BOSTON, MASS. – The outdoor track & field season has officially begun for the majority of the teams in the America East. This past week Albany and Binghamton travelled to Raleigh, North Carolina for North Carolina State’s Raleigh Relays. UMBC hosted the Big Dawg Invitational, and New Hampshire ventured to the Sunshine State for the North Florida Spring Break Invitational. Hartford travelled to Stony Brook; the Seawolves hosted a quad meet. Here are the America East outdoor track & field week one performers of the week:
Female Track Performer of the Week
Mercedes Jackson, UMBC, Senior, Huntingtown, Maryland
- Mercedes Jackson won both the 100, and 200-meter dash races and the Big Dawg Invitational.
- The senior finished the 100-meter race in 12.10, a time that currently ranks top in the America East. Jackson sits fourth in the conference with her winning 200-mter time of 25.31 seconds.
Male Track Performer of the Week
Eric Speakman, Stony Brook, Senior, Napier, New Zealand
- Eric Speakman won the 3,000-meter race that Stony Brook Quad Meet, finishing in a time of 8:31.57. His pace is the fastest of any America East runner thus far this year.
- The New Zealand native’s pace places him just outside the top thirty of the country.
- Stony Brook won the meet, tallying a total of 35 points to beat out the five schools that were competing.
Female Field Performer of the Week
Alysson Laporte, Stony Brook, Junior, New Milford, Connecticut
- Alyssa Laporte won the javelin toss at Stony Brook’s own Quad meet with a distance of 39.15 meters, the longest toss of this week’s competition.
- Laporte’s throw ranks second in the conference thus far this season.
Male Field Performer of the Week
Michael Shanahan, New Hampshire, Sophomore, Dover, New Hampshire
- Michael Shanahan won the hammer throw event at the University of North Florida Spring Break Invitational on March 27th. Shanahan tossed a personal best 53.39 meters, a distance that ranks first in the America East thus far this year.
- The Dover, N.H. bested a field of 17 competitors, including ACC student-athletes from Pittsburgh.
- His distance qualifies him for NEICAAA and IC4A competition.
Female Outdoor Track & Field Notes
- The Albany Great Danes competed at the Raleigh Relays, hosted by N.C. State. Junior Grace Claxton finished second in the 400-meter (55.30), and third in the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.50). The other notable finish came from Senior Janice Johnson, who took third place in the shot put (13.15 meters). There was no team scoring for the event.
- The Great Danes hold 17 top times/distances/scores among America East conference teams. In addition, Albany is ranked in the top twenty nationally in three events thus far this season. Claxton is ranked 18th in the 400-meter (54.05), sophomore Schuyler Pruyn resides in 16th in the mile run (5:04.26), and the Purple and Gold 4x800-meter relay team has the 14th fastest time at 9:10.87. All these marks were set at either the XIX Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational or 9th Spring Classic Invitational two weeks ago.
- Binghamton had a handful of top ten finishes at the Raleigh Relays. The Bearcats 4x400-meter group of junior Keirra Arthur, senior Emily Taussig, and sophomore Ana Herbert and Sarah Osaheni finished eighth. BU found themselves with the same finish in the 4x800-meter relay: junior Alexis Hatcher, sophomore Alana MacDonald, junior Shannon McBrien, and senior Meagan Martough finish in 9:21.07. Individually, sophomore Jackie Crunden finished tied for sixth in the high jump (1.55 meters), and Murray took seventh in the triple jump (12.10 meters).
- Binghamton currently holds top spot in three events among America East schools.
- Hartford competed at Stony Brook University, but was unable to come up with any victories. That being said, senior Merrica Modeste ranks 19th nationally in the 600-meter race with a time of 2:03.09 as of March 31st.
- UMBC hosted the Big Dawg Invitational on the 28th and garnered many highlights. Among them is sophomore Chelsea Vane taking first in the steeplechase (11:45.00), and sophomore Sophie Cologer winning the 1,500-meter (4:53.23). Some other Retriever winners included senior Paulette Fogle in the 400-meter (58.56), senior Mercedes Jackson in the 100-meter dash (12.10), junior Jennifer Nelson in the hammer throw (42.90-meters), freshman Valerie Johnson (5.30-meters).
- Currently, the Retrievers hold two top spots compared to fellow AE schools.
