RALEIGH, NC - The University at Buffalo sent a full contingent of athletes to the Raleigh Relays at North Carolina State University and brought back some impressive results from the meet that featured over 3,000 athletes representing over 100 teams. There was no team scoring in the meet, one of the largest to be held on the East Coast each year.

Joe Clark

Leading UB's teams in the weekend meet was Joe Clark (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home), who finished second among 167 finishers in the 400-meter dash. Clark turned in a clocking of 47.56 seconds, just falling short of St. Augustine's Wilan Louis, who won the event at 47.29.

Faith Thompson

On the women's side, junior thrower Faith Thompson (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) broke her own record in the shot put. Thompson qualified for NCAA regional competition with a toss 46-7.25 (14.20m) to finish seventh among 32 placers. The throw was two and a half feet better than her previous record which she set last season. She also finished 14th in the hammer throw at 159-1 (48.50m).

UB's women also set a relay record as the 800-meter relay team turned in a 1:40.47 showing to finish 12th of 29 teams and slice more than a second off the old mark.

Christina Keck (Erie, PA/McDowell) scored a fourth-place finish in the 800-meters with a 2:10.86 showing. Byron McKinney (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) also finished fourth in the men's shot put at 55-1.50 (16.80m). Keith Gentes (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken) took fifth in the hammer throw at 177-1 (53.99m).

Other highlights included Laura Olson (Lyons, NY/Lyons) tying for seventh in the pole vault at 12-0 (3.66m). Jessica Moldovan (Warren, PA/Warren) placed eighth in the women's 3000-meter steeplechase at 11:53.75. Rick Stewart (West Seneca, NY/West SenecaWest) took 12th in the men's race in 9:25.59. Onile White (Bronx, NY/DeWitt Clinton) was 11th in the unseeded portion of the 1500-meter run. Biaunca McFarland (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) finished 18th in the 400-meter dash in 56.35.

After two meets south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the Bulls return north for next weekend's McDonald's Invitational hosted by Mid-American Conference rival Ohio University.