ESU Track and Field/PSAC Championships

BETHLEHEM - East Stroudsburg University long jumper Mark Stinson and pole vaulter Brian Holkovic both finished second in the inaugural Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships which began Saturday at Lehigh University's Rauch Fieldhouse.

Stinson leaped a career-best 23-8 1/2 in the long jump, bettering his 23-0 achieved early in the season. It surpassed the provisional qualifying standard for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships March 7-9 in Boston.

The long jump was won by Gary Fisher of Lock Haven with a leap of 23-10 1/2. ESU's Glenn Kercher was fifth at 22-11.

Stinson, a junior from Emmaus High School, also qualified for Sunday's finals in both the 55-meter dash in 6.54, the second best qualifying time, and the 200-meter dash in 22.91, sixth best in the field. He placed second in the 200 and sixth in the long jump in last spring's PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Holkovic cleared the pole vault bar at 15-1 to wind up as runner-up to Slippery Rock's Nick Wilpula, who went over the bar at 16-2.

The ESU senior from Mitchell, Neb. qualified for the pole vault at the PSAC outdoor meet, but did not place. He was an All-Conference second team linebacker for the Warriors in football last fall.

The Warriors' men's 4 x 800-meter relay team finished second in 8:01.25. Runners were Matt Bevan, 2:04.1; Jim Dawson, 1:58.7; Rob Thomas, 1:59.5, and Darryl Brown, 1:58.6. Lock Haven won the event in 7:59.35

ESU's women's 4 x 800-meter relay team of Christel Hibbard, 2:34.5; Melissa Werner, 2:39.3; Jackie Babbini, 2:40.2, and Kristin Mullin, 2:23.4, was fourth in 10:16.98.

The Warriors advanced two women, Natasha Jarrett and Tawny Youtz, to the 55-meter finals and three women, Jarrett, Youtz and Heather McMillan, to the 200 finals.

After the first day of competition, the Warriors are tied third in the men's scoring with 26 points and eighth in the women's with four points. Lock Haven is the leader in both divisions. The meet will conclude today.

Men's Team Scoring: Lock Haven (LH) 38, Millersville (Mi) 36, East Stroudsburg (ES) and Kutztown (K) 26, Shippensburg (Sh) 25, Slippery Rock (SR) 22, West Chester (WC) 10, Indiana (I) 3.

5000 Run - 1. Mark Stalling (Mi) 15:07.11; 2. Chris Cowan (LH) 15:21.37; 3. Stephen Pizzuli (Mi) 15:31.53; 4. Greg Yerkes (K) 15:37.16; 5. Eric Demerice (Sh) 15:41.09; 6. Seth Jenny (SR) 15:41.24.

4 x 800 Relay - 1. Lock Haven 7:59.35; 2. ESU 8:01.25; 3. Millersville 8:01.57; 4. Slippery Rock 8:03.84; 5. Kutztown 8:13.16; 6. Shippensburg 8:15.70

Distance Medley Relay - 1. West Chester 10:16.73; 2. Millersville 10:18.89; 3. Lock Haven 10:35.10; 4. Shippensburg 10:35.85; 5. Indiana 10:46.25; 6. Slippery Rock 10:52.68

Long Jump - 1. Gary Fisher (LH) 23-10 1/2; 2. Mark Stinson (ES) 23-8; 3. D.J. Flick (SR) 23-6 1/2; 4. Ken Hibbert (Sh) 22-11 3/4; 5. Glenn Kercher (ES) 22-11; 6. Jeff Rice (I) 22-8 3/4

Pole Vault - 1. Nick Wilpula (SR) 16-2; 2. Brian Holkovic (ES) 15-1; 3. Brett Cook (K) 14-7; 4. Eric Robinson (LH) 14-7; 5. Van Steel (K) 14-7; 6. Justin Neidlinger (Sh) 13-7

35-lb Weight Throw - 1. Erik Miller (K) 49-10; 2. Mike Sage (Sh) 49-6 1/2; 3. Jason Weigle (Mi) 49-5 1/2; 4. Brian Haupt (Sh) 48-1 1/2; 5. Jake Lape (K) 46-4 1/2; 6. Chris Leavenworth (Sh) 45-11.

Women's Team Scoring: Lock Haven (LH) 37, Shippensburg (Sh) and Kutztown (K) 24, Millersville (Mi) 22, Edinboro (Ed) 18, West Chester (WC) 12, Indiana (I) 10, East Stroudsburg (ES) 4, Slippery Rock (SR) 3.

5000 Run - 1. Lisa Petsche (Ed) 17:29.90; 2. Rachel Hixson (WC) 17:36.95; 3. Kelly Stewart (Sh) 18:06.98; 4. Megan Seefeldt (K) 18:16.73; 5. Maria Schoellkopf (K) 18:41.88; 6. Sarah Baer (Sh) 18:48.09.

4 x 800 Relay - 1. Kutztown 9:42.90; 2. Millersville 9:42.93; 3. Shippensburg 10:14.41; 4. East Stroudsburg 10:16.98; 5. Slippery Rock 10:31.00, no sixth.

Distance Medley Relay - 1. Indiana 12:14.18; 2. Edinboro 12:39.38; 3. Lock Haven 12:48.06; 4. West Chester 13:02.53; 5. Shippensburg 13:06.28; 6. Slippery Rock 13:11.52.

Long Jump - 1. Sandy Ritz (LH) 18-1 1/2; 2. Erica Augre (LH) 17-7 1/2; 3. Jessica Hurley (Sh) 17-6 1/2; 4. Eulalia Sanchez (Mi) 17-3 1/4; 5. Brooke Rangi (LH) 17-1 1/4; 6. Renee Geist (Sh) 16-10.

20-lb Weight Throw - 1. Elizabeth Lord (Mi) 46-6; 2. Karen George (K) 45-7 1.2; 3. Melissa Miller (LH) 44-2 1/2; 4. Mindy Cressley (LH) 43-4 1/2; 5. Susan Sperduto (Sh) 39-11 1/2; 6. Jen Hostler (LH) 39-8

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