NEW YORK – Battling through tough competition, Albany’s men’s and women’s indoor track & field teams successfully defended their titles at the 2015 America East Indoor Track & Field Championship.
The Albany Great Danes entered day two of the 2015 America East Indoor Track & Field Championship with a lead on both the men’s and women’s side. The Great Danes lead over New Hampshire was slim on the men’s side with the Purple and Gold tallying 44 points and the Wildcats hovering at 40.33. The women’s lead margin was more substantial but not insurmountable; the Great Danes tallied 57 points on day one, while Binghamton entering the Saturday morning in second with 38, with New Hampshire and Vermont tied in third at 30 points a piece.
The quest for the male Great Danes, and their Head Coach Roberto Vives, to win their tenth straight America East Championship team title began with the continuation of the men’s heptathlon. In the 60-meter hurdles portion, Vermont’s Ed Simon won with a time of 8.56 seconds, one hundredth of a second ahead of Maine’s James Rutter.
The sixth event in the heptathlon saw Simon atop the stats page once again. The junior recorded a height of 4.70 meters to add to his event total. Joe Miceli of Binghamton finished in second, and Albany’s Stefan Buechele took third.
In the final event of the men’s heptathlon, Miceli crossed the finish line first in the 1000-meter run at 2:41.57. Buechele came in second at 2:44.66, and Simon of Vermont took third, crossing the marker at 2:45.14.
With all seven ofevents points tallied up, Vermont’s Ed Simon captured first place in the heptathlon with 5,103 points. Miceli finishes in second for Binghamton with 5,034, and Rutter of Maine mustered his way into third, finishing with a sum of 4,756.
On his way to victory, Simon captures first place in the high jump, 60-meter hurdles, and pole vault.
Here are the final results of the men’s heptathlon:
1. Ed Simon, Vermont: 5,103
2. Joe Miceli. Binghamton: 5,034
3. James Rutter, Maine: 4,756
4. Mickey Krug, Vermont: 4,651
5. Daniel Johnson, New Hampshire: 4,643
6. Matthew York, Maine: 4,551
7. Stefan Buechele, Albany: 4,508
8. Joseph Slattery, Maine: 4,371
9. Phillip Blanda, Albany: 4,194
10. Shawn Case, New Hampshire: 4,172
11. Jacob McKinnon, UMass Lowell: 4,167
Drama followed the men’s high jump event as teammates at Albany, Matthew Campbell and Alexander Bowen Jr. had a jump off to determine the conference champion. In the end, it was the senior Bowen Jr. who took first place, clearing a height of 2.10 meters. After the top two Great Danes finishers, it was UMass Lowell’s Gilberto Brown who finished in third.
In the mile run, Kevin Greene of New Hampshire earned first place with a time of 4:12.37. UMass Lowell’s Robert Allen, after being passed by Greene on the final lap, placed second in 4:23.29. Thomas O’Leary of Vermont finished just behind the River Hawk runner at 4:13.38.
New Hampshire’s D’mahl, who finished with the second fastest time in the America East this year at 8.19 seconds, controlled the 60-meter hurdles. Martin Kallur of Vermont finished second in 8.36 seconds, and Devon Willis of Albany wrapped up the top three at 8.37.
Yao Adantor of UMBC won the men’s shot put in convincing fashion, throwing to a length of 17.05 meters. While the Retriever senior came in first, his junior teammate, Isahq Rana, came in second place with a toss of 16.07 meters. To close out the top three, it was Brandon Bordeau of Binghamton with a throw measuring 16.05 meters.
The 400-meter dash victor was Taariq Jones of Albany, crossing the finish line in 48.37 seconds. Jones edged out his teammate Youssef Benzamia who took second place in 48.52 seconds. Maine’s Joseph Viola had a strong performance coming in third at 49.45 seconds.
Jason Tomlinson won the 500-meter dash for Albany with a time of 1:04.04, just four-hundredths of a second ahead of Binghamton junior Temi Bajulaiye. New Hampshire’s Christopher Poggi came in third with a time of 1:04.23.
The 60-meter dash was an incredibly close contest with UMBC’s Daryian Miles (6.932) willing his way to victory by just six-hundredths of a second ahead of Robert Harris III of Albany (6.938). Not far behind was Binghamton’s Jon Alkins finishing in 6.97 seconds to take third.
Binghamton junior Adam Mcle came in first place in the 800-meter race, crossing the finish line in 1:51.82, just one-tenth of a second ahead of runner-up Youness Benzaid of Albany (1:51.92). New Hampshire sophomore Drew Piazza came in third, clocking in a time of 1:52.18.
Great Danes senior John DeLallo captured the 1K race. His pace of 2:25.76 bested runner-up finisher sophomore Patrick Coppinger (2:27.18) of Vermont, and third place finisher, New Hampshire’s Greene (2:27.47).
