Men's Indoor Track and Field Preseason Poll (PDF)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The University at Albany’s men’s indoor track and field team has been unanimously voted to capture its fifth-straight championship title in the preseason coaches’ poll. The Great Danes garnered 64 points and received all eight possible first-place votes, as coaches weren’t allowed to vote for their own teams. The University of New Hampshire, which placed third at last year’s championship meet, earned second place in the poll, receiving the remaining first-place vote and 52 points.
Binghamton University placed third with 49 points after narrowly besting UNH for second at the 2009 Championship. UMBC claimed the fourth spot with 41 points, edging out Boston University (39 points) in the poll for the second-straight year. In sixth behind the Terriers is the University of Maine (29). University of Vermont (25), Stony Brook University (17) and University of Hartford (8) finished seventh, eighth and ninth in the poll.
Last year, UAlbany compiled a total of 211 points, posting a new conference championship record and besting their competition by 73 points. The Great Danes went on to win the IC4A Championship. Among those returning for the Great Danes is the 2009 championship’s Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet, senior Nasim Siddeeq (New Hampton, N.Y./Goshen Central/Robert Morris), who was also named the Northeast region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA. Siddeeq won the triple jump title with a championship meet record leap of 51 feet, 7.25 inches and posted an NCAA provisional mark. All-American senior Luke Schoen (Bohemia, N.Y./West Islip) will also be an asset to the Great Danes in their quest for a fifth title. Schoen was the America East pole vault champion and placed sixth at the NCAA Championships. UAlbany will also be led by senior runners Alie Beauvais (Hempstead, N.Y./Hempstead/Lincoln (Mo.)) and Aaron Lozier (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia/Hudson Valley C.C.). Beauvais won the 500-meter dash and was also a member of the 4x400-meter relay that claimed the conference title in championship record time. Lozier, a member of last year’s gold-medal distance medley relay, also captured the 800-meter title, making him a force for UAlbany in the mid-distance races. The Great Danes lose a few top runners to graduation, including hurdler Jean Juste, who captured the 55-meter hurdle title three years in a row, and Joe Greene, who placed second last year in the 400-meter with an NCAA provisional and school-record mark.
After finishing only five points out of second last year, New Hampshire is returning an experienced squad hungry for a championship title. The Wildcats will be led by junior Brice Paey (Milton, N.H./St. Thomas), who won the 2009 championship shot put and set an America East Championship record. Paey’s throw qualified him for the IC4A Championship where he placed fourth. Also returning for New Hampshire is senior runner William Brehm (Pembroke, N.H./Pembroke Academy), who claimed three top-three finishes at the conference championship in the 200, 400 and 4x400. Brehm also placed second in both the 200-meter and the 4x400-meter relay at the New England Indoor Championship last year. Sophomore William Godfrey (Merrimack, N.H./Merrimack) returns for the Wildcats a more experienced runner after placing second in the 500 at the 2009 championship and third as a member of the 4x400 relay. The Wildcats lose one of their leaders from last year’s championship Spencer Shaw, a record-setting long jumper, to graduation.
The Binghamton Bearcats will have the strong leadership of the 2009 Most Outstanding Track Performer, junior runner Cazal Arnett (Jamaica, N.Y./Christ the King), who compiled the most points on the men’s side to also earn the Coaches’ Award. Also the 2008 Most Outstanding Rookie, Arnett won two individual titles and claimed one second-place relay finish at last year’s championship. Arnett won the 200 and 400 for the second straight year. Arnett qualified for the IC4A in both races while also qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championship in the 400. Arnett went on to win the 400-meter at the IC4A Championship. Anchoring the 4x400 relay team, Arnett captured a second-place finish and another IC4A qualifying time. 2009 America East cross country champion junior Erik van Ingen (Marathon, N.Y./Marathon) will also be a top performer for the Bearcats after a successful fall. Van Ingen placed second in the mile at last year’s indoor championship and should be a force for Binghamton in the distance races. The Bearcats add 24 freshmen to their squad.
UMBC comes in at fourth in the poll after a fourth-place finish at last year’s championship meet. Among the Retrievers’ returners is runner senior Keith Brown (Columbia, Md./McDonough), who earned silver in the 55-meter hurdles behind Albany’s Jean Juste, who graduated to leave the field open. Also a top returner for UMBC is junior Victor Gilreath (Catonsville, Md./Western Tech/Maryland), who broke a school record in the triple jump with an NCAA provisionally-qualifying mark and won the high jump. Senior Dominic Devaud (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) will also be valuable to UMBC after winning gold in the heptathlon at the 2009 conference meet. Devaud went on to place fifth at the IC4A meet. The 4x400 relay team, with all 2009 members returning, will also look to improve on its fourth-place finish at the America East Championship.
Edged out of fourth in the poll by two points, Boston U. finishes fifth. The Terriers lose David Proctor to graduation after he won the mile run and helped the 4x800 relay team race to victory. Returning for the Terriers from that 4x800 record-setting relay team are sophomore Balint Horvath (Budapest, Hungary) and senior Jeff Moreau (Hanson, Mass.), who placed second and third at the meet in the 800, respectively. Horvath and Moreau went on to finish fourth and eighth in the event at the New England Championship. Also returning for Boston U. is junior Dan Withrow (Dedham, Mass.), who was the runner-up in the shot put at the conference meet and placed fourth at the New England Championship.
Maine is predicted to finish sixth, but returns the 2009 Most Outstanding Rookie, sophomore Riley Masters (Bangor, Maine/Bangor). Masters claimed the 3,000-meter title last year in IC4A-qualifying time, however, he didn’t compete at the end of the 2009 cross country season due to injury. Sophomore Brian Martel (Uxbridge, Mass./Nipmuc Regional) also returns for Maine. During his freshman year, he claimed the 1,000-meter heptatholon title. The Black Bear squad returns a young squad with only 10 upperclassmen and 14 freshmen.
The Vermont team will be led by senior Aaron Campbell (Bend, Ore./Summit), who last year became the first male Catamount runner to win the 55-meter race. Also returning for Vermont is senior Jared Alvord (Plainfield, Mass./Mohawk Trail Regional), who claimed a top-three finish in the heptathlon last year, and senior Doug Maisey (Gwynedd Valley, Pa./Wissahickon), who will be an asset to the team in the distance races after finishing third at this year’s cross country championship. The Catamounts lose Colin Lyons, who qualified last year for the IC4A Championship in the 1,000-meter.
Among the returners for the Stony Brook squad are seniors Alex Felce (Stroud, England/Archway Comp.), Daire Bermingham (Portmarnock, Ireland/Sutton Park) and Tim Hodge (Tawa, New Zealand/Victoria University). Felce finished third in the 1,000-meter at the IC4A Championship meet while Bermingham finished third at the conference meet in the mile. Hodge claimed a second-place finish for the Seawolves in the 3,000-meter with an IC4A-qualifying time.
Hartford returns its top runner from last year, sophomore Andrew Chalmers (Ashland, N.H./Plymouth Regional), who broke two school records in his rookie indoor season. Chalmers returns as a more experienced runner and looks to improve on his championship finishes from last year.
The 2010 America East Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held at Boston University Track & Tennis Center on February 19-20.
2009 Preseason Poll
Rank Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. Albany (8) 64
2. New Hampshire (1) 52
3. Binghamton 49
4. UMBC 41
5. Boston University 39
6. Maine 29
7. Vermont 25
8. Stony Brook 17
9. Hartford 8