Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director

DATE: Thurs., Feb. 21, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Track & Field

Hopson heads to SUNYAC meet with 2 titles to defend

FREDONIA, N.Y. -- Fredonia State junior Julia Hopson (Poughkeepsie/Arlington) will look to defend two indoor throwing championships at the SUNYAC championship meet Saturday in Geneva.

Named the outstanding women's field athlete at the 2007 meet, Hopson won the SUNYAC shot put and the 20-pound weight throw titles last winter. She enters the 2008 meet ranked No. 1 in the conference in both events.

In other women's events, sophomore Jackie Majka (Depew) is ranked No. 3 in the high jump, three centimeters behind the No. 1-ranked jumper. Majka will also participate in the triple jump and the long jump. Also, freshman Kate Brett (Webster/Webster-Schroeder) is in the Top 5 in the 55-meter hurdles and may also contend in the 200 meters.

Other potential point-getters are senior Nicole C. Smith (Amherst) in the 200 meters and the 400 meters, freshman Raelee Price (Franklinville) in the 400 meters, senior Samantha Ellwood (Hamburg) in the 5,000 meters, freshman Emma Gaskel (Cazenovia) in the ple vault, and freshman Amanda Button (Stanley/Marcus Whitman) in the shot put. The women's 4-by-400 meter relay team is also expected to contend while shooting for a season-best time.

Fredonia State men likely to be in the mix are junior Geoff Lesch-Wragge (Fredonia) in the 800 meters and sophomore Tom Williams (Queensbury) in the 3,000 meters. Both are ranked No. 3 in those respective events. "If they run their best race of the year," head coach Nolan Swanson said, "they could contend for a win."

Also, sophomore Mike Kelley (Geneseo), returning from a hamstring injury, will compete in the triple jump for the first time since December. In the throws, sophomore Steve Scherer (Hamburg/Frontier) and junior Zak Wallace (Stanley/Geneva) should be in the mix for points.

The annual meet will be held at Hobart and Williams Smith colleges starting at 9 p.m. Saturday.

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