Sarah Vance

BUFFALO, NY - A combination of chilly temperatures, wind and rain greeted competitors for the annual UB Open at UB Stadium on Saturday. There was no team scoring in the meet as the Bulls used the competition as a tune-up for next month's MAC and NCAA East Regional meets. UB's women put up winning marks in 17 of the 18 events while the men scored 10 first-place finishes.

In conditions that were not conducive to season-best marks, UB's Sarah Vance (Lockport, NY/Lockport) established a school record in her victory in the discus on Saturday. Vance posted a toss of 156-7 (47.75m) to break the 2002 record of Sarah Fletcher by seven inches. Vance's throw also qualified her for the regional meet Manhattan on Memorial Day weekend.

Patrice Coney

Patrice Coney (Lyons, NY/Lyons) finished first in four events. She won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.62 seconds in the lone event that included opponents from other schools. Coney also bested teammate Vashone Wallace (Lackawanna, NY/Lackawanna) to win the 200-meter dash in 25.59 seconds. Wallace finished in 25.88. The times were season-bests for both runners. Coney also took the high jump with a season-best 5-3 (1.60m) ahead of four other UB entrants and was the lone entrant in the triple jump finishing at 34-8.50 (10.58m).

Gary Asbach

Faith Thompson (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls), the UB recordholder in the shot put and hammer throws, took first place in both events on Saturday. She won the shot put at 44-11.75 (13.71m), as UB throwers posted the top four distances. She also won the hammer throw at 195-7 (59.61m).

Two other UB women established personal records to win their events. Jen Jezorski (Elmira, NY/Elmira Southside) won the 800-meters in 2:11.74, lowering her previous best by two and a half seconds and winning the race by more than 15 seconds. Dana Ventrone (Pittsburgh, PA/Chartiers Valley) also established a personal best with her win in the long jump at 18-0 (5.48m).

Other individual women's winners included Charisse Everett (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech) in the 100-meters (12.54), Stacy Downer (Philadelphia, PA/Dobbins Tech) in the 400-meters (58.19), Jennie Donofrio (Pittsford, NY/Penfield) in the 5,000-meters (18:24.08), Celestine Coney (Lyons, NY/Lyons) in the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.74), Carrie Hinners (Maple Grove, MN/Maple Grove) in the pole vault (11-0, 3.35m) and Vanessa Roelofson (Alma, Ontario/Norwell District SS) in the javelin (143-10, 43.84m).

Gary Asbach (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) won two individual events for the UB men. Asbach captured both horizontal jumps with wins in the long jump at 21-6.75 (6.57m) and triple jump at 44-1 (13.44m).

Mike Giordano (Springville, NY/Springville) captured the men's shot put at 49-1.75 (14.98m).

Brian Heim

On the track, Paul Riley (Buffalo, NY/Canisius) won the 400-meters in 49.52. Dan McKenna (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) took the 800-meters in 1:55.29. Steve Strelick (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) won the 1500-meters in 4:04.19 and finished second to McKenna in the 800-meters (1:59.62). Brian Heim (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) won the 400-meter hurdles in 54.03.

UB's men also won the only relay race that was contested against another school as the 4x400-meter team of Chris McClure (Trumansburg, NY/Trumansburg), Riley, McKenna and Heim finished in 3:21.15 to defeat a foursome from Alfred State.

The Bulls travel to Michigan next weekend for Hillsdale College's Gina Relays.