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EAST STROUDSBURG – Junior Danielle Smith (100m dash), junior Damien Boham (400m) and sophomore Seth Bailey (high jump) are all returning champions as East Stroudsburg University competes in the 2014 PSAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will be held Thursday through Saturday at Shippensburg.

ESU's men's and women's teams are both coming off second-place finishes at the PSAC Indoor Championships in late February, their best combined finish since 1979, and will look for strong team performances with both squads fielding several title contenders.

Two Warriors have the PSAC's best marks entering the weekend in Boham in the 400m (47.95) and junior Travis Toth in the hammer throw (190-1).

Toth is coming off the PSAC indoor title in the weight throw and was the runner-up in the hammer last spring. His PSAC-leading mark is ranked 15th in Division II and leads ESU's nine NCAA provisional qualifiers. Boham is the returning outdoor 400m champ and has three runner-up finishes, including the indoor season.

The women's 4x800m relay also has the PSAC's top time, running 9:33.60 on Saturday at the Penn Relays. The group, led by senior Kim Wernerspach, won the PSAC indoor title two months ago.

Smith has won seven PSAC titles in her first five championships, including both the 60m dash and 200m indoors this year. She is the two-time defending champion in the 100m dash, won the 200m outdoors as a freshman and was runner-up last year. She is ranked in the PSAC's top four in the 100m (12.21), 200m (25.08) and 400m (55.75) entering the PSAC's.

Smith's seven career PSAC championships are tied for the most in school history with distance standout Sue Carden, who won the first four PSAC championships contested in the 5000m (1979-82) and the 10,000m title her last three years.

Bailey has won the last two PSAC titles contested in the men's high jump and is coming off an All-America, third-place finish at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in March.

Junior Christina O'Connor, a 2013 indoor All-American, has won PSAC indoor titles in the women's high jump and was tied for second as a freshman for her best career outdoor finish. She ranks 3rd in the conference with an NCAA provisional of 5-6 this spring.

Senior Elizabeth Madden will look to add to her back-to-back PSAC titles in the indoor weight throw as she competes in the hammer, where she is 8th in the PSAC at 155-7. She was eighth as a freshman for her only scoring performance in the event, and won the weight title in February with a school-record mark of 55-3 1/2.

Senior Theresa Horn earned the PSAC pentathlon title during the indoor season and takes the conference's 8th-best mark in the heptathlon into the outdoor championships. She is an eight-time PSAC scorer and has scored in both multi's as a sophomore and junior.

Other top contenders include senior Keith Parker-Washington, a 17-time PSAC scorer (seven individuals, 10 relays), who has been part of four PSAC championship relays and is pursuing his first individual title. He is ranked 2nd in the conference in the 100m (10.84) and 4th in the 200m (22.05), where he placed second outdoors last spring.

Sophomore William Berry, an NCAA qualifier indoors in the high jump, has the PSAC's 2nd-best mark outdoors with an NCAA provisional 6-8 3/4. He was the runner-up to Bailey indoors and has placed in the top three in each of his first three PSAC championships.

ESU has two standout freshmen hurdlers in Steven Morgan and Ronald D'Eliseo. Morgan was the indoor runner-up in the 60m hurdles and has the PSAC's No. 2 time in the 110m hurdles in 14.81 seconds. D'Eliseo ranks 3rd in the 110m hurdles (14.85) and 2nd in the 400m hurdles (53.26), an NCAA provisional time.

Juniors Mike Smith and Casey Ciaston join ESU's strong men's throwing contingent. Smith is 3rd in the shot put (52-0 1/2) and 7th in the hammer (167-2). Ciaston is 3rd in the discus (159-9) entering the weekend.

ESU's nine NCAA provisional marks have been turned in by Toth in the hammer, Boham in the 400m, D'Eliseo in the 400m hurdles, senior Chris Schneider in the 5000m, Berry in the high jump, sophomore Thomas Freid in the javelin, Danielle Smith in the 400m, O'Connor in the high jump and sophomore Kirsten Muhaw in the pole vault.

On the team side, ESU's men have been the PSAC runner-up in six of the 10 championships contested since the 2009 outdoor season. The Warriors, who have 14 runner-up finishes in school history (11 outdoors), are looking for their first PSAC title in indoor or outdoor track and field and have finished in the top four in 14 of the last 15 meets.

The women have been runner-up in two of the last four championships (2012 outdoors, 2014 indoors) and were fifth outdoors a year ago. They have produced top-five finishes in 14 of the last 15 PSAC Championships since 2007.

