Bush, Pugh to Represent MSU at USATF National Championships
6/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
June 25, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. - After successful seasons in 2009, two Michigan State track & field student-athletes - Nicole Bush (Wyoming, Mich.) and Lonnie Pugh (Grosse Ile, Mich.) - will continue their summer training at the USA Track & Field (USATF) National Championships, held in Eugene, Ore., from June 25-28. Bush will compete in the women's 3,000m steeplechase at 10:20 p.m. (ET) while Pugh will throw in the junior men's discus at 12:45 p.m. (ET) and the junior men's hammer throw at 8:20 p.m. (ET); all three events are scheduled for tomorrow (June 26). Both Bush and Pugh were Big Ten Champions in their respective events and were NCAA National Championship qualifiers.
Bush has had one of the most storied careers in MSU track & field history. As a senior, Bush earned her third All-America honor in the 3,000m steeplechase after finishing as the national runner up at the NCAA Championships earlier this month. Bush enters the USATF National Championships as the fourth seed in the event with her personal-best mark of 9:39.38, which was clocked at the Stanford Payton Jordan Invitational earlier this season. At that time, her mark was the second-fastest in the world, fifth-fastest ever by a collegiate athlete and a school record. In addition to her All-America honor, Bush has earned plenty of accolades in 2009. She was a first team All-Big Ten honoree, selected as the recipient of the George Alderton MSU Female Athlete of the Year and was named Big Ten Female Track Athlete of the Week after setting her personal-best time in the 3,000m steeplechase this season. She was also the Big Ten runner up in the 5,000m run and she set personal-best times in the 5,000m run and the 1,500m run as well in 2009. Bush holds school records in the both the 3,000m steeplechase (9:39.38) and the 5,000m run (15:54.26).
Jennifer Barringer of Colorado, and Anna Willard and Lindsey Anderson, who both run for Nike, are the only three athletes seeded ahead of Bush in the event. Anderson barley edged Bush at Stanford earlier this season and Bush came in second to Barringer at the NCAA Championships.
Pugh, who as a true freshman, had one of the most memorable seasons for a Spartan thrower in 2009. After redshirting during the indoor season, Pugh made an impact early in the season, shattering the school record in the discus in just his second meet as a Spartan. His mark of 56.33m (184-10) broke the previous record, which was set last season by Anthony Agrusa. Pugh was not finished as he went on to win the Big Ten discus title - becoming the first Spartan thrower on the men's side to ever take home a Big Ten title - and shattered his own school record again at the NCAA Mideast Regional with a toss of 58.65m (192-5), qualifying him for the NCAA Championships. Pugh placed 14th nationally and was highest finisher of any freshman in the event. Pugh is seeded eighth in his event and will also throw in the hammer at this weekend's competition.
For a complete recap of tomorrow's action, check back with www.msuspartans.com.
Players Mentioned
