nov. 21 in Evansville, Ind.

So to get the focus on the upcoming track season, I will mention a few standout track athletes to keep on your radar for the indoor season.

Russell Smith; Senior, East Stroudsburg University. Smith, a two-time All-American is entering his senior season as the defending champion from the 2009 PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship Meet in the 110 Meter Hurdles. In the race he scorched the field with a time of 14.41 seconds, as second place was a little more than two tenths behind. The time was his career best and also a new school record in the event. Smith went onto run at the 2009 NCAA D-II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 110m Hurdles, but did not advance to the finals, despite running a respectable time of 14.47. photo courtesy of ESU athletics

Kevin Raymond; Sophomore, IUP.
Raymond is coming off a great debut season as he took first in the 400 Meter at the 2009 PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship with a time of 46.80 (six tenths ahead of the final heat). He also placed third in the 200-meter dash in a time of 21.54. Raymond raced to an All-American fifth place finish in the 2009 NCAA D-II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, with a time of 46.77. In the same meet he competed on the Crimson Hawks’ 4x100m relay team, which took eighth place and All-American honors, running 41.76, respectively. photo courtesy of IUP athletics

Ben Hatch; Sophomore, IUP.
Hatch finished 1:51.84 in the 800 meter-run event at the 2009 PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship Meet, which earned him first place honors. He won by just over a second, out-lasting Slippery Rock junior, Phil Rector in the race. Hatch competed in the 2009 NCAA D-II Outdoor Track and Field Championship Meet, running 1:53.22 in a preliminary heat for the 800m, but failed to advance to the finals. Photo courtesy of IUP athletics

2009 PSAC Men Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year

Photo Courtesy of PSAC Sports

All-Americans Chris Clark (Cal. of Pa.), outdoor track athlete of the year and Nafee Harris (IUP), outdoor field athlete of the year, were named the PSAC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the year on May 28, 2009.

Clark graduates on top as he won the 10,000 meters with a time of 29:41.47 and placed fifth respectively, at the PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He earned All-American status when he came in eighth place in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter events at the NCAA Championships. Earlier in the year he ran 29 minutes and 3.01 seconds in the 10,000 meters, which broke a 25-year-old conference record in the event. Photo Courtesy of Cal U Athletics

Harris, a freshman, won the long jump event at the PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships and was crowned the National Champion in the event at the NCAA Championships when he broke the school record in the event with a jump of 26-1 ¾. Harris contributed further at the PSAC Championships by adding a seventh place finish in the triple jump and a second place in the 4x100 meter relay. He was also part of the Crimson Hawks' 4x100 relay team that took eighth at NCAAs, finishing a preliminary heat in 40.60, which is another school record. (Harris, on right, competes at NCCA Championships)
Photo Courtesy of IUP Athletics