ESU's Championship Page | Schedule of Events | Heat Sheets
East Stroudsburg University's Koehler Fieldhouse will serve as the host for the 8th annual PSAC Indoor Track & Field championships on Saturday and Sunday, February 28-March 1. The two-day tournament will also feature events being held in Zimbar Gymnasium, where the throwing events will be held.
One-day and two-day passes will be offered for admission and will be valid in both facilities. Tickets are $7 for adults for one day and $12 for both days and $2 (one day) and $3 (both days) for children. Students from PSAC schools will admitted for free with a student ID.
Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday with the first event to start at 1:00 p.m. Doors will open at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday with the first events schedule to started at 10:30 a.m. The awards ceremony is scheduled to tentatively start at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday.
Participating teams in the indoor track & field championships include Bloomsburg, California (Pa.), Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, IUP, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester. League newcomers Gannon and Mercyhurst do not sponsor indoor track & field.
Women
Slippery Rock is the two-time defending champions of this event, which includes an outright win in 2007 and a tie with Shippensburg in 2008. Prior to that, Kutztown won three straight from 2004-06 while Lock Haven won the first two editions of the championship in 2002 and 2003. The Rock returns a pair of last year's individual event champions this year in Whitney Hendershot (high jump) and Jennifer Hansen (Slippery Rock). All together, The Rock will have 30 women competing at the event.
Also expected to contend for the women's championship is Shippensburg, whose strength is in the distance events. It's distance medley relay team shattered the PSAC record earlier this year and its 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams are the defending champions. Also aiding the Lady Raider cause is returning 400-meter champion Erica Hess.
Other defending champions from last year that are returning to the championships this year include Priscilla Jennings of Millersville (Mile), Andrea Kellock of Bloomsburg (3,000 meters), C.J. Jacob of West Chester (Long Jump), Trina Carito of East Stroudsburg (Triple Jump) and JaKia Gumby of Lock Haven (Shot Put).
Men
Slippery Rock became the first school other than Lock Haven or Shippensburg to win a PSAC men's indoor track & field championship last year. The Rock won the team title despite taking first place in just two individual events. Only one of those individuals returns this year to defend his title, that being Jeff Weiss in the 3000 meters.
The Rock should have some stiff competition if it is to hold onto its title this year from both Lock Haven and Shippensburg. Both teams are strong in the distance events, with Lock Haven being the defending champion in the 4x800 relay. That was the Red Raiders' only individual championship last year, whilc Shippensburg also featured just one champion last year as well in the long jump, and that individual does not return this year. Cheyney is also expected to strong in the sprints, while California (Pa.) features Chris Clark, the defending champion in the 5000 meters. Host East Stroudsburg also features four individual defending champions.
Other defending champions returning to defend their title this year are Cody Hartzler of Kutztown (High Jump), and a quartet of East Stroudsburg field athletes including Drew Miller (Triple Jump), Matthew Gallup (Pole Vault), Paul Wagner (Weight Throw) and Kenneth Cardullo (Pentathlon).