CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Albany swept the awards for outdoor track & field in the second week of the awards. Each honoree ranks in the top-75 among NCAA competitors in the nation. Here’s a look at this week’s America East Outdoor Track & Field Performers of the Week:
Women’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Week
Kathryn Fanning, Sr., Albany
Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius
- Currently ranks 34th nationally in the 1500-meter.
- Her recent 1500-meter run of 4:24.93 sits at 13th in the east and first among AE performers.
- Placed 11th in the 1500m at the Texas Relays.
- Time satisfied ECAC qualifying standard.
Women’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Week
Paige Vadnais, So., Albany
Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun
- Collected a new personal-best heptathlon point total of 4,378 to sit at third all-time in Albany history, 63rd in the country and 23rd in the east.
- Had a sixth-place finish at the Bobcat Invitational with an 800m victory (2:25.25).
- Posted personal bests in four events, including the 800, 100 hurdles (15.52-7th), 200-meter (26.00-6th) and the javelin (25.48-9th).
- Other marks collected include the high jump (1.54m-5th), shot put (7.98m-14th) and long jump (5.14m-3rd).
Men’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Week
Robert Harris III, Fr., Albany
Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes
- Ran four events over two meets this past weekend.
- His 100-meter time of 10.59 ranks 61st national and 39th in the east.
- Ran the 4x100 at the Texas Relays, placing 23rd in 41.28.
- The 4x100 squad currently is ranked 71st in the country.
- He also ran a 200-meter time of 22.35.
Men’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Week
Matthew Catera, Sr., Albany
Whitestone, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy
- Placed fourth in the decathlon at the Bobcat Invitational, tallying 6,377 points.
- He won the 110 hurdles (14.95) and the pole vault (4.26m).
- Set three personal-best standards in the shot put (11.72m-5th), discus (34.6m-4th) and 110 hurdles.
- Tied his personal best in the 100-meter dash, clocking in at 11.19 for fourth place.
- Decathlon tally ranks 41st in the nation.
Around the League – Women’s
- Stony Brook’s Christina Melian clocked in at 10:01.73 to place first in the 3000-meter event. The Seawolves’ women’s team tallied 11 top-three finishes.
- UMBC’s Mercedes Jackson won the 100-meter dash (12.04-prelims; 12.35-finals) and helped lift the 4x100-meter relay team to a first-place finish (47.46) to meet the ECAC standard. Alisha Beeman won the high jump for the second consecutive week (1.60m) and Nneoma Edokobi grabbed second in the hammer throw with a career-best toss of 43.03 meters.
- Hartford’s Opeyemi Osuntuyi won the women's 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:12.18, while Rebecca Cheatham took fifth in the event, crossing the line in 1:14.40. Teammate Tiffany Harrison finished second in the women's 300-meter dash, posting a time of 41.58.
Around the League – Men’s
- Stony Brook’s Daniel Dennis claimed top honors in the men’s 3000-meter run with a time of 8:57.19, while teammate Chris Hand won the hammer throw with a 46.73-meter toss. Hand was also second in the javelin at 49.68 meters. The men racked up 10 top-three finishes in the Stony Brook Quad Meet.
- UMBC’s Trae Proctor won the 100-meter hurdles the Retrievers’ home meet. He paced the field, clocking in at 14.40 to earn the win. Last week’s mark of 14.14 sits atop the AE, however this week’s still bests all other competitors in the league by 0.55 seconds.
- UMBC’s Thor Serafenas won the hammer throw with a season-best hurl of 54.61 meters to meet the IC4A standard. His throw leads the league by a length of nearly 20 feet and ranks 76th regionally. Vincent Rentzsch won the javelin throw.
- Hartford’s Lawrence Williams won the men's 300-meter dash with a time of 35.57, and Erik Quitzau won the 400-meter Hurdles with a time of 59.75. Freshmen Alex Paterson and Dominic DiCarlo finished second (11.51) and third (11.73), respectively, in the 100-meter dash.
2013-14 America East Indoor Track and Field Weekly Award Winners
March 25 – Women’s Track Performer of the Week: Tynelle Taylor-Chase, Sr., Albany
Women’s Field Performer of the Week: Alisha Beeman, Jr., UMBC
Men’s Track Performer of the Week: Dennison Long, Sr., UMBC
Men’s Field Performer of the Week: Vincent Rentzsch, So., UMBC
April 1 - Women’s Track Performer of the Week: Kathryn Fanning, Sr., Albany
Women’s Field Performer of the Week: Paige Vadnais, So., Albany
Men’s Track Performer of the Week: Robert Harris III, Fr., Albany
Men’s Field Performer of the Week: Matthew Catera, Sr., Albany