Bulls See Tough Competition at Raleigh Relays

Christine Sprehe

RALEIGH, NC – The University at Buffalo men’s and women’s track and field teams were in action over the weekend at the Raleigh Relays, one of the nation’s top competitions, as the Bulls posted some top results. There was no team scoring at the meet held at North Carolina State’s Paul Derr Track Stadium.

The Bulls had a first-place finish from women’s distance runner Christine Sprehe (Boston, NY/Orchard Park). Sprehe won the section II race in the 1,500-meters in 4:46.01. Sprehe also anchored UB’s 1,600-meter sprint relay to a ninth-place finish in 4:10.42. Joining Sprehe were Natalie Fildes (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca East), Octavia Johnston (Syracuse, NY/Fowler) and Allison Grimes (Georgetown, TX/Georgetown).

Fatimah Hill

UB’s Fatimah Hill (Waterport, NY/Lyndonville) turned in a second-place finish in the women’s long jump, breaking her own school record. Hill attained an NCAA regional qualifying standard with her leap of 19-8.25 (6.00m). The jump bettered her previous school record, set in 2006, by two inches.

Alex Stamatakis

The UB men had a second-place finish in the discus. Alex Stamatakis (Hania, Crete, Greece/First Technical & Vocational School of Crete) posted a season-best with his heave of 165-0 (50.30m).

UB’s women had three fourth-place showings in the field events. Caitlin Godin (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) tied for fourth in the high jump at 5-7 (1.70m), equaling the height she cleared at the season-opener at North Carolina-Wilmington two weeks ago. Carrie Hinners (Maple Grove, MN/Maple Grove) finished fourth in the pole vault at 10-6 (3.20m). Vanessa Roelofsen (Alma, Ontario/Norwell District SS) placed fourth in the javelin with a throw of 149-2 (45.47m). UB teammate Katie Weston (North Bay, Ontario/Widdifield SS) was sixth at 138-4 (42.17m).

Both squads also posted strong times in the 4x200-meter relay, an event not typically run during the season. The UB men placed fourth in the event in 1:29.09 behind the foursome of Ezekiel Porter (Rochester, NY/East), Brandon Giles (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech), James Graber (West Seneca, NY/Bishop Timon-St. Jude) and Dan Schichtel (Eden, NY/Eden). UB’s women’s entry of Patrice Coney (Lyons, NY/Lyons), Fildes, Grimes and Godin finished fifth in their race in 1:43.73.

The Bulls return to action in two weeks at the Miami (OH) Invitational.