CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After sweeping the men’s and women’s indoor track & field championships in February, Albany began the 2013 outdoor season in strong fashion with three America East Performers of the Week. Ethan Clary and Alfonso Scannapieco swept the men’s honors, earning Track Performer of the Week and Field Performer of the Week honors, respectively. On the women’s side, Albany’s Kathryn Fanning is the Track Performer of the Week while Maine’s Jesse Labreck was named Field Performer of the Week.
Clary (Schuylerville, N.Y.) wasted no time qualifying for the IC4A meet at season’s end, coming through with a victory in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. At the University of Central Florida Invitational, the senior paced the field with a time of 9:13.67. After his victory, Clary has the seventh fastest steeplechase time in the NCAA Division I East Region.
Scannapieco (Mohegan Lake, N.Y.) began the outdoor season much like he finished the indoor season – with a win in the pole vault. The 2012-13 America East Indoor Champion in the same event, Scannapieco won again at the UCF Invitational with an IC4A qualifying mark of 17’ 0.75”. That height is tops in the conference and tied for sixth in the NCAA Division I East Region.
After dominating the middle distance runs at the America East indoor championships, Fanning (Manlius, N.Y.) is at it again, this time with a victory in the 1,500 meter run. The junior raced to a personal best finish of 4:29.11 at the UCF Invitational. Fanning’s time is also the 12th fastest in the NCAA Division I East Region.
Labreck (Oakland, Maine) earned the Performer of the Week nod after shattering her own school record in the heptathlon. The senior won the event at the Miami Hurricane Invitational with a score of 5,129, besting her old mark of 4,922 by over 200 points. Labreck dominated the competition, winning six of the seven events with a fourth-place finish in the javelin rounding out her score. Currently Labreck has the top score in the NCAA Division I East Region by nearly 70 points.
America East Men’s Outdoor Track & Field News
- Binghamton will open its season on Saturday at the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State.
- Boston U. was off last week and will send athletes to four different meets this weekend, including the Texas Relays and the Stanford Invitational.
- Hartford will open its season tomorrow with a visit to Stony Brook.
- Maine was at the Hurricane Invitational, where Matthew Toothaker took second in the decathlon.
- UMBC freshman Vincent Rentzsch broke the school record with a toss of 193’ in the javelin at the Florida State Relays.
- New Hampshire will begin its season this Saturday at Maine.
- Stony Brook will open tomorrow afternoon, hosting the Quad Meet at home.
- Vermont will be at Dartmouth for a tri-meet with UMass Lowell.
America East Women’s Outdoor Track & Field News
- Binghamton will open its season on Saturday at the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State.
- Boston U. was off last week and will send athletes to four different meets this weekend, including the Texas Relays and the Stanford Invitational.
- Hartford will open its season tomorrow with a visit to Stony Brook.
- Mercedes Jackson was sixth in the 200 meter dash as UMBC competed at the Florida State Relays.
- New Hampshire will begin its season this Saturday at Maine.
- Stony Brook will open tomorrow afternoon, hosting the Quad Meet at home.
- Vermont will send All-America javelin thrower Nika Ouellette to the Texas Relays, while the rest of the team will be at Dartmouth for a tri-meet with UMass Lowell.
2013 America East Outdoor Track & Field Performers of the Week
March 26 – Men's Track Performer of the Week: Ethan Clary (Albany); Men's Field Performer of the Week: Alfonso Scannapieco (Albany); Women's Track Performer of the Week: Kathryn Fanning (Albany); Women's Field Performer of the Week: Jesse Labreck (Maine)