Spence tries to repeat for Shippensburg
By Jack Pfeifer
Mychael Fabio has qualified for the NCAA Division II national championships this weekend. He will run the 400 for Adelphi, thanks to his season’s best of 47.09. The meet will be Thursday through Saturday in Charlotte, N.C. Fabio, a sophomore, graduated from Walt Whitman H.S. on Long Island.
In the women’s division, Pennsylvanian Neely Spence will try to defend her national championship in the 5,000, but she will have her hands full against Tanya Zeferjahn, of the host city’s Queens University
Spence, a sophomore, has won the Div. II outdoor title in 2009 and the indoor title this past winter. Her lifetime best of 16:13.01 came in winning the New Balance Collegiate Invitational 5k at the Armory in February. She ran her outdoor PR, 16:13.34, last month at the Penn Relays. That puts Spence second on the seasonal Division II list, behind Zeferjahn, who has run 16:03.51. Zeferjahn is entered in both the 5,000 and 10,000 this weekend.
Zeferjahn, 25, is a graduate student at Queens but technically has four years of eligibility, under Div. II rules. (She would have no eligibility in Division I.) That is because she is a graduate of California State University at San Bernardino, which does not have a track program. Zeferjahn is a native of Hesperia, Calif.
A number of other Pennsylvania colleges have entries in the Div. II meet:
Lock Haven Chris Edelman 400 (46.57), Nick Hilton steeple (9:05.34)
East Stroudsburg Men: Negus Graham 400 (46.64), from East Stroudsburg South; 40.79 4x1; Matthew Gallup pole vault (4.95), from Central Dauphin; Drew Miller long jump (7.31), triple jump (15.46), from Lewisburg; Paul Wagner hammer (61.94), from Hopewell Valley, N.J.; Josh Hontz javelin (61.55), from Jim Thorpe; women: Lynn Mayer (Sayreville, N.J.) and Janelle Smith (Schuykill Haven), both 1.77 high jump.
California Men: Frank Ehrensberger 400 (47.02), Alex Smith 800 (1:51.54), Brice Myers highs (14.36); women: Clare McSweeney 800 (2:08.75), 3:48.20 4x4
Edinboro Men: Kyle Wunz 400 (47.05), Jason Borst 400 hurdles (52.40); woman: Tina Yi 10k (34:50.62)
Indiana Men: Leander Toney HJ (2.10), Nafee Harris LJ (7.49); women: Maddy Outman 100H (13.70), IH (60.15), LJ (6.09), hep (5182); Brianna Liebold LJ (5.97), Tamika Taylor LJ (5.92)
Kutztown Men: Kori Meshaw IH (52.71), Justin Germani PV (4.97), Jack Iouse Jav (61.05); woman: Keri Brown 800 (2:12.80), 1500 (4:34.32)
Mansfield Men: Mike Gray DT (51.59); Women: Brenae Edwards 5k (16:43.56)
Shippensburg Men: Joshua Neyhart 1500 (3:48.96), Josh Hostetler jav (62.28); women: Erica Hess 400 (55.33), Amanda Radabaugh 800 (2:09.10), Abigail Huber 1500 (4:28.18), Mary Dell steeple (10:26.90), Megan Breski PV (3.77), and Spence
Slippery Rock Amanda Seigworth 100H (14.19), 400H (59.48), Jen Hansen PV (4.02), Kim Stitt TJ (12.00)
Clarion Kim Hanslovan jav (47.69)
Cheyney Stephanie Orji TJ (12.21)
Elsewhere in the Northeast, Bowie State of Maryland has the top-ranked long jumper, William Bailey (24.11), and second-ranked high jumper, Aaron Johnson (7-0 ½). Southern Connecticut has a good men’s 4x4 (3:09.93) and female hurdler, Letecia Taylor (14.06/61.45).