University at Buffalo
Deneault Invitational
Bulls Build Momentum at Cornell as Indoor Regular Season Ends
2/21/2026 7:23:00 PM | Track and Field
ITHACA, NY – The University at Buffalo track and field program closed out its indoor regular season at Cornell University's Marc Deneault Invitational on Saturday. The Bulls continued the program's momentum heading into Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships, posting three performances that joined UB indoor history and four event wins.
SPRINTS
The Bulls began their momentum at Cornell early, making a statement in the 60-meter dash events with multiple finals qualifiers.
Braden Dunn highlighted the day for the men's sprinters, earning second of 50 athletes in the 60-meter with a personal record time of 6.87 seconds. The time joined the UB indoor record book to rank eighth in program history. Sam Mellinger trailed by a hundredth of a second to take third in the finals, tying his personal best time of 6.88 seconds, which ranks ninth in program history. Matthew Schaffert qualified for the finals with a personal best time of 6.91 seconds. The freshman finished eighth event.
Hailey Martinez made her mark on UB indoor history in the women's 60-meter, posting a personal best time of 7.68 seconds in the finals to place second of 37 sprinters in the event. The sophomore's time rose the program indoor ranks to seventh. Amber McDonald (8th, 7.86) and Shannon Schmieder (10th, 7.96) also posted top 10 placements in the preliminary round. Alexia Jones rounded out Buffalo's competitors in 16th (8.21).
Dunn doubled back to place second of 53 sprinters in the men's 200-meter with a time of 22.40. Mellinger also earned a top 10 placement, taking eighth with a time of 22.80. On the women's side of the event, Sophia Sampson finished third of 48 sprinters with a time of 25.39. Sina Ehrhardt (9th, 26.30) and Stephney Pryce (10th, 26.32) posted top 10 placements too. Ehrhardt's time was a personal best. Amelie-Johanna Fraeger (12th, 26.56) rounded out the Bulls' competitors, adding a fourth Buffalo finisher inside the top 12.
The Bulls earned four of the top six spots in the women's 400-meter. Pryce (2nd, 59.24) and Fraeger (3rd, 59.59) earned top-three finishes. Fraeger's time was a new indoor personal best. Ehrhardt (5th, 1:00.15) and Jayne Williams (6th, 1:00.54) added two more top finishes for the program.
Olga Skolasinska tied her season best time of 9.18 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. The freshman placed 12th of 42 runners.
DISTANCE
Allison Newton joined UB indoor history in another middle-distance event on Saturday. The graduate student won the women's 500-meter with a time of 1:16.74. Newton's time joined the program ranks to take seventh all-time.
Collin Stafford finished third of 27 runners in the men's mile with a time of 4:15.91. Connor Domoy posted a top 10 placement too, taking 10th with a time of 4:32.23. In the women's mile, Reese Wilber (8th, 5:12.23), Lexi Bernard (10th, 5:16.18) and Katie Edinger (11th, 5:19.11) all earned personal best times to pile three Bulls inside the top 12 runners to place. Edinger crushed her previous best time in the event by 10 seconds (5:29.14).
Meghana Reddy won the women's 800-meter, taking first place of 24 runners with a personal record time of 2:15.84. Reddy beat her previous best of 2:18.14. On the men's side, the Bulls earned three of the top six spots, with Xavier Gordon in third (1:56.39), Nicholas Morgan taking fifth (1:57.28) and Kevin Sherry in sixth (1:58.53). Gordon was within a second of his personal record in the event (1:55.50).
The Bulls had four of the top eight finishers in the women's 3,000-meter. Brianna Urban led the way, placing second with a personal record time of 10:19.78. Sophie Brettholtz finished fourth (10:25.98), Fiona Klingbeil earned sixth (10:25.98) and Jacquie Appenheimer placed eighth (11:06.15).
Ella Reilly placed third in the women's 1,000-meter run with a time of 3:02.83.
THROWS
Loretta White posted a new personal best mark of 17.04 meters in the weight throw taking fourth of 22 throwers. Faith Hamilton also earned a new personal best mark, finishing 12th with a throw of 14.06 meters. Maria Akalonu (13th, 13.92m) and Bernice Balk (14th, 13.87m) also competed for the Bulls.
On the men's side of the weight throw, Kenneth Gulloso placed second of 22 athletes with a season-best mark of 16.58 meters. Julian Vitucci earned a top 10 placement too, taking sixth with a throw of 15.02 meters. Aiden Walker rounded out the Bulls' competitors in 16th (13.53m).
Balk (6th, 12.96m) and Akalonu (8th, 12.33m) earned top 10 placements in the women's shot put. Balk's mark was a personal record. Dominic Weatherly was the Bulls' top finisher on the men's side, taking fifth in the shot put with a personal record throw of 15.31 meters. Walker finished sixth with a mark of 15.10 meters and Bryson Bodner placed ninth with a throw of 14.40 meters.
JUMPS
Uma Bhattacharjee won the women's long jump with a season-best mark of 5.69 meters. The junior nearly joined the UB indoor record book (5.72m). McDonald (3rd, 5.35m) and Schmieder (4th, 5.31m) also earned top-five placements.
Ryan Cardichon (2nd, 6.89m) and Mitch Diamond (4th, 6.81m) earned top-five placements in the men's long jump. Diamond made his debut in the event with the Bulls.
Nicalis Williams won the men's triple jump with a mark of 14.60 meters. The freshman's jump was just over a tenth of a meter shy of his indoor personal record that ranks eighth in UB indoor history (14.71m). On the women's side, Amari Hall finished third of 18 athletes with a mark of 11.61 meters.
All results from the meet at Cornell can be accessed here.
UP NEXT
The Bulls will next compete at MAC Indoor Championships at Central Michigan University from Friday, February 27th, through Saturday, February 28th. A complete schedule for UB Track & Field can be found here.
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Players Mentioned
