CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-University at Albany looks to win both the men's and women's America East titles for the third straight season at the 2011 America East Outdoor Track and Field Championship, which takes place Saturday and Sunday at UMBC Stadium in Baltimore, Md., hosted by UMBC. The Albany men have won six straight America East Outdoor championships, while the Great Dane women have won two titles in a row and five of the last six.
The Great Dane men were projected to finish atop the conference in the preaseason coaches' poll. Albany is poised to make a run at their seventh America East crown thanks to depth on its roster. Senior Alie Beauvais (Hempstead, N.Y./Hempstead/Lincoln (Mo.)) leads the track contingent with his solid season in the hurdles. Beauvais posted the conference's top 400-meter hurdles time this season, 51.08, bettering the conference's second-best time by nearly one and a half seconds. Sophomore Jake Rachiele (Farmingdale, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) and junior Nicholas Santos (Albany, N.Y./Colonie Central) also ran to America East-leading times in the 100 meters and 800 meters, respectively. Senior Nasim Sideeq (New Hampton, N.Y./Goshen Central/Robert Morris) paces the conference with a top mark of 50' 1.75" in the triple jump. Sideeq, along with fellow senior Luke Schoen (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip), who leads America East in the pole vault after not competing outdoors in 2010, anchor the Great Danes in the field events.
Binghamton University, picked second in the preseason, heads into the conference meet led by strong performers in the distance events. The Bearcats boast the top-two times in the 1,500 meters during the outdoor season. Junior Erik van Ingen (Marathon, N.Y./Marathon) posted an America East-leading time of 3:39.55 in the event with senior teammate Casey Quaglia (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) following with a season-best time of 3:47.77. Senior Adam Quinn (Clifton Park, N.Y/Shenendowa) paces the conference in the steeplechase, posting a season-best time of 9:01.08.
Boston University looks to its sprint squad for points at the conference meet. Juniors R.J. Page (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and Joel Senick (Saskatoon, Sask./Holy Cross) lead the way with two of the top three times in the 200-meter dash. Page is tied atop the conference list with Albany freshman Kareem Morris (Albany, N.Y./Albany), who both enter the championship with qualifying times of 21.74, while Senick sits in third one-hundredth of a second off the pace. Senick is also second in America East in the 400-meter dash, behind only Terrier junior Tewado Latty (Kingston, Jamaica/White Plains (N.Y.)). The Terriers could also earn points in the throwing events, where senior Dan Withrow (Dedham, Mass./Dedham) posted the conference's top marks in both the shot put and the discus this Spring.
University of New Hampshire earned the fourth spot in the preseason poll and looks to make some noise in the field events at the championship meet. Sophomore Matthew Guarente (Saugus, Mass./Saugus) enters the championship as the top qualifier in the high jump, posting a season-best mark of 6' 8.25". Senior Paul DeTurk (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) has also been one of the Wildcats' top performers, boasting the conference's top hammer throw of 203' 6.5" this spring. DeTurk is joined by javelin thrower Mike Simon (Durham, Conn./Durham) as a conference leader. Simon posted a mark of 210' 7.5" on his way to winning the College Division of the event at the Penn Relays last weekend.
UMBC will also lean on its field performers at the championship. Senior Keith Onto (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Boro/St. Francis (Pa.)) leads the way as he looks to defend his decathlon title as the Spring's top qualifier. Junior thrower Aaron Brooks (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dematha) should also post points for the Retrievers. Brooks currently sits second in the conference in the discus and fourth in the shot put.
University of Maine will look for points from sophomore hurdler James Reed (Garmisch, Germany/Munich International). Reed leads the conference in the 110-meter hurdles, posting a top time of 14.65 in the event this season. The Black Bears could also get support from junior Trevor England (Auburn, Maine/Poland) in the triple jump and senior Jeffrey Ramos (Turner, Maine/Waterville) in the high jump. Both student-athletes rank second in America East in their disciplines.
University of Vermont will look to score points in the javelin. The Catamounts boast the No. 2 and 3 qualifiers in the event. Junior Sam Hoadley (East Granby, Conn./East Granby) ranks just behind New Hampshire's Simon with a top mark of 209' 5.75", while senior Josh Henshaw (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) is third in America East.
Stony Brook University enters the meet with the top-two performers in the 10,000 meters. Junior Mark Appledorf (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge) and senior Alex Varone (Providence, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) rank first and second in the event's descending-order list.
