UB Squads Compete at EMU Invite

The men's and women's indoor track squads competed at the Eastern Michigan Invitational in Ypsilanti, Michigan. UB's men placed third in the four-team competition scoring 90.5 points while the women were fifth in a six-team field with 74.50 points. Host Eastern Michigan won the men's meet with 243 points while Mid-American Conference rival Miami took the women's meet with 122 points.

Men's jump specialist Kamau Halim (Medina, NY/Medina) broke his own school record to win the triple jump. Halim, the Mid-American Conference champion in the outdoor triple jump, established a new mark of 49-0.25 (14.94m) breaking his old mark by more than two inches.

Shot putter Dan Minocchi (Canton, OH/Canton Central Catholic) also established a new mark with a toss of 52-0 (15.90m) to break Adam Smith's record of 50-5.25 (15.37m) set in 2000. Minocchi, an offensive lineman with the Bulls' football team, finished third in the event while Joe Loiacano (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) finished fourth at 51-3.75 (15.64m). Both throwers qualified for IC4A competition.

On the women's side, Eileen Rose (Latham, NY/Shaker) was UB's lone victor taking the 3000 meters in 10:31.56 while teammate Melissa Burrows (Norwood, NY/Norwood-Norfolk) finished second in 10:32.78 to give the Bulls 18 team points in the event.

Laura Olson (Lyons, NY/Lyons) once again broke her pole vault record, the third time this season, with a height of 10-7 (5.23m) breaking the old mark of 10-6 set at last week's UB Open. Olson placed sixth in the event. Jenelle Callender (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Tech) tied Tonya Reid's 1994 record in the 60-meter dash with a 7.88 clocking and finished fifth in the event.

Sprinter Biaunca McFarland (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) placed second in the triple jump at 39-0.25 (11.34m) and combined with Callender, Christina Keck (Erie, PA/McDowell) and Katie Scott (Salamanca, NY/Salamanca) to take fourth in the 4x400 relay in 3:53.49. Scott also turned in a 2:17.38 clocking in the 800 meters to finish fourth and qualify for the MAC championships. Freshman Faith Thompson (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) also earned an ECAC qualification with her fourth-place showing in the shot put at 42-7.50 (12.99m). She also took second in the weight throw at 47-9.75 (14.57m).

Up Next

The Bulls are at the Penn State Invitational on Feb. 9-10. The Penn State meet attracts some of the top squads from throughout the country and will serve as a barometer for how the Bulls may expect to finish in the upcoming Mid-American Championships.

2000-01 Schedule

Dec. 2 at Colgate Invitational

Men: UB 144, Colgate 100.5, Canisius 68.5

Women: UB 163, Colgate 101, Cansius 61

Dec. 9 at Kent Open No team scoring

Jan. 20 at Cornell Invitational

Men: 2nd of 6 Women: 2nd of 6

Jan. 26 UB OPEN

Men: UB 86, Canisius 61

Women: UB 127, Canisius 37

Feb. 3 at E. Michigan Invitational

Men: 3rd of 4 Women: 5th of 6

Feb. 9-10 at Penn State Inv. University Park, PA

Feb. 17 at Cornell Kane Inv. Ithaca, NY

Feb. 23-24 at MAC Championships Mt. Pleasant, MI

Mar. 3-4 at ECAC & IC4A Champs Boston, MA

Mar. 8-10 at NCAA Championships Fayetteville, AR