Track Teams Successful at Colonial Relays

Fatimah Hill

WILLIAMSBURG, VA – The University at Buffalo track and field teams finished near the top of their respective fields at the Colonial Relays hosted by William and Mary on Saturday. The UB women finished fourth with 80 points in a 23-team field while the UB men placed eighth among 24 schools with 43 points. The host Tribe won both team titles as windy conditions at Zable Stadium kept marks low.

The UB women posted a pair of victories in field events on Saturday. Senior Fatimah Hill scored a first-place finish in the women’s triple jump with a season-best leap of 12.20m and was the only individual to surpass 12 meters. Senior Tina Villa won the women’s shot put at 14.49m as the Bulls placed first and second in the event. Freshman Kristy Woods was behind Villa with a throw of 13.75m to claim second.

Tina Villa

Hill and Villa also placed second in a pair of events. Hill posted a season-best in the long jump at 5.86m while Villa finished second in the discus throw at 43.90m.

The UB women were also successful in the javelin and pole vault competitions. The Bulls scored second and third in the javelin throw. Katie Weston was second at 38.23m with Amanda Bialkowski third at 36.38m. Tiffany Maskulinski posted a season-best finish in the women’s pole vault at 3.65m.

Senior Mary Veith paced the UB women’s efforts on the track with her second-place finish in the 5,000-meters. Veith placed behind Iona’s Ashling Baker in a clocking of 17:47.78. It was Veith’s first 5,000-meter competition of the season and bettered her top performance from the 2008 season by nearly 20 seconds.

Jake Madonia

The UB men found success in the weight throws as well. Junior Jake Madonia posted a pair of second-place finishes to lead the team. Madonia was second in the discus throw at 46.35m, more than a meter better than his previous top effort of the season. Madonia also took second in the shot put at 16.06m.

Matt GAc earned an NCAA East Regional qualifying mark with his second-place showing in the hammer throw. Gac finished with a toss of 57.10m, a one-meter improvement from his throw at the season-opening Seahawk Invitational. Gac also finished behind Madonia in the discus with a throw of 46.03m for fourth place.

Chris Davis set a season-best mark in the men’s long jump with a leap of 7.10m while on the track, Ezekiel Porter finished fifth in the 400-meters in 48.55 and Justin Craddock took sixth in the 800-meters in 1:53.21.

Russell Cameron

Meanwhile, UB multi-athletes Russell Cameron and Caitlin Godin traveled to the central part of Virginia to compete in the Liberty Collegiate Invitational in Lynchburg.

Cameron finished fourth of 13 entrants in the men’s decathlon with a 10-event total score of 6,574 points. Cameron won the 110-meter hurdles portion of the event in 15.16 for his best finish of the competition.

Godin placed fifth among eight athletes in the women’s heptathlon at 3,914 points. Godin won the first event of the seven, the 100-meter hurdles in 14.65 and placed second in the shot put (31-10.75, 9.72m) and 200-meters (25.37).

Both squads are at the Akron Invitational next weekend.