CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The University at Albany men's and
women's track and field teams hope to repeat last season's championship sweep
when they take to the Boston University Track and Tennis Center for the 2011
America East Indoor Track and Field Championship this Friday and Saturday. In
2010, the Great Dane men won their fifth straight America East indoor title
while the women earned their first indoor conference crown.
On the men's side, Albany was the preseason favorite to
defend their title. To do that, the Great Danes will look to their depth in the
sprints and middle distances. Sophomore Tristan Akong (Springfield Gardens,
N.Y./St. Francis Prep) set the conference's top mark in the 60-meter dash last
Saturday with a time of 6.81. Just .14 seconds behind Akong is classmate Jake
Rachiele (Farmingdale, N.Y./St. John the Baptist), who put up the third-best
time in America East this season, also last Saturday. The 2010 Most Outstanding
Rookie Jonathan Santana (Rochester, N.Y./Edison Tech) should also score points
for Albany as he currently ranks among the top six in the conference in the 200
meters (fourth - 22.26), 400 meters (sixth - 49.69) and 500 meters (third -
1:03.95). In the 800-meter run, juniors Nicolas Santos (Albany, N.Y./Colonie
Central) and Chris Burke (Tully, N.Y./Tully/SUNY Delhi) currently sit one-two
in America East. In the field, senior Wilfredo de Jesus Elias (Arroyo,
P.R./Natividad Rodriguez Gonzalez) has a chance to win his third straight title
in the weight throw as he has set the conference's top mark this season with a
toss of 19.96 meters (65'6").
Binghamton University, the 2010 runner-up, hopes to unseat
the Great Danes as conference champion. The Bearcats boast a strong
middle-distance contingent, led by senior Erik van Ingen (Marathon,
N.Y./Marathon/Canisius). At the Boston U. Valentine Invitational last Saturday,
van Ingen qualified for the NCAA Championship in the mile as he posted a time
of 3:57.11. The senior currently paces the conference in what may be a closely
contested mile race. He also holds the conference's top time in the 1,000
meters. Binghamton will also look to senior sprinter Cazal Arnett (Queens,
N.Y./Christ the King), the 2010 Championship Meet Most Outstanding Track
Performer. Arnett is among conference leaders in the 400- and 500-meter
distances. In the field, the Bearcat pole vaulters have posted four of the top
five marks in the conference this season.
Boston University was selected third in the preseason
coaches' poll after a fifth-place finish at the 2010 championship meet. The
Terriers look to improve on that finish with the help of a strong group of
sprinters. Juniors R.J. Page (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and
Joel Senick (Saskatoon,
Sask./Holy Cross) are among the conference's top sprinters. Page tops
America East in the 200 meters with a top time of 21.76 and is also one of two
America East sprinters to break 6.90 in the 60-meter dash this season. Senick
is ranked No. 1 in the conference in both the 400- and 500-meter dashes. The
Terriers also boast a sub-four-minute miler in freshman Rich Peters (Bristol, England/Brimsham Green School), who posted a time
of 3:58.26 at the Boston U. Valentine Invitational. The time qualifies Peters
for the NCAA Championship and ranks third in America East.
UMBC finished third at last season's championship meet but
came in fourth in the preseason coaches' poll. The Retrievers' strength is in
the field events, where senior Keith Onto (Point Pleasant,
N.J./Point Pleasant Boro/St. Francis (Pa.)) has paced America East in
the heptathlon in 2010-11. His combined score of 5,194 trumps the second-best
score in the conference by more than 300 points. The Retrievers will also look
for production from sophomore Aboshioma Obemeata (New
Rochelle, N.Y./Iona Preparatory/St. Francis College), the conference's
No. 2 qualifier in the triple jump (14.25 meters), and junior Aaron Brooks (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dematha), the third-ranked shot-putter
this season in America East.
University of New Hampshire came in fifth in the preseason
coaches' poll after a fourth-place showing at the conference championship in
2010. The Wildcats will look for points from sophomore high jumpers Matthew and
Jason Guarente (Saugus, Mass./Saugus). Matthew set the conference's top mark of
the season when he cleared a height of 2.04 meters (6'8.25"). Meanwhile, Jason
ranks fifth with a season-best leap of 1.98 meters (6'6"). In the throws, senior
Paul DeTurk (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) ranks second in the conference in the
weight throw while sophomore Cameron Lyle (Plaistow, N.H./Timberlane) checks in
at No. 3 in both the weight throw and shot put.
University of Maine goes into the 2011 championship with the
defending champion in the one-mile run in junior Riley Masters (Bangor,
Maine/Bangor). Masters recently qualified for the NCAA Championship in the
event with a time of 3:58.17. Fellow juniors Trevor England (Auburn,
Maine/Poland) and Justin Gagne (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford) enter the
Championship with the top performances in the triple jump and shot put,
respectively.
