TRACK & FIELD

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BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo men's and women's indoor track and field squad presented its team awards for the 2001-02 season at the annual Athletic Awards Banquet held at Samuel's Grande Manor.

Head coach Dick Barry made the following presentations to the men's squad: Pete Zaccariello (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) was selected as the Top Newcomer; Steve Esler (Rochester, NY/Aquinas) earned the Most Improved Player Award; Joe Loiacono (Rochester, NY/Greece-Olympia) received the Coach's Award; and Joe Clark (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) was named the team's Most Valuable Player. Barry presented the women's squad with the following awards: Charisse Everett (Rochester, NY/Edison Tech) was selected as the Top Newcomer; Faith Thompson (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) earned the Most Improved Player Award; Laura Olson (Lyons, NY/Lyons) received the Coach's Award; and Christina Keck (Erie PA/McDowell) was named the team's Most Valuable Player.

Pete Zaccariello

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. Zaccariello, a distance specialist, was a member of the distance medley relay squad that won at the UB Open on January 25 with a time of 11:34.00. Everett, a sprinter, took first in the 55 meters at the Class of '32 Invitational at Colgate on February 2 with a time of 7.28.

Charisse Everett

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. Esler took third place at the Kent State Golden Flash Gala on December 8 in the pentathlon with 3395 points. At the Mid-American Conference Championships on February 22-23, Esler placed second in the heptathlon, recording a school-record 5,061 points in the seven-event competition. Thompson, a thrower, was a double winner at the Marc Deneault Invitational at Cornell University on February 16, taking first in both the shot put with a toss of 44-8.25 and the 20-lb. weight throw at 53-8.50.

Joe Clark

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. Loiacono, a thrower, won the shot put at the UB Open on January 25 with a toss of 53-4.50 (16.27m). He finished second at the Deneault Invitational on February 16 in the shot put with a toss of 53-9.75. Olson, a pole vaulter, broke her own school record and set a personal best at the Nittany Lion Challenge Cup at Penn State University on February 8-9. Her height of 11'6" placed her fourth overall.

Christina Keck

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. Clark, the Bulls' top sprinter, took first in the 500 at the Colgate Invitational on December 1 with a 1:04.42 finish, qualifying him for the IC4A Championships. Clark took first in the 400 at the Kent State Golden Flash Gala on December 8 with a 47.04 finish. Keck took a first-place victory at the Class of '32 Invitational in the 800 meters with a 2:15.16 finish. The mid-distance runner took second in the 800 meters at the Mid-American Conference Championships on February 22-23. Her time of 2:12.55 was an improvement over last season's performance from the 2001 Championships when she took fifth in 2:15.06.

The men's squad completed its season with a 5-2 record and placed eighth at the Mid-American Conference Championships in Bowling Green, OH. The women's squad completed its season 8-1 and placed 11th at the MAC Championships.