Bulls Open Outdoor Season at Richmond With Event Wins & Personal Records

Friday, March 21

Richmond, VA

10 am

Fred Hardy Invite

Bulls Open Outdoor Season at Richmond With Event Wins & Personal Records

3/22/2025 11:47:00 AM | Track and Field

RICHMOND, VA – The University at Buffalo track and field program opened the outdoor season on Friday at the Fred Hardy Invitational on the University of Richmond campus. The Bulls posted several personal record performances, including three that joined the all-time UB outdoor record books. The program also utilized the season-opening meet to give many freshmen their first collegiate outdoor experience.

"It was a solid start to the outdoor season for our team," said Program Director and Head Coach Vicki Mitchell. "Richmond runs a great meet and it was a perfect opener for our team."

DISTANCE
Eliza Medearis started the outdoor season strong for the Bulls, taking second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a new personal record time of 11:03.05 to rank eighth all-time in UB outdoor history. Brianna Carter also competed for the Bulls, finishing sixth with a time of 11:38.89.

Luke Stoeffler won the second heat of the men's 1,500-meter and set a new personal record time of 3:51.50, less than a second shy of reaching the all-time UB top ten. Stoeffler finished fourth overall in the event of 77 student-athletes. Collin Stafford won the third heat of the 1,500-meter in his outdoor debut, finishing with a time of 3:57.01 to take 11th overall. Connor Domoy (40th, 4:06.55) and Hayden Parks (43rd, 4:06.94) also made their outdoor debuts in the event.

On the women's side of the 1,500-meter, Bronagh Cassidy (13th, 4:38.99) and Allison Newton (16th, 4:40.04) posted new outdoor personal records. Sophie Brettholtz made her outdoor debut in the event (37th, 4:51.55) and Reese Wilber returned to outdoor action (67th, 5:06.36).

Paris Welker finished second in the women's unseeded 5,000-meter with a new personal record time of 18:12.79. Brianna Urban also competed for the Buffalo women, finishing with a time of 19:20.49.

In the seeded 5,000-meter, Lacey Danilovitz placed 13th with a time of 18:14.31. The sophomore was less than seven seconds shy of her outdoor personal record in the event (18:07.93).

Aidan Norris finished third in the men's 800-meter in his collegiate outdoor debut. Norris' time of 1:53.22 was less than a second shy of reaching the UB outdoor record book (1:52.53). Kevin Sherry also competed for the Bulls, finishing 14th with a time of 1:57.24.

THROWS
Aiden Walker joined the outdoor record books in the men's discus, winning the event with a mark of 51.59 meters. Walker's new personal record ranks sixth all-time in the event for the Bulls.

Walker doubled back to win the men's shot put with a mark of 15.55 meters. Bryson Bodner (3rd, 14.72m) and Quintus Simmons (9th, 13.61m) also posted top-ten finishes. On the women's side, Bernice Balk placed fourth of 16 student-athletes in the women's shot put with a mark of 11.79 meters.

Kenneth Gulloso finished third in the men's hammer throw with a mark of 51.63 meters. Gullo's mark was just shy of his record that ranks eighth in UB outdoor history (52.27m). The junior also beat his opening mark from last season (47.66m). On the women's side, Lorretta White placed fifth with a mark of 46.46 meters. White's mark was just shy of her record in the event (47.06m) and five meters further than her opening mark last year (41.46m).

JUMPS
Adriana Ellsworth won the women's high jump with a new personal record mark of 1.65 meters to rank 9th all-time in UB outdoor history. Ellsworth joined the indoor ranks in the event earlier this year, taking ninth with a mark of 1.70 meters.

Freshman Ryan Cardichon made his outdoor debut in the high jump by finishing second with a mark of 1.95 meters.

Amari Hall finished in second place in the women's triple jump field of 16 student-athletes with a mark of 11.11 meters. On the men's side, Micah Blair placed seventh with a mark of 13.04 meters.

Isa van Puffelen took second place in the women's long jump with a mark of 5.66 meters in her outdoor debut. van Puffelen's new personal record was less than a meter shy of reaching the UB outdoor record book (5.72m). Uma Bhattacharjee (5th, 5.42m), Linnea Neureuther (7th, 5.33m) and Krista Perry (10th, 5.21m) also posted top 10 finishes.

On the men's side, Micah Blair made his collegiate outdoor debut, finishing second of 21 student-athletes with a mark of 7.10 meters. Blair was under two-tenths of a meter shy of reaching the UB outdoor record book (7.29m). Justin Kleppel also competed, placing 11th with a mark of 6.36 meters.

SPRINTS
Bhattacharjee won the women's 100-meter dash with a new personal record time of 12.19. The sophomore's time was under two-tenths of a second shy of the UB outdoor record book (12.03). The Bulls had three more student-athletes post top-20 finishes in the field of 49. Sophia Sampson placed 10th (12.58), Amber McDonald finished 11th (12.59) and Shannon Schmieder placed 17th (12.73).

Sampson posted a time of 25.09 in her 200-meter outdoor debut to place fourth of 71 student-athletes in the event. The freshman was less than half a second shy of reaching the all-time UB outdoor top ten (24.77).

Schmieder (10th, 25.66) and Hailey Martinez (11th, 25.70) placed inside the top 12 in their outdoor event debuts. Stephney Pryce placed 19th with a time of 26.05. McDonald (38th, 26.95) Neureuther (43rd, 27.07) and Perry (54th, 27.41) also competed for the Bulls.

Neureuther (2nd, 14.89), Gemma Galligani (5th, 15.02) and Perry (6th, 15.25) all finished inside the top ten of the women's 100-meter hurdles. van Puffelen also competed for the Bulls, finishing 11th with a time of 15.54.

In the 400-meter hurdles, van Puffelen placed second with a time of 1:02.96, falling shy of the UB outdoor record book by less than three-tenths of a second (1:02.67). Galligani placed eighth with a time of 1:05.05.
Martinez (9th, 58.14) and Pryce (12th, 58.42) also finished inside the top 12 in the women's 400-meter field of 39 student-athletes.

On the men's side, Jack Faldetta finished fourth of 28 student-athletes in the 100-meter dash with a new personal record time of 10.97. Faldetta's time was nearly three-tenths of a second shy of reaching the UB outdoor record book. Sam Mellinger also competed for the men, placing 15th with a time of 11.37.

The Buffalo men finished fifth in the 4x100-meter relay. The Bulls team of Blair, Mellinger, Faldetta and Kleppel completed the event in 42.59, just over four-tenths of a second behind the Bulls' fastest outdoor time last year (42.16).

All results from Richmond's Fred Hardy Invite can be accessed here.

The Bulls will split up between three meets next week, competing Wednesday through Saturday at the Texas Relays, Bobcat Invite and Raleigh Relays. A complete schedule for UB Track & Field can be accessed here.

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