CAMBRIDGE, Mass.— Four UMBC indoor track and field student-athletes earned performer of the week honors to kick off 2011 portion of the season. For the men, sophomore sprinter Trae Proctor (Brandywine, Md./Thomas Stone) took Track Performer of the Week honors while freshman Mo Drammeh (Frederick, Md./Thomas Johnson) earned the Field Performer of the Week nod. On the women’s side, freshman Kirsten Jones (Brentwood, Tenn./M.L.K. Magnet) ran to Track Performer of the Week accolades while Field Performer of the Week recognition went to sophomore Amanda Deller (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen).
Proctor won the 60-meter hurdles at the Gulden Relays Saturday in an IC4A-qualifying time of 8.21. The sophomore also was a member of the first-place shuttle hurdles relay, which posted a time of 32.73.
Drammeh won the high jump at the Gulden Relays Saturday, hitting a height of 1.99m, while also placing third in the triple jump with a leap of 12.39m.
Jones won her first collegiate event, the 500-meter dash at the Gulden Relays, in a time of 1:18.39. The freshman was also a part of the 4x400-meter relay that placed second with a time of 4:03.66.
Deller won the shot put at the Gulden Relays with a throw of 14.06 meters, a season-best for any America East thrower. The sophomore also placed second in the weight throw with a heave of 15.98m. This is Deller’s second Field Performer of the Week honor this season.
University at Albany opened its 2011 indoor track schedule at Army’s Carlton Crowell Open at Gillis Field House in West Point, N.Y., on January 7-8. The event was a non-scoring meet. The Great Dane men were led by freshman Matt Catera (Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy), who finished second in the heptathlon with 4,637 points. Catera’s performance included a second-place leap of 6.52 meters in the long jump. His 4,637 points were good for the fourth-highest point total in the heptathlon in school history. Sophomore Sean Cooper (Montgomery, N.Y./John S. Burke Catholic) totaled 4,613 points to finish just behind Catera in third. Cooper was first in the pentathlon’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.80 seconds and recorded the fifth-highest point total ever by a Great Dane. For the women, Ashley Mahlmeister (Unadilla, N.Y./Sidney) placed second in the pentathlon with 3,171 points, the fifth-highest total in Albany history. In the heptathlon, Mahlmeister won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.11 seconds and the long jump with a mark of 5.44 meters. Freshman Kelsey Hanson (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) took fourth place with 3,124 points. Hanson was third in both the 60-meter hurdles (9.30) and high jump (5.04m). The Great Danes, who were voted first in both the men’s and women’s America East preseason coaches’ poll, compete against Florida, Maryland, Penn State and Cornell at the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 15.
Binghamton University did not compete over the weekend. The next meet for the Bearcats is scheduled for January 22 when they travel to Cornell.
Boston University has not yet opened its 2010-11 indoor track and field season. The Terriers open their schedule when they host a multi-team meet in Boston on January 20
University of Hartford did not have a meet over the weekend. The Hawks compete for the first time in 2011 when they head to the Wesleyan Open on January 22.
University of Maine was away from the track last weekend. The Black Bears return from a month-long hiatus when they travel to Hanover, N.H., for a tri-meet against host Dartmouth and America East foe Vermont January 15.
The UMBC indoor track and field teams competed at the Gulden Relays Saturday in Lewisburg, Pa. For the Retriever men, sophomore Trae Proctor (Brandywine, Md./Thomas Stone) won the 60-meter hurdles in an IC4A-qualifying time of 8.21 and freshman Mo Drammeh (Frederick, Md./Thomas Johnson) won his second consecutive high jump, hitting a mark of 1.99m. Also in the field, senior Martin Nevarez (Casa Grande, Ariz./Central Arizona College) won the pole vault as he cleared 4.65m. Two men’s relays, the distance medley relay of juniors Roy Jones (New Market, Md./Linganore) and Patrick Hairfield (Abington, Md./Archbishop Curley) and freshmen Andrew Smith (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley) and Jake Albino (Hampton, N.Y./Minisink Valley), and the shuttle hurdles relay of seniors Keith Brown (Columbia, Md./McDonough) and Keith Onto (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Boro/St. Francis (PA)), freshman John Rybak (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) and Proctor, each took first place in times of 10:37.37 and 32.73, respectively. The women were paced by sophomore Amanda Deller (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen), who won the shot put with a throw of 14.06m, while junior Chrissy Robinson (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) finished second with a heave of 12.64m. Deller also earned second in the weight throw, hitting a mark of 15.98m. Sophomore Chowan Brightful (New Market, Md./Linganore) won the high jump with a mark of 1.60m, while freshman Tina DiPaola (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) placed second with a mark of 1.55m. UMBC took the first four spots in the 500-meter dash, with freshman Kirsten Jones (Brentwood, Tenn./M.L.K. Magnet) winning in 1:18.39, while fellow freshmen Deborah Adelola (Lanham, Md./Bladensburg) and Cody Mezebish (Westminster, Md/South Carroll) and junior Lauren Leclercq (Jessup, Md./Meade) finishing right behind. The Retrievers return to action Saturday when they compete at the New York Armory in New York City.
University of New Hampshire did not compete over the weekend. The Wildcats kick off the 2011 portion of their indoor schedule January 22 when they host a tri-meet against Holy Cross and Quinnipiac.
Stony Brook University has not competed since its season opener December 3. The Seawolves return to the track January 22 for the Princeton Relays.
University of Vermont has not yet competed in 2011. The Catamounts return from their extended break January 15 for a tri-meet at Dartmouth against the host Big Green and America East rival Maine.