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Eight Bulls Named To Academic All-MAC Indoor Track And Field Team

Tina Villa

Tina Villa (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) and Patrice Coney (Lyons, NY/Lyons) were named to the women’s team while John Connors (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island), Josh Durkin (Depew, NY/Lancaster), Brendan Hagerty (Erie, PA/Cathedral Prep), Jesse Mang (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park), Ezekiel Porter (Rochester, NY/East) and Daniel Schichtel (Eden, NY/Eden) were selected for the men’s squad.

Villa, a senior accounting major with a 3.81 grade point average, was one of four repeat honorees in the conference from the 2007 squad. Villa was the 2008 MAC Champion in shot put (15.59m) and turned in a season-best mark in the weight throw (15.13m) at the Akron Quad on Jan. 11.

Patrice Coney

Coney, a senior nursing major with a 3.342 GPA, set numerous UB school records throughout the Indoor season and established herself as one of the MAC’s premier athletes in the pentathlon. Coney was the runner-up in the pentathlon at the 2008 MAC Championships and also broke UB’s school record (3751 pts.) while establishing herself as a NCAA provisional qualifier at the Penn State National Invite. In addition, Coney broke the school record in the 55-meter hurdles (8.19) and the 60-meter hurdles (8.60) and was named MAC track athlete of the week twice (1/14 and 1/28) and MAC scholar athlete of the week once (2/06).

John Connors

Connors, a sophomore pharmacy major with a 3.397 GPA, had a standout season on the track, recording season-best times in 2008 in the 400-meter dash (50.10) and the 500-meter dash (1:06.82). Additionally, Connors was a member of UB’s IC4A qualifying 4x400-meter relay team (3:17.52).

Josh Durkin

Durkin, a sophomore sociology major with a 3.27 GPA, established himself as one of UB’s top middle distance runners, recording season-best times in the 800-meter run (1:56.07) at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge on Feb. 2 and the 1000-meter run (2:37.18) at the Cornell Upstate Challenge on Jan. 19.

Brendan Hagerty

Hagerty, a sophomore biology major with a 3.213 GPA, had a solid indoor season in the sprint events for Buffalo. Hagerty recorded a season-best time in the 400-meter dash (51.21) at the Akron Open on Feb. 22.

Jesse Mang

Mang, a senior media studies major with a 3.519 GPA, turned in excellent results for the Bulls in the distance events, recording season-best times in the mile run (4:20.28) at the Akron Open on Feb. 22 and the 3000-meter run (8:37.20) at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge on Feb. 2.

Ezekiel Porter

Porter, a sophomore african studies major with a 3.256 GPA, established himself as one of the MAC’s best sprinters, taking second place in the 60-meter dash (6.81) and third place in the 200-meter dash at the MAC Championships on March 1. Additionally, Porter inked a season-best and top UB time in the 400-meter dash (49.80) at the Akron Open on Feb. 22. Porter was also a member of UB’s IC4A qualifying 4x400-meter relay team (3:17.90) and was named MAC athlete of the week for the week of Jan. 14.

Daniel Schichtel

Schichtel, a sophomore business major with a 3.451 GPA, was a top sprinter for the Bulls, recording a season-best and IC4A qualifying time of 6.94 in the 60-meter dash on Feb. 8 at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge. Schichtel also recorded a season-best time in the 200-meter dash (22.74) at the Akron Open on Jan. 11.

To be nominated, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award. Outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments from the current season only are considered. The Academic All-MAC team is voted on by the league’s faculty athletic representatives. The total number of honorees is set for a specific sport or 33 percent of all nominees, whichever is greater. A total of 22 men and 22 women were named to the 2008 Indoor Track and Field Academic All-MAC teams.