Monday, May 18, 2009

EIGHT MORAVIAN STUDENT-ATHLETES TO COMPETE AT 2009 NCAA DIVISION III
OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

MARIETTA, OH --- Moravian College has qualified eight student-athletes, five females and three males, to compete at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio from Thursday, May 21st through Saturday, May 23rd.

Junior Anna Heim (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown HS) will compete in the women’s pole vault at the National Championships for the second time this season and the sixth time in her career after participating in the NCAA indoor meet back in March where she was the runner-up on jumps to earn All-America honors.  Heim has the second best qualifying height at 4.02 meters (13 feet, 2 ¼ inches), which is a Moravian record.  She is scheduled to compete on Friday at 4:00 p.m. as the seventh competitor in the 19-competitor field.

Junior Jessica Posimo (Philadelphia, PA/St. Basil Academy) is making her second trip to the NCAA meet and will compete in the long jump on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. after qualifying seventh with a school record jump of 5.81 meters (19 feet, ¾ inch).  This is Posimo’s first trip to nationals in the long jump.  Junior Symonne Scott (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro HS) is making her third trip to the NCAA Championships and will also compete in the long jump after qualifying 11th with a distance of 5.73 meters (18 feet, 3 ¾ inches).  Posimo and Scott are both in the first flight and will jump second and third, respectively.

Posimo and Scott will also compete in the 4x100-meter relay with junior Rachel Beck (Churchville, PA/Council Rock South HS) and sophomore Sydni Wisniewski (Orlando, FL/Winter Park HS).  The quartet has the 11th fastest qualifying time of 48.02, and will run in the preliminary heats on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. in the second of three heats.  The three preliminary heat winners and the next five fastest times will advance to Saturday afternoon’s final at 1:10 p.m.

Senior Nathaniel Tussey (Perkiomenville, PA/Boyertown HS) will be competing in the 110-meter high hurdles trials on Friday at 3:00 p.m. in the first of three heats, and Tussey qualified in a tie for sixth at 14.49 seconds.  The three preliminary heat winners and the next five fastest times will advance to the finals on Saturday at 1:45 p.m.  Tussey will also compete in the 400-meter hurdle trials on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. after qualifying ninth at 52.96 seconds.  The finals of the 400-meter hurdles will be on Saturday at 3:15 p.m.

Sophomore Eric Woodruff (Brodheadsville, PA/St. Pius X HS) is making his first trip to the national championships and will also be competing in a pair of events for the Greyhounds.  Woodruff will run in the preliminaries of the 200-meter dash on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in the third and final heat after qualifying with the second fastest time in the nation and a Moravian record of 21.22 seconds.  The finals are scheduled for Saturday at 3:35 p.m.  Woodruff will run on the 100-meter dash trials on Friday at 4:10 p.m. in the second heat after qualifying fifth with a school record time of 10.59 seconds.  The finals for the 100-meter dash are Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Freshman Gary Zack (Canton, PA/Canton HS) is also making his first trip to the national championships to compete in the javelin throw.  Zack earned the 17th and final qualifying spot with a throw of 60.63 meters (198 feet, 11 inches) at last weekend’s ECAC Division III Championships.  Zack will be the seventh thrower in the second flight that begins competition on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.