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Richards Sets Long Jump Mark to Highlight UB Track Perfomances in New York and Akron

Roy Richards

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo sent squads to weekend track and field meets in New York City and Akron, OH with impressive results at both venues, highlighted by a record setting performance by long jumper Roy Richards (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech).

Richards and most of UB's top field athletes competed at the New Balance Collegiate Championships in New York against some of the nation's elite competition. Richards finished second in the men's long jump, breaking his own record by an inch and half, with a leap of 24-11.25 (7.60m). The distance also gave the senior an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Richards finished behind Arkansas' Mychael Stewart (25-1.25, 7.65m), an All-Southeastern Conference performer and member of last season's indoor national championship squad. Richards bested jumpers from top programs including Arkansas, North Carolina State, LSU and Texas in the event. Richards also competed in the 60-meter dash, finishing tied for 28th in a field of 76 runners in 6.96 seconds.

Sarah Vance

Women's weight thrower Sarah Vance (Lockport, NY/Lockport) had a third-place finish in the shot put with a toss of 51-10.50 (15.81m), behind throwers from Texas A&M and Kentucky. Tina Villa (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) also competed in the event, placing 13th at 46-11 (14.68m). Vance also placed 11th in the weight throw at 55-11.25 (17.05m).

Rayshon Higgins

Rayshon Higgins (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon-St. Jude) has a fifth-place showing in the championship division of the men's triple jump. Higgins cleared 50-0 (15.24m) to win his flight and improve on his IC4A qualifying mark by more than 16 inches.

Jessica Lister (Rodman, NY/South Jefferson) tied for 10th in the championship division of the women's pole vault with a height of 11-9.75 (3.60m), earning a season-best and an ECAC qualifying mark. Carrie Hinners (Maple Grove, MN/Maple Grove) tied for 12th in the college division at 10-10 (3.30m).

Jake Madonia (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) tied his season's best performance in the shot put at 54-8.25 (16.67m) to place 11th overall. Reggie Rucker (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech) narrowly missed advancing past the preliminaries of the 60-meter hurdles. Rucker clocked a time of 8.14 to finish 21st overall. The top 16 runners advanced into the second round with the slowest time of those runners 8.11.

Eugene Kennedy

Meanwhile, the remainder of the squad competed at the Akron Invitational. Freshman Eugene Kennedy (Troy, NY/Troy) highlighted the men's performances with a second-place finish in the men's high jump. Kennedy posted a personal-best mark of 6-9 (2.06m) to earn an IC4A qualifying slot. Akron's Ryan Jones was awarded the top spot after he and Kennedy tied after their final attempts at the height. Jones was declared the winner based on fewer attempts needed to clear the height.

Andy Leonard (Spencerport, NY/Churchville-Chili) also posted a second-place finish in the men's 3,000-meter run in 8:50.18. Dan McKenna (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) was fifth in 8:54.72.

The men's 1,600-meter relay squad scored a season-best mark and just missed the IC4A qualifying minimum by a fraction of a second. The team of John Bauman (Williamsville, NY/Williamsvile North), Brian Heim (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East), Paul Riley (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) and Ezekiel Porter (Rochester, NY/East) finished fourth overall in 3:19.95, just five-hundredths off the IC4A pace.

UB's 800-meter runners set season-best marks in their races. Mary Veith (Derby, NY/Lake Shore) was fourth in the women's race in 2:17.57, cutting two seconds off this season's best time while Ryan Zillman (Deer Park, NY/Half Hollow Hills West) placed 11th in 1:55.40, also cutting two seconds.

Both squads return to action next Friday and Saturday at Penn State's Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup.