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UB Track and Field Weekly Release

Bulls Make Final Preparations For MAC Championships

In their final tuneup for the Mid-American Conference Championships, the University at Buffalo men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the Campbell/Wright Open at Akron’s Lee Jackson Track on Saturday. There was no team scoring in the meet that also included squads from MAC foe Kent State and host Akron as well as Youngstown State and Wheeling Jesuit. The Bulls set three new school records and also won three events on the day.

Rucker Sets New Hurdles Standard

Reggie Rucker

In the men’s meet, Reggie Rucker (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech) won the 400-meter hurdles in 51.41 seconds, breaking the UB record of 51.75 set last season by Brian Heim (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East). Rucker also set the Lee Jackson facility record with his clocking and earned an NCAA East Regional qualifying spot. Earlier this season, Rucker set the 110-meter hurdles record at 14.25 seconds. During the indoor season, Rucker established new records in the 55 and 60-meter hurdle races, a total of four new hurdles records in the 2007 season.

Godios Comes Up Big in Javelin

P.J. Godios

Javelin thrower P.J. Godios (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) finished third at the Campbell/Wright Open, setting a new personal-best mark. Godios bettered his personal best in the event by more than a foot and his season best by 13 feet. His previous top throw was 179-5 set in the 2006 season.

Higgins, Hill Take Jumps

Fatimah Hill

The Bulls scored a pair of victories in the horizontal jumping events on Saturday. Rayshon Higgins (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon-St. Jude) won the men’s triple jump with a distance of 48-5.25 (14.76m). In the women’s meet, Fatimah Hill (Waterport, NY/Lyndonville) won the long jump with a leap of 19-1.50 (5.83m), improving on her best mark of the season.

Vance, Villa Earn Regional Marks

Sarah Vance (Lockport, NY/Lockport) collected three second-place finishes at Saturday’s meet. Vance broke her own record in the discus with a toss of 161-0 (49.07m), bettering her record by nearly four feet and giving the UB senior her third NCAA East Regional qualifying mark. Vance bettered her qualifying distance in the hammer throw with a distance of 186-8 (56.90m), another four-foot improvement. Vance also netted second place in the shot put with a toss of 49-7.25 (15.12m). Tina Villa (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs), UB’s other top weight thrower, earned a pair of third-place finishes with season-bests in both events. Villa qualified for the regional competition later this month in the shot put with a throw of 48-11.75 (14.93m) while just missing the qualification for the discus. She tossed the discus 155-1 (47.27m) for another season-best and just three centimeters off the qualifying distance.