Thursday, May 11
Akron, OH
TBA
at
Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships
Bulls Crown Two MAC Champions on Day One
5/12/2023 9:32:00 AM | Track and Field
AKRON, Ohio – The University at Buffalo track and field team began competition at the MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday.
The women started the day with Scilla Benussi and Kelsey Shapiro in the heptathlon. Benussi set three personal best marks in the 4 events of the day. In the women's 100-meter hurdles, she ran a lifetime best of 14.70, scoring 882 points. Shapiro ran 16.13 for 698 points. In the second event, the high jump, Benussi again set a personal best mark of 1.67-meters/5'5.75", placing 5th of the 14 competitors and earning 818 points. Shapiro cleared 1.61-meters/5'3.5", placing 7th in the event, good for 747 points.
The next event, the shot put, Benussi set a personal best of 12.09-meters/39'8" (667 points), placing 3rd, and Shapiro was just shy of her lifetime best, throwing 10.37-meters/34'0.25" (554 points). In the final event of the day, the 200-meters, Benussi finished strong in 26.75 and Shapiro in 26.83, both just shy of a lifetime best, earning 733 points and 726 points, respectively.
After Day One, Benussi sits in 3rd place with 3100 points, behind Charity Griffith (Ball State, 3571 points), and Jenelle Rogers (Ball State, 3569 points), and Shapiro is in 11th place with 2725 points.
The men's decathlon started strong for the Bulls as well. Senior Mike Wolford ran 11.63 in the 100-meters, just off his lifetime best of 11.54, scoring 725 points, and junior Kevin Gabalski ran 11.27, just .01 off his personal best, scoring 801 points to start the 10-event competition. In the long jump, Wolford jumped 6.34-meters/20'9.5" for 661 points and Gabalski leaped out to 21'5.75", scoring 709 points. Wolford showed his throwing strength in the shot put with a mark of 14.66-meters/48'1.25", scoring 769 points. Gabalski threw 10.55-meters/34'7.25" for 519 points.
The fourth event of the day, the high jump, was again a success for both men. Wolford cleared 1.91-meters/6'3.25", tying for 1st in the event with Mason Murphy from Kent State, scoring 723 points. Gabalski was also just shy of his lifetime best, clearing 1.79-meters/5'10.5" for 619 points. In the final event of Day 1, the 400-meters, Gabalski sprinted to a massive personal best mark, running 50.88, scoring 774 points and winning the event. Wolford ran 54.79 for 607 points.
With five more events to go on Day Two, Alex Shields of KSU is in first with 3861 points, Wolford is in second with 3485 points, and Gabalski is in third with 3422 points.
On the track, in the preliminary round of the women's 400-meter hurdles, senior Patsy Iannico ran 1:07.66, placing 19th. In the only running final of the day, the 10000-meters, junior Ryan Buzby placed 7th (31:16.43) and Will Marchant finished 8th (32:29.24). Senior Violet Drinkwater placed 12th in the women's pole vault in 10'2.25".
The day culminated with a dominating performance in the men's and women's javelin throw. Senior Danil Chernov threw a huge personal best of 64.15-meters/210'6" on his fourth attempt to win the competition by nearly 4 meters over 2nd place finisher Scott Benco of KSU (60.41-meters/198'2"). Senior Alex McNulty also tossed a personal best by over 2-meters with a distance of 57.54-meters/188'9", placing 4th overall. The duo scored 14 points for the men's team. Chernov's mark moves him to 3rd all-time in UB school history, and he becomes the Bulls' first MAC Champion in the event since Casey Garbaty in 2010. McNulty's throw moves him to 8th all-time for UB.
Not to be outdone, Scilla Benussi put an exclamation point on the day with her win in the women's javelin competition. Benussi, already having 4 events completed in the women's heptathlon, tossed the javelin 42.10-meters/138'1", upsetting the 2nd place finisher and the number 1 seed Laurel Bristow of Akron (41.66-meters/136'8"). Benussi's win brings 10 points for the Bulls, and she becomes the first MAC Champion in the event since Vanessa Roelofsen's victories in 2007 and 2008.
After the first day of competition, the women's team is in sixth place with 10 points and the men's team is in second place with 14 points.
