(Posted May 3, 2001)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- The Juniata College men's and women's track and field teams journey to Gratham, Pennsylvania, this weekend for the 2001 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship. The conference outing will be hosted by Messiah College and will run Friday and Saturday. The Juniata will join those from nine other teams, who will vie for the men's and women's titles over the two-day championship. Most of Friday's track competition will rest in the trial heats, but most of the field events will have their trials and finals on the first day of action. Action will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Friday and conclude at 5:00 p.m., while Saturday will run from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

A total of 25 student-athletes (11 men and 14 women) have qualified to compete at the MAC championship for Juniata this year, including senior John Creuzberger (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg), who has earned the conference's shot put crown the past three seasons. Creuzberger will try to rewrite the conference record book and become the first competitor in MAC history to win a throwing event four consecutive years. In addition to the shot put, he has also qualified for the discus event as well.

The Juniata women's squad placed fourth last spring, while the Eagle men took fifth in the field a season ago. Both clubs have their sights set on top-five team finishes this weekend.

Other athletes on the men's side who qualified for action at this weekend's conference championship include: sophomore Shawn Chen (Punxsutawney/DuBois) (shot put); sophomore Noah Fredette (Weedsport/Weedsport, NY) (800, 1,500 meters); freshman Phil Haas (Elizabethtown/Hummelstown) (400, 800 meters); senior Scott Hobbie (The Hill School/Duncannon) (3,000-meter steeplechase); senior Josh Kline (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) (javelin, discus); sophomore Dusty Lehr (Bermudian Springs/New Oxford) (pole vault, high jump, 110-meter hurdles, 100, 200 meters); sophomore Sebastien Moisnard (Aalperiers/Dan, France) (3,000-meter steelpechase, 10,000 meters); junior Ashley Mort (Blue Mountain/Orwigsburg) (100, 200 meters); sophomore Scott Shacreaw (Blairsville/Black Lick) (javelin) and sophomore Nick Wolfe (McConnellsburg/McConnellsburg) (200, 400 meters, 400-meter intermediate hurdles).

Women's competitors from Juniata this weekend will be: junior Jenni Anderson (Dubuque/Dubuque, IA) (discus, javelin); sophomore Hillary Bright (Juniata Valley/Spruce Creek) (100 meters, long jump, triple jump); freshman Andrea Denkovich (Greencastle-Antrim/Greencastle) (discus, javelin); sophomore Melissa Flint (Port Allegany/Port Allegany) (high jump, 100-meter hurdles); freshman Misty Heuston (Central/Martinsburg) (high jump); freshman Juliana Hillegass (Shanksville Stonycreek/Shanksville) (400-meter intermediate hurdles); freshman Carol Longenecker (Harrisonburg/Harrisonburg, VA) (pole vault); senior Rebecca McMichael (Warrior Run/Danville) (javelin); freshman Stefanie Rynkewitz (Lewistown/Lewistown) (100, 200, 400 meters); sophomore Casey Shoup (Altoona/Altoona) (100 meters); junior Jessica Sprankle (Tyrone/Tyrone) (100-meter hurdles, 400-meter intermediate hurdles, 100 meters), senior Kristy Wagner (Dover/Dover) (triple jump, long jump, 400 meters, 100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles); and junior Toni Yorks (Indian Valley/Burnham) (200, 400 meters). Sprankle won the 100-meter hurdle title as a freshman in 1999.

Fourth-year head coach Jon Cutright will also enter a team in the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relay events on both the men's and women's side.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.