BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo men's and women's indoor track and field squad presented its team awards for the 2002-03 season at the annual Athletic Awards Banquet held at Samuel's Grande Manor.

Men's head coach Perry Jenkins made the following presentations to his squad: Carlos Williams (Jamestown, NY/Westfield Academy) was selected as the Top Newcomer; Onile White (Bronx, NY/DeWitt Clinton) earned the Most Improved Player Award; Byron McKinney (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) received the Coach's Award; and Steve Esler (Rochester, NY/Aquinas) was named the team's Most Valuable Player as well as UB's Male Athlete of the Year. Women's head coach Vicki Mitchell presented her squad with the following awards: Krystal Seiling (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) was selected as the Top Newcomer; Christina Keck (Erie PA/McDowell) earned the Most Improved Player Award; Jenelle Callender (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Tech) received the Coach's Award; and Biaunca McFarland (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) was named the team's Most Valuable Player.

Carlos Williams

The Top Newcomer Award is presented to the individual student-athlete who distinguishes himself/herself as the most talented new player on the team or the individual who accomplishes the greatest achievements as a first-year player. Williams, a mulit-event specialist, placed fifth in the heptathlon at the Mid-American Conference Championships. He totaled 4,837 points for the seven-event competition. Seiling, a sprinter, turned in a top individual performance of 59.02 in the 400-meters to place third at the Cornell Kane Invitational. She also helped establish two relay records for the Bulls.

Krystal Seiling

The Most Improved Player Award is presented to the student-athlete who has made the greatest stride or improvement in his/her performance from the previous season or from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. White, a middle distance runner, established a top mark of 4:20.43 in the mile run at the MAC Championships to place 16th overall. Keck, also a middle distance specialist, broke the women's 10-year old mile record at the MAC Championships with a 4:55.03 clocking to place third. She bettered the mark the following week at the ECAC Championships with a time of 4:51.00 to place fourth.

Steve Esler

The Coach's Award is selected by the head coach and is given to the student-athlete who best exemplifies the team virtues as defined by the head coach. The recipient is one who stands out in dedication, commitment, unselfishness and enthusiasm towards helping the team improve. McKinney, a thrower, the school-record holder in the shot put, placed fourth in the event at the MAC Championships with a season-best heave of 55-9 (16.99m). Callender, a sprinter, posted three individual records in her senior season. She turned in a 7.75 clocking in the 60-meters and 56.83 showing in the 400-meters at the Penn State National Invitational on February 1. She also placed eighth at the MAC Championships in the 200-meters in 25.12 after setting the school record at 25.00 in the preliminary heats. As a relay specialist, she ran the opening leg of the record-setting 4x400 relay (3:48.40) at the ECAC Championships. The foursome included the remainder of this season's women's honorees, Keck, Seiling and McFarland.

Biaunca McFarland

The Most Valuable Player Award is given to the student-athlete who makes the most significant contribution to the accomplishments of the team through his/her skills and leadership. Esler, a multi-event specialist, set school records in both the pentathlon (3,933 points at the Cornell Five-Way meet) and the heptathlon (5,251 points at the MAC Championship meet). His point total in the heptathlon earned him the MAC Championship title, the first of his career, and first-team All-MAC honors, and his point total in the pentathlon ranked in the top five in the nation and qualified him for the USATF Indoor National Championships. Esler also placed 11th in an 18-person field at the 2003 USA Combined Indoor Events Championships at the University of North Carolina in March, scoring better than defending champion Tom Pappas, ranked number one in the United States and number two in the world in the decathlon in 2002 by Track & Field News. McFarland, a jumps and sprint specialist, improved on her triple jump record with a leap of 41-10 (12.75m) to win the event at the Armory Collegiate Invitational in New York City and also establish a meet record. She earned MAC Female Athlete and Scholar Athlete of the Week honors after winning the triple jump at the Cornell Five-Way meet earlier in the season. She placed second in the triple jump at the MAC and ECAC Championships and anchored the record-setting 4x400 relay team at the ECAC meet.

Both squads completed their seasons with a 3-1 record in dual meet competition. The men placed ninth at the MAC Championships in Kent, OH while the women's squad grabbed eighth at the MAC Championships.