February 23, 2012
Indoor Track and Field Championships Set for Sunday Feb. 26
With the regular season finished, SUNYAC teams travel to Hobart and William Smith in Geneva, NY, for the 2012 SUNYAC Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 26. The SUNYAC Championships consist of eight teams on both the men’s and women’s side. Last season, the Buffalo State women won their third consecutive title, while the Bengal men claimed its first title in program history by one point as they edged out runner-up Geneseo in the 4x400 relay event.
Entering the championships, two women’s teams are nationally ranked in the USTFCCCA top 25, as Buffalo State comes in at No. 10 followed by Oneonta at No. 16. Regionally, SUNYAC has four teams in the top ten for the women led by Cortland at No. 1, Buffalo Sate (5), Geneseo (6) and Oneonta (9).
On the men’s side, the latest national poll has Geneseo at No. 13. In the Regional rankings the Knights lead the way at No. 1, Cortland is No. 2, Buffalo State 94), Oneonta (6) and Brockport (9).
SUNYAC is hoping to have live results available throughout the meet courtesy of Leone Timing. http://www.leonetiming.com/2012/Indoor/SUNYAC/
SUNYAC is hoping to have live results available throughout the meet courtesy of Leone Timing. http://www.leonetiming.com/2012/Indoor/SUNYAC/
Tickets will be sold at the Indoor Track and Field Championships at
Hobart Field House on Saturday, February 26th $5.00 -Adults $2.00
Here is an event-by-event preview of the 2012 SUNYAC Championships.
Women
60-meter dash: 2012 will mark the first year for the 60-meter event. Previously the 55-meter was run, but due to changes at the National meet the SUNYAC has made the switch. Buffalo State senior Erica Johnson is the two-time defending conference champion in the 55 meter and reigning national champion in the event. Johnson holds the top performance in the league and Division III at 7.55. Teammates Sasha Henry, ranked sixth in the nation, and Jazmin Dunham complete the top three seed times.
200-meter dash: Buffalo States owns the top three spots on the SUNYAC entry list in the 200-meter dash. Sophomore Jazmin Dunham returns to defend her title in the event with a seed time of 24.81 and will be joined by Sasha Henry (25.72) and Nia Holmes (25.99). Cortland sophomore Sarah Bonnell finished third a year ago and ranks fifth in the event (26.15). Buffalo State has won the 200-meter event four of the last five years.
400-meter dash: Buffalo State freshman Mariah Brown is the only competitor with a sub-one-minute time of 59.04. Cortland sophomore Trisha Clark is ranked second and hopes to improve from her 10th place finish last year. Defending champion Amy McCasland of Plattsburgh is not entered in the event.
800-meter run: Oneonta senior Lauren Brunetto will be looking for a three-peat in the 800-meter run. Brunetto ranks second (2:15.15) behind Plattsburgh’s Amy McCasland (2:15.00). Geneseo’s Cailin Kowalewski and Kelly Brunscheen who finished second and third, respectively a year ago also return which will provide for an exciting race.
Mile: Cortland Junior Jordyn Naylon is hoping to get her first individual championship title. Naylon finished seventh in 2010, second in 2011 and currently ranks first in the conference and 10th in Division III with a seed time of 4:58.90. Geneseo’s Marissa Liberati (5:13.38) and Cortland freshman Bori Tozser (5:14.03) complete the top three.
60-meter dash: 2012 will mark the first year for the 60-meter event. Previously the 55-meter was run, but due to changes at the National meet the SUNYAC has made the switch. Buffalo State senior Erica Johnson is the two-time defending conference champion in the 55 meter and reigning national champion in the event. Johnson holds the top performance in the league and Division III at 7.55. Teammates Sasha Henry, ranked sixth in the nation, and Jazmin Dunham complete the top three seed times.
