Bulls Complete Final Tuneup Before MAC Championships

Ezekiel Porter

AKRON, OH – The University at Buffalo men’s and women's track and field teams made their third and final appearance in Akron as the Bulls competed in the Akron Open as the final tuneup to next weekend's Mid-American Conference Championships. There was no scoring in the meet that included athletes from Ohio State, Ohio Wesleyan, Ashland as well as the Bulls and Zips. The Bulls earned eight first-place finishes with the men and women's claiming four apiece.

Junior Ezekiel Porter led the Bulls on the track as UB took the top two slots in the men's 400-meters. Porter won the race in 48.46, improving on his IC4A qualifying mark while Matt Armstrong also qualified for the regional competition with his second-place finish of 48.78.

UB also took the top slots in the men's triple jump as Chandler Brown won the event at 43-9.25 (13.34m) on his only attempt of the evening, setting a season-best distance by more than a foot. Freshman Benjamin Maxwell was second at 42-3.25 (12.88m).

Chris Davis won the men's long jump at 22-3.50 (6.79m) while Matt Gac won the men's weight throw at 62-6 (19.05m). Senior Alex Stamatakis finished second in the men's shot put, improving on his school record. Stamatakis needed his final attempt to record a throw of 58-7.25 (17.86m), adding 3.50 inches onto the existing mark.

Lataya Dixon

The UB women posted one-two finishes in a trio of events, the 60-meter hurdles, the 400-meters and the high jump.

Lataya Dixon took the hurdles in 9.04 seconds, slicing .19 seconds from her season-best time. Caitlin Godin finished second in a season-best 9.14 seconds.Jackie Burns was victorious in the 400-meters, slicing nearly a full second off her season best, winning in 57.48. Katelyn Laurey was second in 58.93, cutting nearly two seconds off her season best.

Godin won the women's high jump with Fatimah Hill declared second as both jumpers cleared 5-3 (1.60m).

Octavia Johnston won the women's long jump at 18-2.25 (5.54m), more than a foot better than her previous season-best performance.

Other second-place finishes for the UB women were turned in by Mary Veith with a season-best 4:59.14 in the mile, Ajla Glavasevic in the triple jump (37-0.25, 11.28m) and Kristy Woods in the shot put (47-1.75, 14.37m).

The Bulls compete next Friday and Saturday at the MAC Championships at Kent State.