The 200-meter dash saw Alkins take first place for the Bearcats with the fastest time of 21.67 seconds. Harris III came in second at 22.08, and Stony Brook’s Lamar Hayes came in the bronze medal spot with a finish in 22.15 seconds.
In the men’s 3,000-meter race, Hassan Omar captured his second America East personal title. The junior finished in 8:26.57, roughly half a second ahead of New Hampshire Wildcat John Prizzi (8:27.02). Binghamton took third and fourth; Collin Frost (8:27.53) and Ethan Hausamann (8:28.42) respectively.
The University at Albany saw senior Alexander Bowen Jr. win the triple jump with a total distance of 14.79 meters. The Great Danes claimed the top four spots in the event: from fourth to second, Colonel Fakarode (14.40 meters), Jordan Krump-King (14.70), and Devon Willis (14.75).
Vermont captured the 4x800-meter relay in 7:43.82, edging out second place New Hampshire who crossed in 7:44.87. The winning Catamount team consisted of Danny Deluna, Thomas O’Leary, Nick DeLuna, and Patrick Coppinger.
By just twenty-eight hundredths of a second, Binghamton won the final men’s race of the day, the 4x400 relay. Bearcats crossed the line in the 3:15.06 behind the talents of Josh Miller, Temi Bajulaiye, Garn, and Alkins.
The University at Albany won the tenth straight America East Indoor Track & Field Championship, tallying a total of 191 points. Binghamton placed second with 133.33 points, and New Hampshire took third place with 115.33 points.
Most Outstanding Track Performer
Kevin Greene, New Hampshire, Senior, Silver Spring, Maryland
-Placed third in the 1,000-meter race (2:25.76), first in the mile (4:12.37), was a member of the second place 4x800-meter relay team (7:44.87) and anchor of the first place distance relay team (9:48.78).
Most Outstanding Field Performer
Alexander Bowen, Albany, Senior, Beacon, New York
-Placed first in the high jump (2.10 meters)
Most Outstanding Rookie
Alexander Tamulonis, New Hampshire, Freshman, Milford, New Hampshire
-Placed third in the pole vault (4.65 meters)
Elite Eighteen-Award Winner
Martin Kallur, Vermont, Junior, Falun, Sweden
-Given to a student exemplifying excellence, both in their sport, and in the classroom.
-Martin Kallur scored the most points at the championship with 23 total. The junior has a 4.0 GPA and double majors in political science and Italian studies.
Coaches Award
Martin Kallur, Vermont, Junior, Falun, Sweden
-Award given to the student-athlete that accumulated the most points during the 2015 America East Indoor Track & Field Championship.
-Kallur finished the 2015 America East Indoor Championship with 23 points.
Coaching Staff of the Year
University at Albany, Head Coach Roberto Vives
FINAL POINT TOTALS
Men’s
1. Albany: 191
2. Binghamton: 133.33
3. New Hampshire: 115.33
4. Vermont: 98
5. UMBC: 90
6. UMass Lowell: 64
7. Stony Brook: 46
8. Maine: 43.33
9. Hartford: 0
The first final for the women on Saturday was the triple jump, and Great Dane Alexandra Baum took first place. The Albany senior jumped a total of 12.39 meters, which she needed all of because Binghamton sophomore Keishorea Armstrong finished in second with a sum of 12.36 meters.
Albany senior Michelle Anthony won the 60-meter hurdles race in the time of 8.52 seconds. Despite racing four-hundredths of a second slower than her prelim time, Anthony still bested second place finisher, fellow Great Dane, Niamani Morrison by nearly half a second; the freshman finished in 8.90 seconds.
New Hampshire captured the top two spots in the mile run. Senior Anne Twombly won the event in 4:52.79, and sophomore Laura Rose Donegan took the runner-up position two seconds behind at 4:54.83. UMBC senior ended her America East indoor track career placing third with a time of 4:54.99.
Albany’s Grace Claxton set a new conference championship record in the 400-meter dash. The junior won the race in 54.17 seconds, besting the previous conference record set by Vicki Tolton in 2009 at 54.31. Halie Snyder finished second in 55.92 to garner more points for the Great Danes, and UMBC runners took third and fourth; Mercedes Tillman in 57.41 and Funmi Daramola in 57.80.
Paulette Fogle of UMBC won the women’s 500-meter race; the senior took first in 1:13.32. Retriever junior Essence Fredericks came in second place at 1:14.44. Albany brought home the third and fourth spots; Kamilah Williams in third (1:14.96) and Aderinsola Ajala came in fourth (1:15.28).
