Friday, February 23
Ypsilanti, MI
10am
vs
MAC Indoor Championships
Bulls To Compete In MAC Indoor Championships Starting Friday
2/22/2024 11:30:00 AM | Track and Field
BUFFALO, NEW YORK –The University at Buffalo Track and Field team is set to compete in the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships this weekend, following a season of school record performances.
The Bulls set five new school records in nine indoor meets this season, with 27 performances entering the all-time leaderboards for the program and 29 performances falling inside the top ten of the conference standings.
On the opening weekend of the season, Ryan Buzby set a new school record in the men's 5000 meter with a time of 13:57.40, which still ranks atop the MAC. Buzby's record foreshadowed what was to come of the season for the Bulls, breaking two more school records himself.
In the 3000 meter, Buzby's time of 8:07.97 shattered the previous best by nearly four seconds, with the time ranking fourth in the conference this season. The fifth year's mile time of 4:04.93 then broke Evan Hilbert's record set just last season by a slim margin. A nod to the historic season, Hilbert came back just two weeks later to break Buzby's record in the mile with a new time to beat of 4:04.93. Heading into MAC championships, both Buzby and Hilbert's times rank inside the top five across the conference.
Tal Hamel entered Buffalo's record books in three different events. At the SPIRE Mid-West Invitational, Hamel set a new school record in the men's 300 meter dash with a time of 33.99, breaking a record that had stood since 2011. The sophomore also joined the Bulls' all-time leaderboards in the 400 meter dash (4th, 47.91) and the 200 meter dash (10th, 21.77). Hamel's 400 meter dash time ranks second in the MAC this season.
The Bulls had four more runners join the all-time indoor school ranks this season, also securing top 25 times in the MAC. Alex Hislop ran all-time top ten times in the mile (4:11.99, 14th in MAC), 3000 meter (8:16.43, 9th in MAC) and the 5000 meter (14:26.62, 5th in MAC). Luke Stoeffler entered Buffalo's all-time leaderboards in the 3000 meter (8:19.52, 11th in MAC) and 5000 meter (14:38.45, 7th in MAC). Vassi Klock joined the school leaderboards n the 800 meter (2:12.62, 9th in MAC) and the mile (4:59.18, 22nd in MAC), while Aleksandra Szulska made her mark in the 3000 meter (9:42.03, 21st in the MAC) and the 5000 meter (17:11.32, 12th in MAC).
Zahra Amos had a historic season in the high jump. The junior set a new school record with a personal best mark of 1.80 meters, just two weeks after rising the leaderboards with a 1.73 meter jump. Amos' personal record ranks atop the conference heading into the championships.
Emily Tait's season-best of 11.69 meters in the triple jump ranks eighth in the women's field this season, with freshman Kara Moran just behind in 11th with a mark of 11.43 meters. On the men's side, Manuel Sepulveda ranks sixth in the triple jump across the conference with a mark of 14.31 meters, as Daniel Muccini ranks eighth in the long jump with a season's best mark of 6.98 meters.
In throwing events, the Bulls had success too. Jonathan Surdej ranks atop the conference in the men's shot put on the season, with a throw of 17.34 meters. In the weight throw, Caleb Nickens had a personal best performance this season with a throw of 19.67 meters, ranking third in the conference. On the women's side, Imahni Sinclair's personal best throw of 17.45 meters ranks eighth in the MAC.
At Kent State's Doug Raymond National Qualifier the Bulls combined events competitors shined. Scilla Benussi set a new personal record in the women's pentathlon with a score of 3,936. Benussi's score ranks second in Buffalo indoor history, only falling behind Emma Suiciak's score of 4,003 set in 2017. The senior's score ranks second in the MAC this season.
Kevin Gabalski also had a personal best in the men's heptathlon at Kent State with a score of 4,998, good for fifth all-time in Buffalo's indoor leaderboards. The junior is the first men's heptathlon participant to enter the top five leaderboards since 2015 when Mike Morgan (5,995) and Craig Howard (5,439) set school records. Gabalski's personal best score ranks second in the conference headed into championships.
"We will face the toughest competition of the indoor season this weekend," said Head Coach Vicki Mitchell. "We have a mix of veteran MAC Champions along with new freshmen who have never seen a meet with the energy level of MAC Championships. It will be a great environment for our team to come together and surprise the competition."