Profiles of ESU's top individual qualifiers are below:


Women's Top Qualifiers

Danielle Smith (junior): ranked 4th in 100m (12.21, April 19 at ESU), 3rd in 200m (25.08, April 12 at Moravian) and 2nd in 400m (55.75, April 12 at Moravian – school record) … NCAA provisional qualifier in 400m … 7-time PSAC champion … won 100m (12.10) outdoors last year … won 100m (12.00) and 200m (24.60) outdoors as a freshman in 2012 … PSAC indoor champion in 60m dash (7.68) and 200m (25.32) this winter … won 60m (7.66) and 200m (25.04) indoors as a sophomore … 10-time PSAC individual scorer.

Colleen Murphy (senior): ranked 7th in 400m (57.73, April 12 at Moravian) … 6-time PSAC scorer in relays, including three that placed 3rd in the conference … looking for first individual scoring performance.

Lauren Toth (freshman): ranked 11th in 800m (2:19.61, April 12 at Moravian – ESU freshman record) … ran 3rd leg on PSAC indoor champion 4x800m relay.

Kim Wernerspach (senior): ranked 5th in 1500m (4:41.11, April 12 at Bucknell) … also qualified 17th in 800m (2:20.67, April 5 at Muhlenberg) and 22nd in 5000m (18:11.78, March 22 at Washington & Lee) … 5-time PSAC individual scorer … during indoor season, was 5th in mile, 8th in 3000m and anchored PSAC champion 4x800 relay … 4th in 1500 (4:40.28) outdoors as a junior … NCAA Division II national qualifier in cross country in the fall.

Chelsea Conover (sophomore): ranked 10th in 10,000m (38:46.56, April 12 at Bucknell) … looking for first career PSAC scoring performance.

Brittany Callahan (senior): ranked 9th in 3000m steeplechase (11:33.63, April 12 at Bucknell) … looking for first career PSAC scoring performance.

Christina O'Connor (junior): ranked 3rd in high jump (5-6, April 5 at Muhlenberg and April 19 at ESU) … mark is NCAA provisional and 21st in DII … 2-time PSAC indoor champion, clearing 5-7 indoors … tied for 4th outdoors last spring … 2-time NCAA qualifier and 2013 All-America with 6th-place finish … placed 4th indoors and t-2nd outdoors as a freshman.

Kirsten Muhaw (sophomore): ranked 4th in pole vault (11-11 3/4, April 12 at Moravian – school record) … mark is NCAA provisional and 33rd in DII … tied for 6th indoors for her first career scoring performance.

Laura Beimfohr (senior): ranked 8th in pole vault (11-5 3/4, April 19 at ESU and April 26 at Lehigh) … 5-time PSAC scorer, placing 3rd three times in her career … t-3rd outdoors as a sophomore in 2012.

Julia Molloy (sophomore): ranked 11th in pole vault (10-11 3/4, at Moravian, ESU and Lehigh) … looking for first PSAC scoring performance.

Tirzah Johnson (sophomore): ranked 12th in triple jump (36-3, April 19 at ESU) … placed 4th indoors with mark of 37-4 … 6th outdoors as a freshman.

Elizabeth Madden (senior): ranked 8th in hammer (155-7, April 19 at ESU) … 2-time PSAC indoor champion in weight throw, including school-record 55-3 1/2 in February … 5-time PSAC scorer (4 times in weight) … placed 8th in hammer as a freshman … member of ESU volleyball in the fall.

Victoria Elefther (sophomore): ranked 11th in javelin (123-7, April 19 at ESU) … looking for first PSAC scoring performance.

Theresa Horn (senior): ranked 8th in heptathlon (3,985, March 20-21 at Charlotte) … also 12th in high jump (5-2 1/4 at Charlotte) … returning PSAC indoor champion in pentathlon … 7-time PSAC scorer (5 times in multis, 2 times in high jump) … 5th in heptathlon as junior and 3rd as a sophomore.

Brandie Tartza (freshman): ranked 13th in heptathlon (3,804, April 10-11 at Kutztown) … placed 4th in pentathlon at indoor championships.


Men's Top Qualifiers

Keith Parker-Washington (senior): ranked 2nd in 100m (10.84, April 5 at Muhlenberg) and 4th in 200m (22.05, March 22 at Washington & Lee) … 17-time PSAC scorer (7 individual events) … placed 8th in 200 during indoor season … scored in 4 events outdoors last year – 2nd in 200m (21.61), 8th in long jump and 2nd in both 4x1 and 4x4 relays … has won 4 PSAC relay titles – 4x400 2013 indoors, 2011 indoors, 2011 outdoors, and 4x100 2012 outdoors … part of 5 runner-up relays.

Damien Boham (junior): ranked 1st in 400m (47.95, April 12 at Moravian) … also 16th in 800m (1:56.22, April 19 at ESU) … 400m time is NCAA provisional qualifier and ranks 25th in DII … returning PSAC champion in 400m (47.66) last spring … has 3 career runner-up finishes, including 400m indoors this year (48.99) … 2nd indoors as sophomore and outdoors as freshman … 11-time PSAC scorer (4 individual events).