Mercedes Jackson of UMBC defended her title in the 60-meter dash, winning the sprint with a time of 7.39 seconds. Jackson fell just three-hundredths of a second behind her conference championship record set in 2013. Binghamton’s Armstrong came in second at 7.63 seconds, and UMass Lowell’s Taelour Murphy came in third at 7.64.
Picking up her second win of this track and field championship, Anne Twombly of New Hampshire captured the 800-meter run in a time of 2:09.42. She crossed the line ahead of runner-up Dominuque Claudio of Albany (2:10.58) and third place finisher Katherine Mary Kulp of UMBC (2:11.57).
Jane Clark gave Stony Brook the victory in the 1,000-meter race, finishing with a time of 2:52.21. The freshman beat out second place finisher, New Hampshire’s Cassandra Kruse who crossed the finish line at 2:52.50. Samantha Crisafulli performed well for Hartford, taking third in 2:53.14.
Mercedes Jackson set a new America East Championship Record in the 200-meter dash, finishing the spring in 23.81 seconds. The Retriever senior bested the previous best (23.87) that was set in 2011 by Boston University’s Shelby Walton. UMass Lowell’s Murphy came in second place with a time of 23.34, and Armstrong of Binghamton placed third with a pace of 24.37.
Freshman Ozoima Edokobi of UMBC won the women’s shot put, throwing to a distance of 14.75 meters. Janice Johnson of Albany came in second with her toss of 13.91 meters, and Retriever junior Nneoma Edokobi took bronze (13.76 meters).
The 3,000-meter winner was Christina Melian of Stony Brook, crossing the finish line in 9:31.93. She cruised passed the competition, finishing eighteen seconds ahead of Laura Rose Donegan of New Hampshire (9:49.88).
Binghamton added another first place finish to their championship in the women’s high jump. Junior Tori Shaffer led the field, leaping to a height of 1.74 meters. Albany’s Madeline Pacella came in second place (1.70 meters), and five competitors tied for third, reaching a height of 1.65 meters.
In the 4x800 relay, Albany’s quartet of Claudio, Breanna Cummings, Schuyler Pruyn, and Johanna Smith finished with a time of 9:16.29. UMBC claimed second with the collaboration of Kump, Fredericks, Angelina Oputa, and Sarah Daly, finishing in 9:17.66.
The Albany Great Danes won the final event of the 2015 America East Indoor Track & Field Championship. Finishing the 4x400-meter relay in 3:47.43, the tandem of Ajala, Williams, Snyder and Claxton wrapped up the meet in Great Dane fashion.
For the third straight year, the Albany Great Danes won the America East Indoor Track & Field Championship. The Great Danes totaled 197.66 points, UMBC took second with 153 points, and Binghamton finished in third totaling 118.
Most Outstanding Track Performer
Mercedes Jackson, UMBC, Senior, Huntington, Maryland
-Placed first in the 60-meter dash (7.39), 200-meter dash (23.81), and was a member of the second place 4x400-meter relay team.
Most Outstanding Field Performer
Kaylyn Gordon, Stony Brook, Freshman, Spring Valley, New York
-Won the long jump (5.92 meters), and placed fourth in the triple jump (12.02 meters).
Most Outstanding Rookie
Kaylyn Gordon, Stony Brook, Freshman, Spring Valley, New York
-Was a member of the fifth place 4x400-meter relay team (3:58.05), won the long jump (5.92 meters), placed fourth in the triple jump (12.02 meters).
Elite Eighteen-Award Winner
Laura Rose Donegan, New Hampshire, Junior, Melbourne, Australia
-Given to a student exemplifying excellence, both in their sport, and in the classroom.
-University of New Hampshire junior Laura Rose Donegan has a 4.0 GPA, studying political science. Donegan placed fifth overall in the total individual scoring, earning 16 points in the championship.
Co-Coaches Award
Keishorea Armstrong, Binghamton, Sophomore, Chatnam, New York
-Award given to the student-athlete that accumulated the most points during the 2015 America East Indoor Track & Field Championship.
-Armstrong finished the 2015 America East Indoor Championship with 22 points.
Mercedes Jackson, UMBC, Senior, Huntington, Maryland
-Award given to the student-athlete that accumulated the most points during the 2015 America East Indoor Track & Field Championship.
-Jackson finished the 2015 America East Indoor Championship with 22 points.
Co-Coaching Staff of the Year
University at Albany, Head Coach Roberto Vives
UMBC Retrievers, Head Coach David Bobb
FINAL POINT TOTALS
Women’s
1. Albany: 197.66
2. UMBC: 153
3. Binghamton: 118
4. New Hampshire: 107
5. Stony Brook: 83
6. Vermont: 55
7. UMass Lowell: 39
8. Maine: 19.33
9. Hartford: 8
Stay tuned for interviews, highlights and photos, coming to soon to AmericaEast.TV and AmericaeEast.com.