Bulls Run in Middle of Pack at MACs

UB's men's and women's indoor track and field squads were at the Mid-American Conference Championships in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. The men took seventh in an 11-team field while the women placed eighth among 12 teams.

Sarah Fletcher (Ridgeway, Ontario/Ridgeway-Crystal Beach) won her third MAC title, winning the 20-lb weight throw for the second consecutive season. Fletcher's toss of 58-6.5 (17.84m) established a new UB record which she had set the previous week and once again provisionally qualified her for NCAA Championship competition. Fletcher won the weight throw last season and took the 2000 hammer championship at the MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships last season.

Kamau Halim (Medina, NY/Medina) won his second MAC title and the first of his indoor career when he won the triple jump setting a Central Michigan fieldhouse and UB record of 50-3.25 (15.32m). Halim placed second in the event last season. Halim won his first MAC title in the outdoor triple jump in the 2000 championships at UB Stadium.

Laura Olson (Lyons, NY/Lyons) broke her own pole vault record for the fourth time this season. Although Lyons did not score for the Bulls, her 10th place finish established another top mark in the event of 10-10 (3.30m).

Other top athletes included Mike Commisso (Fulton, NY/G. Ray Bodley), who took second in the 800 meters in 1:52.82 and Christina Keck (Erie, PA/McDowell), who placed fifth in the women's 800 meters in 2:15.06. Biaunca McFarland (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) was fourth in the women's triple jump at 39-10.5 (12.15m). Chrissie Matthews (Waterford, NJ/Edgewood) tied for fourth in the women's high jump at 5-6 (1.68m). Noah Burroughs (Hempstead, NY/Hempstead) finished fourth in the long jump at 23-1.25 (7.04m). Halim was seventh in the event at 22-5 (6.83m). Men's 35-lb weight throwers Adam Smith (Varysburg, NY/Attica) and Keith Gentes (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken) placed fifth and sixth, respectively, with tosses of 57-0.25 (17.38m) for Smith and 56-5.25 (17.20m) for Gentes. Ben Moskel (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South) was eighth in the 800 meters in 1:59.38.

In relay competitions, UB's women's 4x400 squad of Jenelle Callender (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Tech), Keck, Katie Scott (Salamanca, NY/Salamanca) and McFarland turned in a sixth-place showing in 3:53.01. The distance medley relay team of Hollie Rhodes (Elmira, NY/Elmira Southside), Diane Corredor (Westfield, NY/Westfield), Allison Laske (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) and Jessica Moldovan (Warren, PA/Warren Area) was seventh in 12:24.96.

Both of UB's men's relay squads placed sixth in their races. The 4x400 squad of Pete Otovic (DeWitt, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt), Tim Giagios (Rochester, NY/Gates Chili), Moskel and Commisso turned in a 3:20.76 showing while the distance medley foursome of Tom Stuart (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua), Giagios, Rich Juszkiewicz (Rochester, NY/Gates Chili) and Tony David (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) finished in 10:20.86.

Up Next

The teams next travel to Boston for the ECAC (men's) and IC4A (women's) Championships. Only athletes who have met the time or distance standards for their events are eligible for competition. UB's outdoor season begins on March 10 at the UNC-Wilmington Quad meet.

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 USTCA Invitational

Men: 11th of 11 Women: 9th of 12

Feb. 17 at Cornell Kane Inv. No team scoring

Feb. 23-24 at MAC Championships

Men: 7th of 11 Women: 8th of 12

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

Mar. 8-10 at NCAA Championships Fayetteville, AR