200-meter dash: Buffalo States owns the top three spots on the SUNYAC entry list in the 200-meter dash. Sophomore Jazmin Dunham returns to defend her title in the event with a seed time of 24.81 and will be joined by Sasha Henry (25.72) and Nia Holmes (25.99). Cortland sophomore Sarah Bonnell finished third a year ago and ranks fifth in the event (26.15). Buffalo State has won the 200-meter event four of the last five years.
400-meter dash: Buffalo State freshman Mariah Brown is the only competitor with a sub-one-minute time of 59.04. Cortland sophomore Trisha Clark is ranked second and hopes to improve from her 10th place finish last year. Defending champion Amy McCasland of Plattsburgh is not entered in the event.
800-meter run: Oneonta senior Lauren Brunetto will be looking for a three-peat in the 800-meter run. Brunetto ranks second (2:15.15) behind Plattsburgh’s Amy McCasland (2:15.00). Geneseo’s Cailin Kowalewski and Kelly Brunscheen who finished second and third, respectively a year ago also return which will provide for an exciting race.
Mile: Cortland Junior Jordyn Naylon is hoping to get her first individual championship title. Naylon finished seventh in 2010, second in 2011 and currently ranks first in the conference and 10th in Division III with a seed time of 4:58.90. Geneseo’s Marissa Liberati (5:13.38) and Cortland freshman Bori Tozser (5:14.03) complete the top three.
3,000-meter run: Cortland senior Alyson Dalton, 2010 champion and Geneseo junior Marissa Liberati, 2011 champion return again in 2012. But it is Dalton with the top seed time of 10:06.88, ranking ahead of Brockport freshman Rachel Malone (10:18.99).
5,000-meter run: 2011 SUNYAC Cross Country individual champion, Plattsburgh’s Stefanie Braun owns the top conference time in the 5,000 meter run by 26 seconds. Braun’s time of 17:26.70, ranks ahead of teammate Kelley Driscoll (17:52.81). Braun is the 2010 champion in the event, marking the time in the last eleven years a Geneseo runner hasn’t won the event.
60-meter hurdles: The defending champion, Buffalo State sophomore Jazmin Dunham holds the top seed in the conference with a time of 8.80. Teammate Jessica Walker, runner-up in 2010 and 2011, enters the meet as the second seed (9.21), followed by Cortland junior Nicole Schafer (9.38) who looks to improve upon her eighth place showing in 2011.
4x400-meter relay: It has been eight years since Cortland won the 4x400 meter relay (2004), but enter Sunday’s meet with the top time of 4:01.62. The Red Dragons have a chance to set a new meet record (4:01.65) if they perform at their prime. Geneseo and Oswego hold the second and third see times, respectively.
Distance medley relay: Geneseo has won 11 of the last 12 distance medley relay titles, but did not claim the top spot in 2010. The Knights have the top time of 12:08.69 entering the meet, which is well ahead of the meet record of 12:46.97. Cortland enters with a second seed time of 12:11.52.
High jump: Cortland holds six of the top seven performances entering the meet, which could mean a lot of points for the Red Dragons. Freshman Taylor Hudson leads the pack with a mark of 1.65 meters followed by Lexi Budd (1.60) who finished third a year ago. Geneseo’s Julie Cook has cleared a height of 1.58 meters and will look to keep Cortland from sweeping the event. Oneonta’s Kacy Boburka, 2011 champion, does not appear on the entry list.
Pole vault: The last time Brockport won the pole vault was in 2006, but that winless streak could be broken as senior Becky Fabbiano, 2011 outdoor champion, ranks first with a height of 3.54 meters. Fabbiano finished second a year ago on a tiebreaker. Oswego freshman is seeded second with a height of 3.31 meters.
Long jump: Cortland sophomore Sarah Bonnell, runner-up last year, ranks first in the conference with a leap of 5.47 meters. Jessica Walker of Buffalo State is ranked second (5.37m) and has a good chance to move up the podium from her sixth place finish in 2011.
