UB Track And Field Travels To Kent State For MAC Championships On Friday
2/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
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BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo men's and women's track and field teams aim for their first ever MAC Championship on Friday and Saturday as the Bulls travel to Kent State for the 2014 Indoor MAC Championships. The two-day meet at the Kent State University Field House will be February 28 and March 1.
The UB women will be aiming to improve on their impressive sixth place finish from a year ago while the UB men will look to move up from their fourth place finish with one of their deepest teams in school history.
"This weekend our teams are prepared to compete at the highest level," stated head coach Vicki Mitchell. "We have the opportunity to compete at a great venue, with great competition, and rankings do not mean anything. It's all about being ready to go on Championship day."
The Bulls have athletes qualified in 31 of the 34 events scheduled this weekend and have four athletes, Jonathan Jones, Ryan Billian, Chris Reape and Asia Henry who enter this weekend ranked atop the MAC in their respective events. The women's distance medley team of Corinne Birchard, Crystal Graham, Meghan Manley and Caroline Brown are also the top ranked team in the MAC entering competition on Friday.
Miles Lewis returns for his senior season aiming for his second straight MAC title in the 60-meter dash. Lewis enters the championship with a season-best time of 6.80 seconds in the 60-meter dash, a better time than the mark he posted last season to win the MAC crown. Lewis also qualified for the 200-meter dash while Billian will also be a contender in the 60 meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump.
"We have many athletes poised to compete for top places on the track and in contention for winning individual titles," stated Mitchell. "Miles Lewis and Ryan Billian will be setting the stage for a great team competition on the track."
As has been the case in UB's success at the league meets, the Bulls will rely heavily on their men's and women's throwers to help the squads achieve top results.
On the men's side, the Bulls have set six school records in field events. Leading the way for the Bulls in the shot put is All-American, Jones, who set the school record in the event earlier this season with a toss of 65-05.50 (19.95m). His effort is the best in the MAC so far this season and ranks him in the top five in the NCAA in the shot put. Senior Evan Palmer also has had a great indoor season, shattering the school record in the weight throw with a throw of 67-10.25 (20.68m).
"Jonathan Jones will defend his individual shot put title and Evan Palmer is ready to compete for a top spot in the weight throw," said Mitchell. "The MAC is small but powerful on the men's side and anything can happen."
Other Buffalo field athletes who set school records this season and competing this weekend are Austin Price in the triple jump with a leap of 49-11.75 (15.23m), Billian with a long jump of 24-11.25 (7.60m), Reape with a high jump of 7-00.25 (2.14m) and Adam Hume in the pole vault with a leap of 16-06.75 (5.05m).
On the women's side, senior team captain Asia Henry has continued to make strong strides following a redshirt season last year. Henry currently owns the top ranking in the MAC entering this weekend in the 800-meter run. Henry ran a blazing time of 2:08.24, over a second faster than any other athlete in the MAC field. Henry will also be a key contributor in the Bulls 4x400 meter relay team.
Senior Donna Jeanty will look to use her experience from previous season's to earn a MAC crown in the 400-meter dash. Jeanty currently ranks second in the conference in the event and would like nothing more than to earn a trip to the NCAA's.
"For the women, our seniors will lead the way with their experience," said Mitchell. "Team leader both on and off the field, Asia Henry is prepared to take the challenge in the 800-meter, and Donna Jeanty has used her previous years of experience to know how to handle both the indoor track and the MAC competition in the 400-meter."
Also on the track, senior Crystal Graham and sophomore Camaria Long will look to bring home a championship in the 200-meter dash as they both have top five times in the MAC entering the competition. Graham and Long will also be apart of the Bulls 4x400 meter relay team with high hopes of winning the event.
"The women are underdogs and they will rise to the occasion," stated Mitchell.
In the field events, UB will be leaning heavily on junior pole vaulter Kelly Truppo who currently ranks second in the MAC in the event, just 0.01 meters behind the leader. Truppo will be joined by Jenna Van Dusen and freshman Jenn Thill at the MAC's in the pole vaulting competition.
The Bulls also had three throwers qualify as leading the way is senior captain Rachel Roberts. Roberts has the experience and the demeanor to bring home a shot put title while Megan Patterson and Taylor Woods have put together great season's and also will fight for the top spot. Patterson has also qualified for the weight throw and ranks in the top ten entering the event.
Action is set to start on Friday at 10:00 am with the heptathlon 60m dash and the women's 20-pound weight throw.
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