Syracuse University
Penn State National Open
Third Straight BIG EAST Award for Orange
2/4/2009 7:35:51 PM | Track and Field
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Junior multi-athlete Jon Buice was named the BIG EAST Male Field Athlete of the Week for his record-breaking performance in the heptathlon at the Penn State National Open on Saturday, Jan. 30-31.
Buice one of the most heralded athletes in Happy Valley, not only taking first place, but resetting last year's old mark in the heptathlon for a new Orange school record. Buice's two-day total of 5,259 points is a new Syracuse standard in the men's indoor heptathlon; the old benchmark was his own score he set last season with 5,068 points.
On Friday, Buice racked up two first-place finishes, a third-place showing and a fourth-place finish. Buice won the long jump crown with a leap of 6.66m and the high jump title with an IC4A-mark of 2.07m. On Saturday, Buice scored a second, third and eighth place finish to hold onto the victory by a 96-point margin. Buice picked up second with a BIG EAST-qualifying time of 8.41 in the 60-meter hurdles and third in the pole vault with a spring of 4.30m.
The Elmira, N.Y. native's decoration marks Syracuse's third-consecutive BIG EAST recognition.
Last week, junior distance runner Brad Miller garnered the honor for NCAA-Automatic qualifying, school-record time of 4:00.19 on Jan. 24 at the Boston University Terrier Invitational.
Prior to Miller's acknowledgment, sophomore transfer Jarret Eaton was bestowed with the honor for eliciting an NCAA Provisional-qualifying mark in the 55-meter hurdles with a second-place showing of 7.31at SU's Welcome Back Meet at Manley Field House.
Buice's achievement joins the ranks of conference allies in Connecticut's Michael Rutt (BIG EAST Men's track Athlete of the Week), Villanova's Frances Koons (BIG EAST Female Track Athlete of the Week) and St. John's Priscilla Frederick (BIG EAST Female Field Athlete of the Week).
This weekend, the Orange will not only cover its home base at Manley Field House but spread out its talent to New York City and Maryland on Friday and Saturday.
SU will host the Syracuse Invitational at Manley Field House on Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7. Thus far, Brockport, Cobleskill, Colgate, Cortland, Erie CC, Geneseo, Hamilton, Mohawk Valley, Oneonta, Oswego, Plattsburgh, Rochester, RIT and Union College are all slated to partake in the two-day event. The competition is set to commence at 3:00 pm on Friday and will continue all day on Saturday. This weekend's occasion at Manley Field House will be the final event hosted by the Orange this season.
The Orange will also compete at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational staged at the highly-acclaimed Armory Track located on 168th Street in Manhattan. The New Balance Invite is a two-day event on Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 and is considered one of the most elite indoor track & field competitions. Syracuse will test its sprinting corps against the country's finest, with Friday's events set to go off at 11:45 am and Saturday's first gun will sound at 9:00 am.
Head coach Chris Fox will bring some of his up and coming distance talent to the 2009 USA Cross Country Championships in Derwood, Md. on Saturday, Feb. 7. The men's contigent will be challenged with an 8K event while the women will face a 6K test to round out the trio of events the Orange will embark upon this weekend.
