Bulls Post Big Numbers at Miami Invite

Men finish second, women place fifth against strong regional field

Roy Richards

OXFORD, OH – The University at Buffalo men's and women's track and field teams put up some strong numbers on Saturday to conclude the Miami Invitational at Rider Track in Oxford, OH. The UB men finished second with 118 points, just five ahead of third-place Notre Dame among 12 teams. The UB women placed fifth in a 16-team field with 63.50 points. The host RedHawks won both the men's and women's meets with 204 and and 164.50 points, respectively.

The UB men won six events while the women came away victorious in a pair of field events. Roy Richards (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech) had a phenomenal for the Bulls with two individiual victories and a relay win. Richards won his specialty event, the long jump, with a distance of 24-3.75 (7.41m), just missing his season-best mark by a quarter-inch. He also posted a win in the 100-meters in 10.96 seconds, establishing a season-best in the event.

Richards also anchored UB's winning 4x100-meter relay team to a season-best finish of 41.70. The remainder of the foursome included Bryan Weinstein (Getzville, NY/Williamsville North), Babaseyi Olaleye (Lagos, Nigeria/Lagos) and Rob McRae (Rexford, NY/Shenendehowa).

Brian Heim

Brian Heim (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) tied his own school record and set a new Miami Invite mark to win the 400-meter hurdles in 51.95. The time also qualified Heim for the NCAA East regional meet in May. Heim also helped the 4x400-meter relay team to a season-best clocking of 3:19.66 to place second. Heim, Olaleye, Weinstein and McRae made up the UB foursome.

Rayshon Higgins (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon-St. Jude) and Loic Sebuharara (Vestal, NY/Vestal) propelled the Bulls to a one-two finish in the triple jump. Higgins won the event with a leap of 46-8.75 (14.24m) while Sebuharara was right behind at 44-5.25 (13.54m).

Mike Giordano (Springville, NY/Springville), in his first competition of the season, won the shot put with a toss of 50-0.75 (15.26m).

Vanessa Roelofsen

In the women's meet, Vanessa Roelofsen (Alma, Ontario/Norwell District SS) won the javelin, breaking her own school record and setting a new meet record in the process. In swirling winds that played havoc on all the throwers, Roelofsen's toss sailed 166-10 (50.85m), bettering her own school mark by nearly five feet. Her toss was also more than 35 feet (10.87m) better than the second-place throw.

Tina Villa (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) took the top spot in the discus throw with a mark of 144-2 (43.94m). She also placed sixth in the shot put at 42-4.75 (12.92m). Beverly Weyer (Castalia, OH/St. Mary's Central Catholic) earned a fourth-place finish in the hammer throw at 158-10 (48.42m).

Caitlin Godin (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) tied for second in the high jump at 5-8.75 (1.75m), earning a berth in the regional competition.

On the track, Kate Kohout (Clarence, NY/Clarence) finished third in the 800-meters in 2:13.69. Stacy Downer (Philadelphia, PA/Dobbins/Randolph Tech) was fourth in the 100-meters in a season-best 12.49 while Jenny Koeppel (Amherst, NY/Amherst) also finished fourth in the 1,500-meters in 4:34.56. UB's 4x100-meter relay foursome of Downer, Mary Veith (Derby, NY/Lake Shore), Kohout and Fatimah Hill (Waterport, NY/Lyndonville) also finished fourth in a season-best 3:59.18.

The Bulls are at the Bucknell Bison Open next weekend.

04/08/2006