- In their season opening meet, Stony Brook tired fir first out of six teams at their very own quad meet. Winners for SBU were freshman Courtney Wardon in the 100-meter (12.91), sophomore Shi-Anne Humes in the 300-meter (41.29), junior Kayla Mazza in the shot put (10.10 meters), and junior Allyson Laporte in the javelin (39.15 meters).
- Seawolves have three runners ranked inside the top twenty nationally in the 600-meter event. Freshman Shanee Grant sits in eleventh (1:45.80), senior Danielle Cornell right behind her (1:46.45), and sophomore Kimberly DeCarr in 16th (1:55.58).
Male Outdoor Track & Field Notes
- At the Raleigh Relays, Albany had four individuals finish in the top ten among their respective events. Junior Jaymen Teemer finished sevents in the 200-meter (22.35), junior Jason Tomlinson took tenth in the 400-meter (48.16), sophomore Youssef Benzamia placed seventh in the 400-meter hurdles (54.49), and sophomore. Jonathan Eustache was the third Great Dane to take the seventh spot in an event, the discus throw (46.10 meters). In addition, the quartet of Taariq Jones, Tomlinson, Jeremiah Obeng-Agyapoing, and Benzamia finished second in the 4x400 meter relay. There was no team scoring for the event.
- Albany currently holds 11 of the top times/distances/scores among America East conference teams, and the Great Danes have two student-athletes who rank top twenty nationally in their events: senior Christopher Buchanan ranks 13th in the mile (4:14.67), and sophomore Matthew Campbell is tied for 19th in the high jump (2.13 meters). Both performances were made March 19th at the XIX Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational that took place a couple years ago.
- The Bearcats came out of North Carolina State’s event with three top ten finishes. In the 1,600-meter sprint relay, senior Alex Sterling, freshman Jarried Redwood, junior Temi Bajulaiye, and senior Carter Humphrey finished eighth (3:24.12); freshman Thaddeus Okon tied for fourth in the high jump (1.95 meters), and sophomore Peter Fagan took seventh in the pole vault (4.70 meters).
- Compared to the other schools in the America East, Binghamton holds top marks in two events.
- Hartford competed at a quad meet hosted by Stony Brook University, and came home with first place finishes in two events. The efforts of freshmen Brian Caleraro, Johann Charles, and sophomores Alex Paterson and Dominic DiCarlo won the 4x200-meter relay (1:37.44); and sophomore Andrew Roschen won the javelin throw (54.84 meters).
- Hawks are represented nationally by sitting three runners within the top twenty in the 600-meter race. Underclassmen Justin Crump-King, Calderaro, and Lawerence Yancey sit in the 18th through 20th spots.
- At the Big Dawg Invitational, junior Hassan Omar added to his resume, wining the 1,500-meter (3:55.00). Another win form UMBC came from the group of juniors Afees Abolurin, and Daryian Miles, with underclassmen James Oakley III, and Gideon Ampofo-Williams winning the 4x100-meter relay.
- As of March 31st, UMBC puts itself atop two events among America East results.
- Michael Shanahan continued his success from the indoor track & field season at the North Florida Spring Break Invitational in Jacksonville, Florida. The sophomore won the hammer throw with a toss of 59.39-meters. Shanahan’s toss ranks first in the America East, and is the lone UNH top spot.
- Stony Brook placed first out of six teams at their own quad meet, tallying up a total of 35 points. The Seawolves winners included senior Eric Speakman in the 3,000-meter (8:31.57), senior Chris Hand in the hammer throw (45.08 meters), junior Lamer Hayes in the 300-meter (36.34), junior Alex Lopresti in the 800-meter (1:58.59), and freshman Michael Tristano in the 100-meter dash (11.48).
- Stony Brook senior Matthew Granata currently sits sixth in the country with his 600-meter time of 1:22.42. Junior Bradley Amazan (9th), senior Adam Jacobs (12th), and Jonathan Samuel (16th) also sit inside the top twenty in said event.
Weekly Awards
March 31
- Female Track Performer of the Week: Mercedes Jackson, UMBC
- Male Track Performer of the Week: Eric Speakman, Stony Brook
- Female Field Performer of the Week: Alysson Laporte, Stony Brook
- Male Field Performer of the Week: Michael Shanahan, New Hampshire