Bulls Gain Major Experience at Akron Invite

Friday, February 5

Akron, OH

All Day

17th Annual Akron Invitational

Bulls Gain Major Experience at Akron Invite

2/6/2021 4:19:00 PM | Track and Field

AKRON, Ohio – The University at Buffalo track and field teams competed at the 17^th Annual Akron Invitational this weekend. The two-day meet showcased talent across the Mid-American Conference with Akron, UB, Kent State, Miami (OH) and Western Michigan competing, as well as Texas State making the trip up north.

Overall, the Bulls had a very strong and competitive invite. UB attacked the record books as they set nine new top-10 results. On Friday evening, Priscilla Faa started it off with a time of 7.75 seconds in the 60-meter dash which is now tied for 10^th all-time at UB. Travasia Singletary also had an impressive 60-meter dash as she ran a personal-records in both the prelim and finals.

Chineme Ononiwu ran to a personal-record of 8.34 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, as junior college transfer Humphrey Banful had a very strong debut in the event.

Samantha Hjelmar continues to impress with her comeback from an Achilles surgery as she finished in second place (1.69-meters / 5'-06.50") in the high jump and just half an inch off her lifetime best. Her distance is now tied for seventh in UB history.

Earnie Burapan had another strong meet placing third in the pole vault overall against great competition.

The much anticipated 5,000-meter run lived up to the hype as the Bulls finished in second, third, fourth and fifth place. On top of their dominance in the event, three Bulls finished in UB's top-10 for the event. William Hilbert is second in the record books with a time of 14:26.19, Armani Merlino is sixth as he finished in 14:31.00 and Scott Loforte is just behind as he crossed the line in 14:38.52 for seventh all-time. Ryan Buzby (fifth place overall, 14:46.28) also has an impressive race as he ran over 30 seconds faster than his previous lifetime best and was just outside the all-time top-10 times.

In the men's 3,000-meter run, Benjamin Cardamone continued his dominance as he set a new school record of8:17.20, good for fourth in the MAC. Also toppling a school record was Brandon Burke in the men's high jump. He cleared a height of 2.19-meters, passing Chris Reape's 2014 record by .04-meters. Burke is now tied for seventh in the NCAA.

Freshman Scilla Benussi won the pentathlon with over a one-meter personal-record in the shot put.

Michael Wolford finished the invite in fourth place in his heptathlon debut.

Women's triple jump saw their first action of the season for Kayla Britt (second place, 1.60-meters / 38'-00.75") and Nisa Raqib (third place, 11.32-meters / 37'-01.75"), both haven't competed in almost a year.

Jonathan Surdej had a huge personal-record in the shot put as he finished in first place with a toss of 16.78-meters (55'-00.75").

Mark Pryzbocki had a personal-record in the shot put with a distance of 15.25-meters (50'-00.50").

Molly McCreedy had a season-best in the moving up the MAC list and the UB records list as he distance of 15.08-meters (49'-05.75") is now ninth in UB history.

UP NEXT
The Bulls will be off next week as they were originally scheduled to travel to Kent State for the Doug Raymond National Invite, but due to COVID protocol changes at Kent State, the Bulls will not be participating. The Bulls will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 20 when they travel to Kent, Ohio for the Kent State Tune-Up.

COMPLETE RESULTS

For news and updates about the UB track & field teams, follow them on Twitter and check the official website of the UB Bulls. For full meet results, click here.

MEN'S HEPTATHLON
4^th – Michael Wolford, 4,506 POINTS
Event #1: 60-Meter Dash – 5^th, 7.65 – 665 POINTS
Event #2: Long Jump – 5^th, 6.07-meters / 19'-11.00" – 602 POINTS
Event #3: Shot Put – 1^st, 14.73-meters / 48'-04.00" – 773 POINTS
Event #4: High Jump – 3^rd, 1.87-meters / 6'-01.50" – 687 POINTS
Event #5: 1,000-Meter Run – 3^rd, 3:07.47 – 593 POINTS
Event #6: 60-Meter Hurdles – 4^th, 9.51 – 637 POINTS
Event #7: Pole Vault – 3^rd, 3.75-meters / 12'-03.50" – 549 POINTS

WOMEN'S PENTATHLON
1^st – Scilla Benussi, 3,555 POINTS
Event #1: 60-Meter Hurdles – 2^nd, 9.32 – 844 POINTS
Event #2: High Jump – 2^nd, 1.62-meters / 5'-03.75" – 759 POINTS
Event #3: Shot Put – 1^st, 11.64-meters / 38'-02.25" – 637 POINTS
Event #4: Long Jump – 1^st, 5.35-meters / 17'-06.75" – 657 POINTS
Event #5: 800-Meter Run – 2^nd, 2:32.82 – 658 POINTS
Event #6: Pole Vault – 3^rd, 3.75-meters / 12'-03.50" – 549 POINTS

