Albany Men, Boston U. Women Win Indoor Track and Field Titles

Albany Men, Boston U. Women Win Indoor Track and Field Titles

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BOSTON – The University at Albany men continued their string of dominance and the Boston University women returned to glory as 2012 America East Indoor Track and Field champions. Saturday concluded the two-day meet held at Boston U.’s Track and Tennis Center.

Albany racked up 187.50 points en route to winning its seventh straight conference indoor title and ninth in the past 10 years. Boston University finished as runner-up with 151.50 points followed by Binghamton with 108.50 points. New Hampshire took fourth with a total of 96.50 points while UMBC collected 90 points for fifth place. Maine (57 points), Stony Brook (43), Vermont (30) and Hartford (16) rounded out the championship field.

Boston U. tallied 164 points and held off a second-day push by Albany to take the crown. The Danes finished with 159.50 points scoring second-place honors. UMBC finished third with 106.50 points and Vermont placed fourth with 93 points. Binghamton collected 74.50 points and pulled ahead of New Hampshire (67 points). Stony Brook (54 points), Maine (47) and Hartford (14.50) complete the women’s standings.

The coaching staffs of both championship teams were honored with the Men’s and Women’s Coaching Staff of the Year awards.

Boston U.’s Allison Barwise collected the most points out of any competitor in the competition with 24 thanks to her performances in the high jump, long jump and pentathlon. After finishing second in the pentathlon and third in the long jump yesterday, Barwise set an America East Championship record in the high jump today. She cleared 1.82 meters to take home gold.

UMBC rookie Mercedes Jackson and Boston U.’s Shelby Walton put on a show in the women’s 60 and 200 meter dashes. Jackson broke the facility record for the second straight day with a 7.49 in the 60 before Walton won the 200 with a time of 23.99 seconds, just .01 ahead of her UMBC opponent. Jackson took home the meet’s Most Outstanding Rookie Award.

The coaches voted Stony Brook’s Lucy Van Dalen the Most Outstanding Track Performer after she set two championship records on day two. Van Dalen set the mile standard with her time of 4:36.43 and broke her sister’s record in the 3,000 meter run with a time of 9:17.35.

Binghamton’s Jessica Hennig took top honors in the women’s 400 meter dash for the third consecutive year in a time of 55.14 seconds. Meanwhile, Albany’s Sherez Mohamed set a new Championship record in the 500 meter dash clocking in at 1:12.29.

In other field events today, Patricia McNish from Albany leapt to victory in the women’s triple jump (12.29m) a day after winning gold in  the long jump. UMBC’s Amanda Deller followed up her gold-medal performance in the weight throw yesterday with an equally as impressive showing in the shot put today. Deller, the meet’s Most Outstanding Field Performer, won with a heave of 16.83 meters.

Vermont picked up the maximum ten points in the 4x800 relay after breaking the championship record with a time of 8:58.53.

On the men’s side, Boston U.’s R.J. Page won championship gold in the 60 and 200 meter dashes and was also a member of the winning 4x400 relay team to earn Most Outstanding Track Performer and the most points of any male competitor. Page breezed to a new championship record in the 200, clocking in at 21.29 seconds. The Terrier men took the top four spots in the 200.

Leading the way for the champion great Danes was Alfonso Scannapieco. After winning the pole vault title on day one, Scannapieco held on to his day-one lead in the heptathlon to win with 5,202 total points and collect Most Outstanding Field Performer honors.

Highlighting the distance races were Stony Brook’s Eric Speakman and Boston U.’s Rich Peters. Speakman won the 3,000 in 8:16.97 to earn the Most Outstanding Rookie award and Peters ran another sub-four-minute mile (3:59. 24) to set a championship record.

UMBC’s Trae Proctor successfully defended his 60 meter hurdles title (8.08) while Maine’s Trevor England took the triple jump (14.45m), New Hampshire Brice Paey set a championship record in the shot put (17.87m) and Albany’s Alexander Bowen took gold in the high jump (2.08m).

Both the 4x400 and 4x800 relay titles belonged to Boston U. The 4x800 team, anchored by Peters, ran a 7:30.56 to break the conference record.

Men’s Final Standings

1) Albany, 187,50
2) Boston University, 151.50
3) Binghamton, 108.50
4) New Hampshire, 96.50
5) UMBC, 90
6) Maine, 57
7) Stony Brook,43
8) Vermont, 30
9) Hartford, 16

Women’s Final Standings

1) Boston University, 164
2) Albany, 159.50
3) UMBC, 106.50
4) Vermont, 93
5) Binghamton, 74.50
6) New Hampshire, 67
7) Stony Brook, 54
8) Maine,47
9) Hartford, 14.50