(Posted February 24, 2007)

SELINSGROVE, Pa. - For the second-consecutive year the Juniata College men\'s and women\'s indoor track and field teams earned finishes in the top half of the conference field as both teams placed fifth in the 10-team MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships held at Susquehanna on Saturday. The men accumulated 55 points, 15 points ahead of the sixth place team, while Juniata\'s women finished the day with 45 points edging sixth-place DeSales University by one point. On the women\'s side the Eagles did its damage primarily in the relays on the track, and then earned points with high finishes in the jumps. Kelsey Buffenmyer (Donegal/Mount Joy) had the only win for Juniata on the day as she cleared 1.57 meters to earn a victory in the high jump. She then added a third-place finish to give Juniata six points in the long jump. In the track events, Elena Amato (Notre Dame Prep./Baltimore, Md.) was Juniata\'s top performer as she raced to a second-place finish in the 400. Also scoring points individually was Lauren Gates (Bishop Guilfoyle/Altoona) who crossed the line sixth in the 5,000 and Melissa Johnson (John F. Kennedy/Colonia, N.J.) was fifth in the 55-meter dash. Juniata then piled up points in the relay events as the Blue and Gold posted fourth-place finishes or better in each of the four relays. The top finish came in the 4x200 as Johnson, Buffenmyer, Amato and Caitlin Hinson (Danville/Danville) raced to a third-place finish. Each of the other three relays finished fourth, beginning with Johnson, Hinson, Amato and Cassie Majocha (Burrell/Upper Burrell) crossing the line fourth in the 4x400. In the 4x800 Laura Rupprecht (Brunswick/Jefferson, Md.), Lia Bella (Morris Catholic/Rockaway, N.J.), Melissa Gorman (Acton-Boxborough/Boxborough, Mass.) and Megan Peterson (Canton/Canton) were the fourth-place team. Then in the distance medley Majocha joined Bella, Gorman and Rupprecht to earn another fourth-place effort. As it has done throughout the indoor season, the Juniata men got the bulk of their points in the sprints and jumping events. The team was led by Randy Anderson (DuBois/DuBois) who earned two victories and added a third-place individual finish on the day. The senior won the 55-meter dash, posting an MAC record time of 6.42, which also improves on his NCAA provisional qualifying time. Anderson also won the long jump on the day, and added a second-place finish in the 200. Dusty Sier (Smithsburg/Smithsburg, Md.) was fourth behind Anderson in the 55, while Matthew Booth (Allentown Central Catholic/Allentown) was third in the long jump. Booth also placed third in the triple jump, earning Juniata another six points. Also earning points on the track was Tripp Rudolph (Upper St. Clair) who raced to a fourth-place finish in the 800. Freshman TJ Breya (East Juniata/McClure) also picked up points with his sixth-place finish in the 400. Rudolph was also a member of a pair of Juniata relays that both captured fourth-place finishes. The team of Rudolph, Jason Hoover (Brandywine/Wilmington, Del.), Eric Hoover (Brandywine/Wilmington, Del.) and Shawn Rumery (Thornton Academy/Dayton, Maine) placed fourth in the 4x800 relay. Rumery, Rudolph and Eric Hoover were then joined by Matthew Bailey (Hempfield/East Petersburg) to post a fourth-place finish in the distance medley relay. The Eagles will now wait and see if any of their athletes qualify for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships which will begin March 9. ###

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