Bulls Continue Indoor Momentum at SPIRE Midwest Invite

Saturday, January 25

Geneva OH

9 am

SPIRE Midwest Invite

Photo by: Anthony Yabroudy

Bulls Continue Indoor Momentum at SPIRE Midwest Invite

1/26/2025 10:59:00 AM | Track and Field

GENEVA, Ohio – The University at Buffalo track and field team competed in the 14th annual SPIRE Midwest Invite at the SPIRE Institute on Saturday. The Bulls continued their early momentum in the indoor season, winning eight events and having two new performances enter the all-time record books.

Following two personal record performances that rose the UB indoor ranks last Saturday, Tal Hamel continued his momentum at SPIRE. Hamel won the men's 400-meter dash with a new personal record time of 47.77, now ranking fourth all-time in UB indoor history. Hamel's time ranks first in the Mid-American Conference this season and third in the NCAA Northeast. Freshman Rylee VanAlstine trailed Hamel to finish seventh of 75 student-athletes in the 400-meter, with a time of 50.24.

Kara Moran continues to shine in her sophomore season. Moran won the women's triple jump with a mark of 12.07 meters, a new personal record. The sophomore broke her previous record of 11.92 meters, ranking sixth all-time in the record books. Moran was one-hundredth of a meter shy of rising to fifth in the indoor ranks, trailing Kimarie Black's mark of 12.08 meters. Moran's new personal best ranks third in the conference and fifth in the NCAA Northeast.

Moran also finished second of 69 athletes in the women's long jump with a mark of 5.70 meters. The sophomore fell seven-hundredths of a meter short of her personal record that ranks sixth all-time in UB indoor history (5.77m).

Micah Blair continued his strong freshman campaign, winning the men's long jump with a mark of 6.99 meters. Blair's mark was a new personal best. Ryan Cardichon took third with a personal best mark of 6.92 meters. Kevin Gabalski earned a sixth-place finish with a mark of 6.46 meters. The Bulls had three of the top six finishers in the field of 52 athletes.

Blair doubled back to win the men's triple jump in a field of 22 student-athletes with another personal record mark of 14.12 meters. Blair has now won six events over three meets in his freshman campaign.

The Bulls dominated the women's high jump, taking the four top spots in the event. Defending MAC Champion Zahra Amos won the event with a mark of 1.75 meters, tying the season-best mark across the conference. Stella Kapp (2nd, 1.70m) tied her personal record and Adriana Ellsworth (3rd, 1.70m) took third with a new personal record that is tied for seventh all-time in UB indoor history. Isa van Puffelen also tied her season best with a mark of 1.60 meters to place fourth.

Aiden Walker won the men's shot put with a personal best mark of 15.44 meters. Walker's season-best ranks eighth in the conference. Bryson Bodner took second in the event with a mark of 14.90 meters. On the women's side of the shot put, freshman Maria Akalonu made her collegiate debut and placed third in the shot put with a personal best of 12.06 meters.

Johanna Kleiner won the women's 400-meter dash with a time of 57.74. Kleiner's time earned first in the field of 55 runners. Stephney Pryce (7th, 59.75) and Sina Ehrhardt (8th, 59.86) posted top-ten finishes too. Pryce's time is a season-best.

The Buffalo women won the 4x400 relay to close out the meet with a time of 3:55.61. The relay team of Uma Bhattacharjee, Ehrhardt, Pryce and Kleiner ran a season-best time for the Bulls, beating the previous best by almost five seconds (4:00.04).

Freshman Sophia Sampson finished second of 92 athletes in the women's 200-meter dash with a time of 25.30. Sampson's time fell just shy of the all-time UB indoor ranks (25.12). Bhattacharjee also earned a top-five finish with a new personal record time of 25.43. Freshmen Hailey Martinez (9th, 26.13) and Shannon Schmieder (10th, 26.18) posted top-ten finishes in the event too.

Brianna Urban began the morning on a strong note for the Bulls in the 5,000-meter run with a fourth-place finish and a new personal record time of 18:52.35. Urban's time beat her previous personal record by over 11 seconds (19:03.10). Alexandra Cowley also competed for the Bulls, finishing 18th (20:20.34).

Brian Murphy tied his indoor pole vault personal record with a mark of 4.70 meters, taking sixth. Murphy's mark ranks fifth in the conference this season.

Bronagh Cassidy posted a season-best mile time of 5:09.60 to finish third of 78 runners. Freshman Sophie Brettholtz had a personal best time in the event (10th, 5:14.79).

Loretta White finished second in a field of 49 student-athletes in the women's weight throw at the SPIRE Midwest Invite with a mark of 15.80 meters. Bernice Balk finished 16th with a throw of 12.35 meters. On the men's side, Kenneth Gulloso finished fifth of 51 throwers in the men's weight throw with a mark of 15.26 meters.

Allison Newton finished second of 81 student-athletes in the women's 800-meter with a time of 2:16.19. Brettholtz placed 15th with a time of 2:24.56 in her debut in the event.

Lacey Danilovitz set a new personal record in the women's 3,000-meter with a time of 10:03.93 to finish second of 72 athletes. Eliza Medearis made her debut in the event with the Bulls, finishing 16th with a time of 10:33.88.

Amber McDonald set a new personal record in the women's 60-meter dash finals with a time of 7.89 to finish fourth in the field of 81 student-athletes. The sophomore took fourth in the preliminary round too with a time of 7.92.

Gemma Galligani (4th, 9.02) and van Puffelen (7th, 9.27) finished inside the top eight in the women's 60-meter hurdles finals. 45 student-athletes competed in the event. Galligani (4th, 9.08) and van Puffelen (9th, 9.37) qualified for the finals by finishing inside the top ten in the preliminary round. van Puffelen broke her previous record in the event (9.41).

Calvin Finger (3rd, 1.95m) and Tyler Norton (4th, 1.90m) both earned top-five finishes in the field of 29 student-athletes in the men's high jump, having season-best performances. Freshman Daniel Richardson also competed for the Bulls, taking 12th (1.85m). Richardson's performance was his collegiate debut.

The men's freshmen distance runners gained valuable experience in their events. Vincent Guaresimo (14th, 4:22.91) and Hayden Parks (19th, 4:25.70) earned top 20 finishes in a field of 100 runners in the men's mile. Connor Domoy also had a strong showing in the men's 3,000-meter, winning his heat with a time of 8:46.87 to place 17th.

Click here for all results from the SPIRE Midwest Invite.

The Bulls continue their indoor season next Friday, January 31st and Saturday, February 1st , at the Penn State National Open. The program's student-athletes that meet the qualifying performance standards will compete against regional and national competition. A complete schedule for UB Track & Field can be accessed here.

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