Track Teams Roll to Victories at UB Open

Men's Results
Women's Results

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo men's and women's teams rolled to easy victories Saturday afternoon at the UB Open at UB Stadium. The UB men scored 312.50 points to place first among eight squads while the UB women compiled 267 points in a seven-team field.

Both teams won 14 of the 19 contested events on Saturday. Sprinters Ezekiel Porter (Rochester, NY/East) and Stacy Downer (Philadelphia, PA/Dobbins/Randolph Tech) won two individual events each and were on both winning relay teams for a total of four first-place finishes by each on the day. Women's thrower Sarah Vance (Lockport, NY/Lockport) won three individual events.

Ezekiel Porter

Porter took the top spot in the men's 100-meter dash in 11.10 and the 200-meter dash in 22.12. He ran the opening leg of the winning 4x100-meter relay that also included Reggie Rucker (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech), James Graber (West Seneca, NY/Bishop Timon-St. Jude) and Roy Richards (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech) which finished in 42.07. Porter anchored the winning 4x400-meter relay team with Todd Joki (Saratoga Springs, NY/Schuylerville), John Connors (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) and Paul Riley (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) to a season-best finish of 3:21.39.

Stacy Downer

Downer also won both sprint events, taking the 100-meters in 12.59 and posting a season-best in the 200-meters in 25.42. She ran the opening leg of the winning 4x400-meter relay, handing the baton to Allison Grimes (Georgetown, TX/Georgetown), Leah Grasmeyer (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) and Liz Anderson (East Moriches, NY/Westhampton Beach), for a time of 4:06.68. She also ran the second leg of the 4x100-meter relay which posted a season-best time of 48.22. Joining Downer in the foursome were Dana Ventrone (Pittsburgh, PA/Chartiers Valley), Kimarie Black (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Polytechnic) and Octavia Johnston (Syracuse, NY/Fowler).

Sarah Vance

Vance scored season-best marks in all three of weight throw victories. In the hammer throw, she improved her NCAA East Regional qualifying mark with a toss of 55.20m. In the shot put, she also improved on her regional mark with a throw of 15.41. Vance finished the day with her third win, in the discus, with a season-best toss of 45.89m.

Rucker was double winner for the men's team, sweeping the hurdle events. He won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.56 and took the 400-meter hurdles in 52.75. Rayshon Higgins (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon-St. Jude) won the long jump at 6.75m and the triple jump at 14.77m. Alex Stamatakis (Hania, Crete, Greece/First Technical & Vocational School of Crete) took the men's hammer throw at 49.75m and the discus at 50.16.

Jake Madonia (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) won the shot put with a toss of 16.97m, a career-best and an NCAA East Regional qualifying mark. P.J. Godios (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) took the javelin with a season-best mark of 51.15m while Sean Becker (Sanborn, NY/Starpoint) won the pole vault at 4.45m.

Seven UB women scored individual victories on Saturday. Grasmeyer took the 400-meter hurdles in a season-best 1:09.89. Mary Veith (Derby, NY/Lake Shore) posted a season-best time in the 800-meters in 2:16.59. Fatimah Hill (Waterport, NY/Lyndonville) won the long jump in a season-best distance of 5.80m while Black was victorious in the triple jump at 11.17m. Vanessa Roelofsen (Alma, Ontario/Norwell District SS) won the women's javelin at 41.88m. Caitlin Godin (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) took the high jump at 1.70m and Carrie Hinners (Maple Grove, MN/Maple Grove) cleared the pole vault at a season-best mark of 3.50m.

The Bulls are in action on two fronts next weekend. Several of the squad members will be competing in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia while the majority of the team is expected to compete at the Gina Relays in Hillsdale, MI.

TEAM SCORES

Women: Buffalo 267, Geneseo State 186, Fredonia State 100, Nazareth 98, Toronto 22, Erie CC 7, Niagara 6.

Men: Buffalo 312.50, Geneseo State 182, Fredonia State 76.50, Nazareth 60, Erie CC 18, Toronto 15, Niagara 13, Canisius 4.