For complete day one results, click here (PDF).
UP NEXT
Day two begins with the women's hammer throw at 10 a.m. Live results are here.
The women started the day with Scilla Benussi and Kelsey Shapiro in the heptathlon. Benussi set three personal best marks in the 4 events of the day. In the women's 100-meter hurdles, she ran a lifetime best of 14.70, scoring 882 points. Shapiro ran 16.13 for 698 points. In the second event, the high jump, Benussi again set a personal best mark of 1.67-meters/5'5.75", placing 5th of the 14 competitors and earning 818 points. Shapiro cleared 1.61-meters/5'3.5", placing 7th in the event, good for 747 points.
The next event, the shot put, Benussi set a personal best of 12.09-meters/39'8" (667 points), placing 3rd, and Shapiro was just shy of her lifetime best, throwing 10.37-meters/34'0.25" (554 points). In the final event of the day, the 200-meters, Benussi finished strong in 26.75 and Shapiro in 26.83, both just shy of a lifetime best, earning 733 points and 726 points, respectively.
After Day One, Benussi sits in 3rd place with 3100 points, behind Charity Griffith (Ball State, 3571 points), and Jenelle Rogers (Ball State, 3569 points), and Shapiro is in 11th place with 2725 points.
The men's decathlon started strong for the Bulls as well. Senior Mike Wolford ran 11.63 in the 100-meters, just off his lifetime best of 11.54, scoring 725 points, and junior Kevin Gabalski ran 11.27, just .01 off his personal best, scoring 801 points to start the 10-event competition. In the long jump, Wolford jumped 6.34-meters/20'9.5" for 661 points and Gabalski leaped out to 21'5.75", scoring 709 points. Wolford showed his throwing strength in the shot put with a mark of 14.66-meters/48'1.25", scoring 769 points. Gabalski threw 10.55-meters/34'7.25" for 519 points.
The fourth event of the day, the high jump, was again a success for both men. Wolford cleared 1.91-meters/6'3.25", tying for 1st in the event with Mason Murphy from Kent State, scoring 723 points. Gabalski was also just shy of his lifetime best, clearing 1.79-meters/5'10.5" for 619 points. In the final event of Day 1, the 400-meters, Gabalski sprinted to a massive personal best mark, running 50.88, scoring 774 points and winning the event. Wolford ran 54.79 for 607 points.
With five more events to go on Day Two, Alex Shields of KSU is in first with 3861 points, Wolford is in second with 3485 points, and Gabalski is in third with 3422 points.
On the track, in the preliminary round of the women's 400-meter hurdles, senior Patsy Iannico ran 1:07.66, placing 19th. In the only running final of the day, the 10000-meters, junior Ryan Buzby placed 7th (31:16.43) and Will Marchant finished 8th (32:29.24). Senior Violet Drinkwater placed 12th in the women's pole vault in 10'2.25".
The day culminated with a dominating performance in the men's and women's javelin throw. Senior Danil Chernov threw a huge personal best of 64.15-meters/210'6" on his fourth attempt to win the competition by nearly 4 meters over 2nd place finisher Scott Benco of KSU (60.41-meters/198'2"). Senior Alex McNulty also tossed a personal best by over 2-meters with a distance of 57.54-meters/188'9", placing 4th overall. The duo scored 14 points for the men's team. Chernov's mark moves him to 3rd all-time in UB school history, and he becomes the Bulls' first MAC Champion in the event since Casey Garbaty in 2010. McNulty's throw moves him to 8th all-time for UB.
Not to be outdone, Scilla Benussi put an exclamation point on the day with her win in the women's javelin competition. Benussi, already having 4 events completed in the women's heptathlon, tossed the javelin 42.10-meters/138'1", upsetting the 2nd place finisher and the number 1 seed Laurel Bristow of Akron (41.66-meters/136'8"). Benussi's win brings 10 points for the Bulls, and she becomes the first MAC Champion in the event since Vanessa Roelofsen's victories in 2007 and 2008.
After the first day of competition, the women's team is in sixth place with 10 points and the men's team is in second place with 14 points.
For complete day one results, click here (PDF).
UP NEXT
Day two begins with the women's hammer throw at 10 a.m. Live results are here.
Players Mentioned
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