Butler grad Melanie Buczko, a freshman on the Bucknell University women's track and field team, tied teammate Angie Hall with a Bison record 12 feet, 3½ inches in the pole vault at last Saturday's Patriot League Outdoor Championships.

Hall received the gold medal since she made the height in fewer attempts. The Bison won the conference title in the process.

Nick Novotny, a freshman on the men's team from Saxonburg, was a member of the 400-meter relay team that placed third.

Bucknell placed third in the championships.

Justin Shepherd, a freshman at Bloomsburg University, received the Cross Country Team MVP Award at last week's year-end banquet.Shepherd, a graduate of Seneca Valley, emerged as the team's top runner in his first collegiate season.He placed eighth at the PSAC Championship to earn All-PSAC honors and he placed 16th at the NCAA regionals.

Nate Snodgrass, Grant Foley and Bobby Swarthout, three area fifth-graders on the AAU Pittsburgh JOTS basketball team, helped to defeat Westmoreland County 37-32 in the Western Pennsylvania qualifier.The team has qualified for nationals, which begin later this month.

The Clarion University track and field team has 19 qualifiers headed to the PSAC Championships so far, four of whom are Butler County area athletes.Sarah Rodgers (Moniteau), Carrie Bullman (Karns City) and Jessica Crouch (Knoch) qualified for the women's championships, while Zac Shekell (A-C Valley) could run in the men's finals.Rodgers will compete in the 800 (2 minutes, 24.2 seconds) and 1,500 (5:03.7), and Bullman and Crouch will compete in in the javelin (142 feet, 3 inches and 131-4, respectively).Shekell is a member of the Clarion 1,600-meter relay team (3:34.71). The squad qualifies as a school and the final members will be chosen at the event. Shekell is one of five candidates to make up the final four.