Chris Schneider (senior): ranked 7th in 800m (1:54.83, April 19 at ESU), 7th in 1500m (3:53.72, April 12 at Bucknell) and 6th in 5000m (14:36.99, April 24 at Penn Relays – school record and NCAA provisional) … has 7 career PSAC scoring performances (3 individual, 4 relays) … placed 3rd in 3000m (8:39.60) and 5000m (15:03.57) during indoor season … looking for first career outdoor scoring performance … 2-time All-PSAC and All-Region, and member of 2012 NCAA qualifying team in cross country.

Steve Ruch (junior): ranked 8th in 3000m steeplechase (9:45.55, March 29 at Lafayette) … placed 6th in PSAC in mile indoors and ran on 6th-place DMR … also ran on scoring 4x8 relay at 2012 indoor championships as a freshman.

Steven Morgan (freshman): ranked 2nd in 110m hurdles (14.81, April 19 at ESU) … placed 2nd in 60m hurdles indoors (8.34).

Ronald D'Eliseo (freshman): ranked 3rd in 110m hurdles (15.16, April 19 at ESU) and 2nd in 400m hurdles (53.26, April 12 at Moravian) … 400m hurdles time is NCAA provisional qualifier and ranks 28th in DII … 4th in 60m hurdles indoors (8.46) and ran on 2nd-place 4x4 relay.

Adam Robertino (sophomore): ranked 6th in 110m hurdles (15.16, April 19 at ESU) and 15th in 400m hurdles (56.83, April 12 at Moravian) … placed 8th in 60m hurdles indoors for first career scoring performance.

Derrick Washington (sophomore): ranked 7th in 400m hurdles (54.42, April 5 at Muhlenberg) and 10th in 110m hurdles (15.41, April 19 at ESU) … placed 6th in PSAC in 400m during indoor season … member of 2nd-place 4x4 relay as a freshman in 2012.

Seth Bailey (sophomore): ranked 6th in high jump (6-6, April 5 at Muhlenberg) … also 12th in 100m (11.08, April 19 at ESU) … 2-time PSAC champion in high jump … won indoors with mark of 6-9 3/4, before tying school record 6-11 3/4 to place 3rd in DII and earn All-America honors … NCAA DII outdoor qualifier last year … won PSAC title at 6-10 1/4.

William Berry (sophomore): ranked 2nd in high jump (6-8 3/4, April 5 at Muhlenberg) … also 15th in triple jump (43-7, also at Muhlenberg) … high jump mark is NCAA provisional, tied for 22nd in DII … NCAA indoor qualifier … placed 2nd indoors (6-8 3/4) … 3rd outdoors as a freshman (6-6 3/4) … tied for 3rd indoors as a freshman (6-6 3/4) … 5-time PSAC scorer (3 individual, 2 relay) – placing in the top 3 in all 5 events … member of PSAC indoor 4x4 champion relay as a freshman.

Patrick Rynearson (sophomore): ranked 5th in pole vault (14-11, April 26 at Lehigh) … looking for first PSAC scoring performance.

Corey Smith (sophomore): ranked 11th in pole vault (14-5 1/2, April 19 at ESU) … placed 4th indoors (14-9 1/2) for first career scoring performance.

Travis Toth (junior): ranked 1st in hammer (190-1, April 5 at Muhlenberg) … NCAA provisional mark ranks 15th in DII … threw 187-2 at Penn Relays last week in only other competition this spring … PSAC indoor champion and NCAA qualifier in weight throw (60-10) in February … 2nd in hammer as a sophomore (184-10) and 5th as a freshman … 4-time PSAC scorer … NCAA outdoor qualifier in hammer last spring.

Mike Smith (junior): ranked 3rd in shot put (52-0 1/2, April 5 at Muhlenberg) and 7th in hammer (167-2, March 29 at Lafayette) … 2-time PSAC scorer indoors in weight throw, placing 4th this year and 5th as a sophomore.

Casey Ciaston (junior): ranked 3rd in discus (159-9, April 19 at ESU), 12th in hammer (162-5, April 19 at ESU) and 13th in shot put (46-8 1/2, April 12 at Moravian) … placed 4th in discus (140-3) last spring … 7th in shot put indoors this year.

Levi Haldeman (sophomore): ranked 10th in discus (143-0, April 26 at Lehigh) … placed 7th (138-4) as a freshman.

Thomas Freid (sophomore): ranked 7th in javelin (190-4, April 12 at Moravian) … mark is NCAA provisional and 34th in DII … placed 7th (188-9) as a freshman.