Track and Field Completes Day One of MAC Championships

Patrice Coney takes second place in pentathlon
YPSILANTI, MI - Day one of the 2008 Mid-American Conference Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship, hosted by Eastern Michigan University, came to a close on Friday.

Patrice Coney

Both of Buffalo’s squads had a solid first day, with the women ending the day in fifth place in the 12-team field with 18 points while the men currently sit in fourth place out of five teams, inking 17 points. Akron is leading the women’s competition with 45 points and Eastern Michigan is at the top of the men’s leader-board with 42 points.

Senior Patrice Coney (Lyons, NY/Lyons) led the way on the women’s side, taking home second place in the pentathlon with 3747 points. Coney’s outstanding performance included season-best marks in the long jump (5.65m), the high jump (1.66m) and the 800-meter run (2:20.85).

Lataya Dixon

Freshman Lataya Dixon (Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens) also picked up points for the Bulls in the same event, turning in a personal best and finishing fifth with 3541 points. Dixon inked season-best marks in the 60-meter hurdles (8.91) and the high jump (1.72m). Dixon’s mark in the high jump also serves as UB’s top mark in the event this year.

In the pole vault, Tiffany Maskulinski (Elma, NY/Iroquois) continued her stellar first season at UB, finishing fourth, clearing 3.93m.

Matt Gac

On the men’s side, Matt Gac (Newark Valley, NY/Newark Valley) claimed third in the weight throw with a season-best mark of 18.32m while teammate Alex Stamatakis (Hania, Crete, Greece/First Technical & Vocational School of Crete) finished in fourth place with a season-best throw of 18.02m.

Competition at the 2008 MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships will resume on Saturday, with the first event set to begin at 10:00 am.

02/29/2008