New Hampshire’s David Benedetto (Alton, N.H.), Albany’s Jessica Ortman (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) and Vermont’s Carmen Lagala (Montpelier, Vt./Montpelier) are the America East Track Performers of the Week. Albany’s Freddie Wills (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) and Ritshell Verdier (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) are the America East Field Performers of the Week. The accolades were announced Tuesday (April 25).
At the Dartmouth Outdoor Invitational on Saturday, April 22, Benedetto won first place in both the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.02 seconds and the 400-meter hurdles in 56.17 seconds.
Ortman set a school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Albany Spring Classic last weekend. The freshman, who competed in the event for the first time as a collegian, posted a winning time of 10:55.15. The time was nearly a two-second improvement over the 2004 record. Ortman missed qualifying for the ECAC Championship by only 11-hundredths of a second in her first-ever attempt at the event. In her previous time out, Ortman broke her own Albany 800-meter standard and missed qualifying for the NCAA Regional by less than half a second.
Sophomore Carmen Lagala ran her record to 12-1 with a win in the 800-meters, posting a time of 2:10.37, and winning the race by five seconds over the second place finisher. Lagala’s only loss this year is a second place finish in the 200-meters, not a regular event for the Montpelier, Vermont native.
Wills finished in the top two in three jumping events at last weekend’s Albany Spring Classic. He won the high jump with a 6-4.25 leap. He also posted second-place finishes in both the long jump and triple jump. The freshman improved on his personal best by nearly two inches with a 23-0.5 long jump, finishing only 0.25-inches behind the winner. Wills also recorded a triple jump of 43-10.75 to finish second.
Verdier won both the discus and hammer throws at last weekend’s Albany Spring Classic, plus posted a second-place showing in the shot put. She hurled the hammer 121-0, establishing her best throw in the event as a collegian. In winning the discus, she recorded a throw of 137-6, nearly 58 feet better than her nearest competitor. The freshman notched a shot put throw of 39-8 in finishing less than a foot back of the winner.