TRACK & FIELD

Men's Roster  |  Women's Roster  |  Coaches  |  Schedule / Results  |  News

Indoor Track & Field Weekly Release

Top Flight Competition at Akron Open

Paul Riley

UB's men's and women's track and field teams saw action in one of the largest fields of entrants this season as the Bulls completed the Akron Open Saturday night. Over 700 athletes and more than 25 men's and women's schools competed in the non-scoring meet. Several Bulls established new season-best and/or personal-best marks while the men's 4x400-meter relay team broke the school record.

Men's Relayers Set New Mark; Women Place Second

Stacy Downer

Highlighting UB's efforts was the men's 4x400-meter relay team which established a new school record in the event. The UB foursome of Rob McRae (Rexford, NY/Shenendehowa), Brian Heim (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East), Paul Riley (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) and Bryan Weinstein (Getzville, NY/Williamsville North) finished third among 11 entrants in 3:16.20, breaking the 2003 record by three-tenths of a second and improving on their IC4A qualifying time for this season.

UB's women's 4x400-meter relay finished second in its race in 3:54.89, a season-best time. UB only placed behind Western Carolina in the overall results. The team included Stacy Downer (Philadelphia, PA/Dobbins/Randolph Tech), Desiree Rudloff (West Falls, NY/East Aurora), Jen Jezorski (Elmira, NY/Elmira Southside) and Kate Kohout (Clarence, NY/Clarence).

Other Akron Highlights

Dana Ventrone

In the individual competitions, Jen Jezorski finished third in the 32-runner field in the 800-meter run. She clocked a 2:12.81 mark to earn a spot in March's ECAC Championships in the event. It was Jezorski's first time in the event this season and she has now qualified for the ECAC meet in three distances (800, 1,000 and mile). Mary Veith (Derby, NY/Lake Shore) finished fifth in the 3,000-meter run in 10:08.95, It was the first time that Veith has run that distance this season, after posting ECAC marks in the 800-meters and the mile. Dana Ventrone (Pittsburgh, PA/Chartiers Valley) tied for sixth in the long jump at 17-6 (5.33m) while Jessica Lister (Rodman, NY/South Jefferson) also placed sixth in the pole vault at 12-4.50 (3.77m), improving her ECAC qualifying mark set earlier this season.

In the men's meet, Weinstein also placed seventh in the 200-meters in 22.11 seconds. Heim scored a ninth-place finish in the 400-meters in 49.25 seconds, earning an IC4A qualifying mark and setting UB's fastest time of the season in the event. McRae took 10th in the race in 49.31 seconds, bettering his IC4A mark. Riley also established an IC4A qualifying time with his ninth-place showing in the 800-meters in 1:54.22. Ryan Gregory (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) tied for seventh in the pole vault with a season-best mark of 15-0 (4.57m). Mike Giordano (Springville, NY/Springville) also finished seventh in the shot put at 54-6.50 (16.62m). Chris McAllister (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington) finished eighth in the men's heptathlon with 3,965 points.

Throwing the Discus Indoors?

Alex Stamatakis

The Akron Open featured a rarity for indoor track and field competion, the discus throw. The NCAA does not recognize the event in the indoor season, however, because Akron's new facility, the Athletics Field House, is large enough, the discus competition was one of the events held in the meet, giving throwers their first opportunity to compete rather than waiting for the outdoor season to begin in March. UB throwers did well in the competition with Alex Stamatakis (Hania, Crete, Greece/First Technical & Vocational School of Crete) placing fourth at 153-6 (46.80m), George Fetchko (Warren, OH/Howland) was sixth (145-1, 44.23m) and Giordano was ninth (135-0, 41.16m) in the men's throw. Tina Villa (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) placed sixth in the women's event at 137-5 (41.88m).