University of Hartford looks to sprinters Anderson Emerole (Jamaica, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Math and Sciences) and Warren Lane (Brooklyn, N.Y./Murry Bergtraum), who rank fourth and seventh, respectively, in the 400 meters, to lead the Hawk contingent.
On the women's side, preseason favorite Albany is poised for a three-peat. Seniors Yushanni Durrant (Montego Bay, Jamaica/Mount Alverina/UTECH), Sandy Antenor (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) and Tiffany Sprenkels (Squamish, British Columbia/Howe Sound) lead the Great Danes as the top-three qualifiers in the triple jump. Durrant also ranks third in the long jump, just ahead of sophomore teammate Pat McNish (Great Neck, N.Y./Manhasset). The Great Danes are also strong in the throwing events thanks to the duo of senior Kadine Johnson (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and junior Catie Coxon (Delanson, N.Y./Duanesburg). Johnson tops the conference in the hammer throw with a top mark of 180' 6" while also ranking second in America East this spring in both the shot put and the discus. Coxon leads America East in the discus with her season-best toss of 156' 9.25".
Boston U. was picked second in the preseason as it looks to dethrone Albany. Juniors Shelby Walton (Danbury, Conn./Danbury) and Katie Matthews (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill) lead the Terriers on the track. Walton has posted America East-leading times of 11.68 in the 100-meter dash and 23.87 in the 200-meter dash this spring. Matthews is the top seed in the 5,000 meters with a time of 16:01.16. Her top time this spring is 22.51 seconds faster than her closest competitor in the conference. Sophomore Allison Barwise (Orange, Conn./Amity Regional) leads the Terriers in the field. Barwise enters the conference meet as the top qualifier in the high jump, an event in which she tied for first at the indoor championship, and is the defending heptathlon champion, an event she won last Spring as a freshman.
Maine junior Jesse Labreck (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) leads the Black Bear attack. Labreck tops the conference ranks in the 100-meter hurdles and the long jump. Maine also boasts sophomore sprinter Cearha Miller (Oxon Hill, Md./Oxon Hill), who ranks second in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, and javelin throwers Jessica Bond (Namur, Quebec/Cegep St. Jerome) and Alexandra Krous (Yakima, Wash./Walla Walla CC), who rank second and third, respectively, in the event.
New Hampshire enters the championship led by senior pole vaulter Rita Ciambra (Hanover, N.H./Hanover). Ciambra's mark of 13' 1.75" tops the conference performance lists at more than eight inches higher than the second-place qualifier. The Wildcats also feature senior Erica Jesseman (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough), who ranks third in America East in the 5,000 meters.
Vermont will look to score points on the track and in the field thanks to a trio of student-athletes who lead the league in their discipline. Sophomore Julie McGilpin (Westfield, Mass./Westfield) paces the conference in the 800 meters with a season-best time of 208.41, more than four seconds faster than her nearest competitor, while classmate Kirsten Weberg (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora Senior) enters the meet as the top qualifier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Freshman Nika Oullette (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) has had a strong initial campaign, leading America East in the javelin.
UMBC will lean on its field performers to lead the way at the conference meet. Sophomore Amanda Deller (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen) tops America East in the shot put with a top mark of 47' 5" this season while classmate Chowan Brightful (New Market, Md./Linganore) will again look for points in the heptathlon.
Stony Brook will look to grab its points in the distance events. Junior Lucy Van Dalen (Wanganui, New Zealand/Wanganui Collegiate) leads the distance contingent as she qualified atop the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:12.73, more than 16 seconds faster than teammate and No. 2 qualifier, freshman Olivia Burne (Palmerston North, New Zealand/Palmerston North).
Binghamton looks to sophomore sprinter Jessica Hennig (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) to lead the Bearcats. Hennig posted the season's top time of 55.43 in the 400 meters. The Bearcats could also get points in the pole vault from sophomore Jenna Marrione (Warwick, N.Y./Warwick Valley) and freshman Camille Ginyard (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal), who enter the meet ranked second and third in the event.
Hartford freshman Alisha Beeman (Stratford, Conn./Bunnell) is the top qualifier for the Hawks. The rookie ranks fifth in America East in the javelin. The Hawks will also look for a contribution from sophomore sprinter Priscilla Appiagyei (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor), who ranks seventh in the 400-meter dash.
For more information on the 2011 America East Outdoor Track and Field Championship, visit Championship Central at AmericaEast.com.