Penn Relays
Track Teams Head to Philadelphia for Penn Relays
4/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
BUFFALO, NY – One of the annual rites of spring in the world of college athletics comes this week as the University at Buffalo men's and women's track and field squads head to Philadelphia for the annual Penn Relays. The meet, at the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field and first held in 1895, is the longest uninterrupted collegiate track meet in the country.
A contingent of 27 men's and women's athletes are entered in track and field events beginning Thursday and continuing through Saturday.
UB's men's and women's throwers will be expected to continue with their impressive seasons. On Thursday, Becky O'Brien will compete in the championship division of the women's shot put while Shante' White and Erin Miller are entered in the hammer and discus throws. O'Brien will also compete in the championship division of the discus, slated for Friday. Men's throwing events are scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Rob Golabek, UB's men's shot put record holder, will compete in Friday's championship division of the shot put. Matt Gac and Evan Palmer will compete in Friday's college division discus event and Saturday's college division hammer toss.
Men's distance specialists Ryan Bloom, Dylan Conway and Jacob Hagen will race late Thursday night. Bloom and Conway are in the Olympic Development men's 5,000-meters starting at 10:00 pm while Hagen takes to the track at 10:55 pm for the 10,000-meters. Donna Jeanty, who broke the UB record in the women's 400-meter hurdles last weekend, will compete on Thursday morning.
The Bulls will field seven relay squads (four women's and three men's) throughout the weekend. UB's women's 4x100- and 4x400-meter relay teams are in action on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, the men's 4x100-meter relay heats begin at 12:35 pm. The Bulls will also field teams on Friday in the men's and women's shuttle hurdle relays, men's distance medley relay and women's sprint medley relay.
"Penn Relays is one of the key meets on our schedule to face key competition from the East Region as well as across the country," said UB women's head coach Vicki Mitchell. "It will provide a chance for our women's 4x400 and 4x100 relays to race against great competition and improve our times. Our goal is to be among the top in the MAC and hit a top 48 time in the region."
"In the field events, it will provide a different venue and competition to compete against. This experience prepares them for the post-season competitions at the NCAA First Round and NCAA Championships," Mitchell continued. Adaptation to surroundings and going up against top ranked teams are important to develop the athletes. Our team is ready and excited."