All results from throughout the weekend can be accessed here.
The MAC Championships on Eastern Michigan's campus begin on Friday morning at 10am and will run throughout the day, then beginning again on Saturday at 10am.
The Bulls set five new school records in nine indoor meets this season, with 27 performances entering the all-time leaderboards for the program and 29 performances falling inside the top ten of the conference standings.
On the opening weekend of the season, Ryan Buzby set a new school record in the men's 5000 meter with a time of 13:57.40, which still ranks atop the MAC. Buzby's record foreshadowed what was to come of the season for the Bulls, breaking two more school records himself.
In the 3000 meter, Buzby's time of 8:07.97 shattered the previous best by nearly four seconds, with the time ranking fourth in the conference this season. The fifth year's mile time of 4:04.93 then broke Evan Hilbert's record set just last season by a slim margin. A nod to the historic season, Hilbert came back just two weeks later to break Buzby's record in the mile with a new time to beat of 4:04.93. Heading into MAC championships, both Buzby and Hilbert's times rank inside the top five across the conference.
Tal Hamel entered Buffalo's record books in three different events. At the SPIRE Mid-West Invitational, Hamel set a new school record in the men's 300 meter dash with a time of 33.99, breaking a record that had stood since 2011. The sophomore also joined the Bulls' all-time leaderboards in the 400 meter dash (4th, 47.91) and the 200 meter dash (10th, 21.77). Hamel's 400 meter dash time ranks second in the MAC this season.
The Bulls had four more runners join the all-time indoor school ranks this season, also securing top 25 times in the MAC. Alex Hislop ran all-time top ten times in the mile (4:11.99, 14th in MAC), 3000 meter (8:16.43, 9th in MAC) and the 5000 meter (14:26.62, 5th in MAC). Luke Stoeffler entered Buffalo's all-time leaderboards in the 3000 meter (8:19.52, 11th in MAC) and 5000 meter (14:38.45, 7th in MAC). Vassi Klock joined the school leaderboards n the 800 meter (2:12.62, 9th in MAC) and the mile (4:59.18, 22nd in MAC), while Aleksandra Szulska made her mark in the 3000 meter (9:42.03, 21st in the MAC) and the 5000 meter (17:11.32, 12th in MAC).
Zahra Amos had a historic season in the high jump. The junior set a new school record with a personal best mark of 1.80 meters, just two weeks after rising the leaderboards with a 1.73 meter jump. Amos' personal record ranks atop the conference heading into the championships.
Emily Tait's season-best of 11.69 meters in the triple jump ranks eighth in the women's field this season, with freshman Kara Moran just behind in 11th with a mark of 11.43 meters. On the men's side, Manuel Sepulveda ranks sixth in the triple jump across the conference with a mark of 14.31 meters, as Daniel Muccini ranks eighth in the long jump with a season's best mark of 6.98 meters.
In throwing events, the Bulls had success too. Jonathan Surdej ranks atop the conference in the men's shot put on the season, with a throw of 17.34 meters. In the weight throw, Caleb Nickens had a personal best performance this season with a throw of 19.67 meters, ranking third in the conference. On the women's side, Imahni Sinclair's personal best throw of 17.45 meters ranks eighth in the MAC.
At Kent State's Doug Raymond National Qualifier the Bulls combined events competitors shined. Scilla Benussi set a new personal record in the women's pentathlon with a score of 3,936. Benussi's score ranks second in Buffalo indoor history, only falling behind Emma Suiciak's score of 4,003 set in 2017. The senior's score ranks second in the MAC this season.
Kevin Gabalski also had a personal best in the men's heptathlon at Kent State with a score of 4,998, good for fifth all-time in Buffalo's indoor leaderboards. The junior is the first men's heptathlon participant to enter the top five leaderboards since 2015 when Mike Morgan (5,995) and Craig Howard (5,439) set school records. Gabalski's personal best score ranks second in the conference headed into championships.
"We will face the toughest competition of the indoor season this weekend," said Head Coach Vicki Mitchell. "We have a mix of veteran MAC Champions along with new freshmen who have never seen a meet with the energy level of MAC Championships. It will be a great environment for our team to come together and surprise the competition."
All results from throughout the weekend can be accessed here.
The MAC Championships on Eastern Michigan's campus begin on Friday morning at 10am and will run throughout the day, then beginning again on Saturday at 10am.
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