Indoor Track & Field Weekly Release

Bulls Score Four MAC Champions in Best Finishes Ever

The University at Buffalo’s men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams completed their most-successful league indoor meet in school history over the weekend as the men scored 75 points to finish fourth among six schools while 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 Bulls posted four individual titles over the two-day meet with three coming on the final day. Women’s league championships were earned by Patrice Coney (Lyons, NY/Lyons) in the pentathlon and Sarah Vance (Lockport, NY/Lockport) in the women's shot put. Men’s titles were earned by Reggie Rucker (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech) in the 60-meter hurdles and Rayshon Higgins (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon-St. Jude) in the triple jump. The four also earned All-MAC First Team honors.

Higgins Takes Second Indoor Title

Rayshon Higgins

Rayshon Higgins claimed his second indoor championship and third overall MAC title of his career with a victory in the triple jump. Higgins needed 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) to successfully defend his indoor triple jump title from last season when he finished at 50-1.25 (15.27m). It’s his third triple jump title in a row with the outdoor crown now sandwiched in-between the two indoor championships.

Rucker is Golden in Hurdles

Reggie Rucker

Senior Reggie 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. The victory caps a season that saw Rucker break both the 55-meter and 60-meter hurdle records. Both of Rucker’s record marks are good enough for the IC4A Championships which he will get a chance in this weekend.

Vance Claims First in Shot Put, Second in Weight Throw

Sarah Vance

Senior Sarah Vance scored 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). Vance finished second in the weight throw to Akron’s Stevi Large on Friday with a season-best throw of 58-8.75 (17.90m) while Large broke former UB thrower Faith Thompson’s MAC meet record with a throw of 65-7 (19.99m).

Coney Sets UB Mark to Win Pentathlon

Patrice Coney

Senior Patrice Coney completed a comeback that saw her sit out the 2006 season with a record-setting victory in the women’s pentathlon. Coney broke her own record by scoring 3,677 points to win the title by 106 points over Kent State's Brooke Sposito and breaking her 2005 record of 3,585 points which she set at the 2005 MAC Championships where she finished third. Although Coney did not win any of the individual events, her point total in her overall finishes was good enough to give her the title. Coney turned in a second-place finish in the competition's final event, the 800-meter run in 2:20.02 to garner enough points to win the title. She also had a fourth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles portion of the event in 8.99 seconds. Coney’s pentathlon, long jump and 55-meter hurdles marks are good enough for ECAC competition, but she will sit out this week’s meet in order to concentrate on the upcoming outdoor season and heal some nagging injuries.