Rucker, Higgins, Vance Earn MAC Titles as League Track Championships Conclude

AKRON, OH – Three University at Buffalo athletes won Mid-American Conference titles Saturday as the league championship meet concluded in Akron, OH. Hurdler Reggie Rucker (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech) and triple jumper Rayshon Higgins (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon-St. Jude) won men's titles while weight thrower Sarah Vance (Lockport, NY/Lockport) won the women's shot put.

Reggie Rucker

The Bulls completed their most-successful league indoor meet in school history as the men scored 75 points to finish fourth among six schools. The UB women placed sixth with 51 points in the 12-team field. Eastern Michigan won the men's title by two points over Kent State (169-167) while the host Akron cruised to the women's title with 136 points. The three UB individual titles on Saturday brought the Bulls' total to four, including Patrice Coney's (Lyons, NY/Lyons) title in the women's pentathlon on Friday. All four athletes also gained All-MAC First Team recognition.

Rucker earned his first MAC crown with a victory in the 60-meter hurdles. Rucker, who posted the second-fastest preliminary time on Friday, won the league championship in 7.98 seconds, the only runner to clock a sub-eight second mark. Todd Joki (Saratoga Springs, NY/Schuylerville) finished seventh in the race in 8.50.

Rayshon Higgins

Higgins claimed his second indoor championship and third overall MAC title of his career with a victory in the men's triple jump. Higgins need his final jump to win the title, soaring 49-9 (15.16m) on his last attempt to overtake second-place finisher Cadeau Kelley of Akron (49-4.25, 15.04m).

Sarah Vance

Vance, who finished second in the women's weight throw on Friday, earned her first league championship with a victory in her specialty event, the shot put. Vance was in control of the event for much of the day as she finished with a best throw of 51-10 (15.80m) to win the event by more than 15 inches over Kent State's LeVania Henderson. UB teammate Tina Villa (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) finished eighth in the event at 46-5.50 (14.16m).

The Bulls also posted five third-place finishes. Mary Veith (Derby, NY/Lake Shore) was third in the women's mile in 4:56.98, improving on her ECAC qualifying time. Veith also took seventh in the 3,000-meter run in 10:05.69. Ezekiel Porter (Rochester, NY/East) took third in the men's 60-meter dash in 6.83 and the 200-meters in 21.56. Paul Riley (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) improved on his IC4A qualifying mark with a third-place finish in the 800-meters in 1:52.76. Jake Madonia (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) was third in the men's shot put at 56-5.50 (17.18m), also bettering his IC4A mark with George Fetchko (Warren, OH/Howland) improving his IC4A mark with a seventh-place finish at 55-2.25 (16.82m).

UB's men's 4x400-meter relay team also turned in a fourth-place finish on Saturday. The foursome of Porter, Brian Heim (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East), Riley and John Bauman (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville North) crossed the finish line in 3:18.05.

Up next for the Bulls are the women's ECAC Championships and the men's IC4A Championships in Boston. Competition is slated for next Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4.