Bulls Have Record-Breaking Weekend at Penn State National Invite

Friday, January 27

University Park, PA

TBA

Penn State National

Bulls Have Record-Breaking Weekend at Penn State National Invite

1/29/2023 2:22:00 PM | Track and Field

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The University at Buffalo men's and women's indoor track & field teams had a historic weekend at the Penn State National Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

Friday, Jan. 27
The women started off the day with the Pentathlon Competition. Scilla Benussi set a new personal best by over 150 points. Her five-event total 3720 points placed her 2^nd overall, and is #4 All-Time in UB program history. Benussi ranks #1 in the MAC in the Pentathlon with her performance. Teammate Kelsey Shapiro placed 5^th overall with a score of 3142 points and ranks #4 in the MAC. Graduate Transfer Teasha McKoy threw a season's best in the Weight Throw placing 2^nd with a distance of 18.77m/61'7", moving her to #6 All-Time in UB history and #3 in the MAC. Imahni Sinclair placed 17^th in 16.19m/53'1.5" in the 30-woman field.

On the track, Antoinette Miller ran a very strong 7.76/60m, placing 25^th in the extremely competitive 44 woman field. In the 60HH Zaria Fuller ran a season's best in the preliminary round of 8.96 advancing to the semi-finals. In the semi-final round she ran another season's best of 8.95, which ranks #19 in the MAC. Freshman Vassi Klock ran a 3-second indoor 800m personal best placing 6^th in her heat and 18^th overall in a time of 2:13.78. Vassi now ranks #5 in the MAC in the 800m.

The men also started the day with the combined events. Mike Wolford currently sits in 2^nd place in the Heptathlon after the first 4 events with 2731 points. Wolford won the heptathlon Shot Put in 44'2.5". Kevin Gabalski was in 5^th place after day 1 with 2668 points. On the track, the men sprinted off to a great start. Sophomore Jermaine Ewers advanced through all 3 rounds of the men's 60m, setting a new personal best in the preliminary round of the 60m in 6.87. He was 7^th in the semi Finals (6.90) and placed 6^th overall in the finals in 6.89. Ewers' 6.87 ranks 4 in the MAC. In the 60HH, Chinemerem Ononiwu placed 2^nd in the prelims in 8.19 advancing to finals. Kyle Wayman ran a personal best of 8.47 placing 13^th overall, ranking #12 in the MAC.

In the 60HH finals, Ononiwu placed 8^th in 8.15m. Hans Matzal ran a great season opener in the 800m, winning his heat in 1:53.37, just off his indoor best mark. The highlight on the track came in the men's Mile where junior Evan Hilbert crushed the school record by 2 seconds running 4:05.78. Hilbert's time was a 10-second personal best and placed him 19^th in the highly competitive 44-man field, moving him to #5 in the MAC.

Saturday, Jan. 28
The Bulls established three of the all-time top ten marks in the men's 3000m at the meet. Senior Ryan Buzby (8:12.33), sophomore Cory Demo (8:21.39), and senior Alex Hislop (8:22.95) moved up to 3^rd, 7^th and 8^th respectively on the descending list for the event.

Sophomore Fernando Sanchez ran a personal best time of 1:21.25 in the 600m and is now ranked 7^th in program history in that event. Freshman Noah Brightman ran a 12 second PR (2:28.84) in the 1000m. That's good for 8^th all-time for Buffalo.

Sophomore Kevin Gabalski placed 4^th in the Heptathlon. His personal best of 4793 points is now 9^th in program history.

Sophomore Zahra Amos (High Jump) and senior Kaylah Britt (Triple Jump) both placed 4^th overall in their respective events.

Freshman Vassi Klock also made her mark in the UB record books with a personal best of 2:56.33 in the 1000m. Her performance is the 10^th best mark ever for Buffalo in that event.

For complete results, click here.

UP NEXT
Most of the team will focus on recovery and training for the next week while a small contingent travels to Cornell for the Kane Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 4. The following weekend, the men's and women's programs will split squads between the Spire Indoor Games and the Valentine Invite hosted by Boston University.