Stony Brook University enters the 2011 America East
Championship by senior Alex Felce (Stroud, England/Archway Comp.), who ranks
eighth in the conference in the 1,000 meters, and the third-ranked 4x800-meter
relay team.
University of Vermont will lean on senior Beau Cameron (Grand
Isle, Vt./Essex), who put up this season's second-highest point total in the
heptathlon.
University of Hartford will look to juniors Andrew Chalmers
(Ashland, N.H./Plymouth Regional) and Anderson Emerole (Jamaica, N.Y./Manhattan
Center for Math and Sciences) to challenge for points in the distances and
sprints, respectively.
On the women's side, Albany looks to defend its first America
East title with some of the top performers across the board. Freshman Brianne
Bellon (Greenfield, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) has posted top times in the 800
meters and 1,000 meters. While junior Brittany Eveleth (Watervliet,
N.Y./Watervliet) enters the championship as the top seed in the 500 meters.
Also on the track, the Great Dane women have posted the conference's top times
in the 4x400-meter relay, 4x800-meter relay and the 4,000-meter distance
medley. In the field, seniors Kadine Johnson (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle)
and Sandy Antenor (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) anchor the Great Danes. Johnson is
ranked No. 1 in the weight throw and No. 2 in the shot put. Antenor is the
America East leader in the triple jump.
After a string of
four straight indoor championships from 2006-2009, Boston University finished
second last season. The Terriers hope to get back to the top this season. The
Terriers look to a pair of sophomores who can rack up points in Nikko Brady (New
Castle, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) and Allison Barwise (Orange,
Conn./Amity Regional). Brady currently ranks second in the conference in
the long jump and the 60-meter hurdles. Barwise has posted the conference's top
marks this season in the pentathlon (3532 points) and the high jump (1.78
meters; 5'10"). Junior Shelby Walton (Danbury, Conn./Danbury) has been one of the
conference's top sprinters, posting the top times in both the 60 meters and 200
meters.
University of Maine hopes to improve on last season's
fourth-place finish. To do so, the Black Bears will need solid performances
from juniors Corey Conner (Townsend, Mass./North Middlesex Regional) and Jesse
Labreck (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee). Conner has already qualified for the
NCAA Championship at the 5,000-meter distance. Earlier this year, Conner raced
to a time of 16:06.18 in the event, a time that paced the world in 2011 at that
point. Labreck leads America East in the 60-meter hurdles and long jump while
sitting at No. 3 this season in the triple jump. Sophomore sprinter Cearha
Miller (Oxon Hill, Md.) has also had a strong campaign, coming in at No. 1 in
the 400-meter dash and at No. 2 in both the 60- and 200-meter dashes.
University of New Hampshire finished third at the 2010
America East Indoor Track and Field Championship, but fell to fourth in the
preseason poll. The Wildcats hope to finish better than expected at this
season's championship. New Hampshire can expect solid finishes from seniors
Rita Ciambra (Hanover, N.H./Hanover) and Camille Quarles (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton
Academy). Ciambra boasts the top mark in the conference this season in the pole
vault, an event she won at both the 2008 and 2009 America East championships.
Quarles is currently the No. 2 qualifier in the triple jump.
UMBC was picked fifth in the preseason poll, the same
position as the Retriever finished at last year's championship meet. This
season, the Retrievers will lean on sophomore Amanda Deller (Aberdeen,
Md./Aberdeen). Deller, last year's champion in the shot put, is ranked
first in that event heading into the 2011 championship. Deller is also ranked
second in the weight throw. UMBC could also receive a strong performance in the
pentathlon from sophomore Chowan Brightful (New Market,
Md./Linganore), who is ranked second in the event.
Binghamton University will rely on sophomore Jessica Hennig
(Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) who ranks second in America East in the 500 meters
and fourth in the 400 meters.
Stony Brook University will look to the trio of Lucy Van
Dalen (Wanganui, New Zealand/Wanganui Collegiate),
Annie Keown (Auckland, New Zealand/Auckland
University) and Holly Van Dalen (Wanganui, New
Zealand/Wanganui Collegiate), who rank one-two-three in America East
this season in the 3,000 meters.
University of Vermont will turn to sophomore middle-distance
runner Julie McGilpin (Westfield, Mass./Westfield), who ranks among the top
performers in the conference in the 500 meters (seventh), 800 meters (second)
and 1,000 meters (fourth).
University of Hartford hopes for a strong
showing from sophomore Priscilla Appiagyei (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor),
the fifth-ranked competitor in the 400-meter dash.