FIELD EVENTS
Women's Pole Vault Finals
3^rd – Earnie Burapan, 3.67-meters / 12'-00.50"

Women's Weight Throw Finals
6^th – Asia Hoyte, 16.23-meters / 53'-03.00"
12^th – Rachel Donner, 13.78-meters / 45'-02.50"

Women's High Jump Finals
2^nd – Samantha Hjelmar, 1.69-meters / 5'-06.50" – T-7^th in UB History

Men's Weight Throw Finals
5^th – Caleb Nickens, 19.32-meters / 60'-09.25"
6^th – Sam Wray, 19.23-meters / 59'-00.25"

Women's Shot Put Finals
2^nd – Molly McCreedy, 15.08-meters / 49'-05.75" – 9^th in UB History
9^th – Rachel Donner, 12.33-meters / 40'-05.50"

Women's Long Jump Finals
7^th – Samantha Spinella, 5.51-meters / 18'-01.00"
11^th – Kelsey Shapiro, 5.16-meters / 16'-11.25"
FOUL – Naiomi Meran

Women's Triple Jump Finals
2^nd – Kayla Britt, 1.60-meters / 38'-00.75"
3^rd – Nisa Raqib, 11.32-meters / 37'-01.75"

Men's Shot Put Finals
1^st – Jonathan Surdej, 16.78-meters / 55'-00.75"
6^th – Mark Przybocki, 15.25-meters / 50'-00.50"

Men's High Jump
1^st – Brandon Burke, 2.19-meters / 7'-02.25" – New School Record
4^th – Nakia Williams, Jr., 2.05-meters / 6'-08.75"

RUNNING EVENTS
Women's Mile – Prelims
10^th – Jade Dennis, 5:32.31
12^th – Lily Meek, 5:33.58
14^th – Kayla Leo, 5:42.97
15^th – Meghana Caron, 5:43.77

Women's 60 Hurdles - Prelims
12^th – Christina Wende, 9.27
13^th – Lydia Lanski, 9.36
14^th – Kelsey Shapiro, 9.62

Men's 60 Hurdles – Finals
4^th – Chineme Ononiwu, 8.34
5^th – Humphrey Banful, 8.40

Women's 60-Meter Dash - Prelims
5^th – Priscilla Faa, 7.75 – T-10^th in UB History
8^th – Travasia Singletary, 7.86
10^th – Antoinette Miller, 7.98

Women's 60-Meter Dash – Finals
7^th – Travasia Singletary, 7.81
8^th – Priscilla Faa, 7.82

Men's 5,000-Meter Run – Finals
2^nd – William Hilbert, 14:26.19 – 2^nd in UB History
3^rd – Armani Merlino, 14:31.00 – 6^th in UB History
4^th – Scott Loforte, 14:38.52 – 7^th in UB History
5^th – Ryan Buzby, 14:46.28
DNF – Louis Greco

Women's 200-Meter Dash Finals
6^th – Priscilla Faa, 25.30 – 10^th in UB History

Women's 400 Meter Dash Finals
8^th – Samantha Shea, 58.76
11^th – Emma Seiders, 59.91
13^th – Patsy Iannico, 1:00.17
16^th – Kamryn Hodges, 1:01.21
17^th – Katriel Perrier, 1:01.31

Women's 800-Meter Run
14^th – Samantha Vetter, 2:25.94

Women's 3,000-Meter Run
4^th – Riley Jones, 10:29.54
5^th – Alexia Hecico, 10:43.14

Women's 4x400 Relay
4^th – Samantha Shea, Emma Seiders, Kamryn Hodges, Katriel Perrier, 4:02.18

Men's 400-Meter Dash
7^th – Gyasi Morris, 50.08
8^th – David Wolanin, 50.30
17^th – Elijah Kerner, 51.20
18^th – Jaron Meyer, 51.71

Men's 800-Meter Run
7^th – Patrick Hazlitt, 1:54.53
9^th – Christopher Nowak, 1:56.67

Men's 3,000-Meter Run
1^st – Benjamin Cardamone, 8:17.20 – New School Record
3^rd – Thomas Flannery, 8:39.50
4^th – Sean O'Brien, 8:53.56
DNF – Alex Hislop

Men's 4x400 Relay
4^th – David Wolanin, Elijah Kerner, Jaron Meyer, Gyasi Morris, 3:22.86