Triple jump: Senior Jessica Walker of Buffalo State will go for her third straight win in the triple jump. She ranks 16th in Division III and has the top performance in the conference with a leap of 11.37 meters. Fredonia sophomore Emily Cummiskey will challenge Walker again this year after finishing third in 2011. Fredonia last won the triple jump in 1996.
Shot put: Brockport junior Nicole Jones, the 2011 champion, ranks first in the conference entering the championship with a toss of 12.62 meters. Oneonta’s Sarah Timmons stands second in the event with a throw of 11.69 meters and Brockport sophomore Kristine Hoover, who finished fifth in 2011, stands third (11.49m).
Weight throw: Two-time SUNYAC Field Athlete of the Week, Oneonta’s Sarah Timmons looks for her second straight title in the weight throw. Timmons sits first in the conference after setting a new league mark of 18.40 meters on Feb. 4, which ranks second in Division III. Brockport’s Nicole Jones is second with a distance of 14.87 meters.
Men
60-meter dash: Oneonta’s Sean Bernstein returns to the SUNYAC Championships missing the 2011 season with an injury. Bernstein registered the top time in the 60 meter dash this season and currently ranks seventh in Division III (6.91). Buffalo State’s Jalen Law and Fredonia’s Webster Thomas who finished sixth and fourth, respectively, last year return to compete for top honors.
200-meter dash: Buffalo State should dominate in the 200-meter dash, as it enters the meet with four of the top five seed times, led by No. 2-seeded Jalen Law at 22.14. Law is joined by Davon Rollins, Todd Colas and Brad Borowczyk. Oneonta’s Sean Bernstein owns the top seed in the event of 21.49. Bernstein didn’t compete in 2011 due to injury but finished third in 2010.
60-meter dash: Oneonta’s Sean Bernstein returns to the SUNYAC Championships missing the 2011 season with an injury. Bernstein registered the top time in the 60 meter dash this season and currently ranks seventh in Division III (6.91). Buffalo State’s Jalen Law and Fredonia’s Webster Thomas who finished sixth and fourth, respectively, last year return to compete for top honors.
200-meter dash: Buffalo State should dominate in the 200-meter dash, as it enters the meet with four of the top five seed times, led by No. 2-seeded Jalen Law at 22.14. Law is joined by Davon Rollins, Todd Colas and Brad Borowczyk. Oneonta’s Sean Bernstein owns the top seed in the event of 21.49. Bernstein didn’t compete in 2011 due to injury but finished third in 2010.
400-meter dash: Entering the meet Devon Rollins of Buffalo State has the fastest seed time of 49.69 but it is Oneonta’s Sean Wren who is one-tenth behind at 49.79. Cortland’s Eric Banks, who finished fifth a year ago, leads a quartet for Red Dragon runners seeded third to sixth.
800-meter run: Four of the top eight runners from the 2011 800-meter run return this year. Missing from the pack will be the Guarino brothers, which means a new face will be scene at the top of the podium. Geneseo junior Chris Carter owns the top time in the conference of 1:53.67 which is also good for seventh in Division III. Cortland’s Cody Amengual, who took third a year ago ranks ahead of Oneonta’s Tom Haskins and Buffalo State’s Tim Fargino.
Mile: The top four finishers from 2011 will not be returning to the lineup on Sunday. Geneseo’s Mark Streb who finished fifth last year, ranks sixth in the event behind fellow teammate and top-seeded Eddie Novara (4:12.41). The Knights also hold the No. 2 and 3 spots on the entry list by Alex Brimstein and Tom Clark, respectively, so it could prove to be a Geneseo sweep at the finish line.
3,000-meter run: Geneseo owns the first, second, third and fifth spots on the entry sheet. Defending champion Lee Berube leads a pack of Knights with a time of 8:25.00. Berube holds the conference record in the event of 8:17.48 set in 2010, while the meet record of 8:27.70 belongs to Plattsburgh’s Mike Heymann ’11. Geneseo finished one-thru-fifth last year and could very well repeat a top three sweep.
5,000-meter run: Geneseo’s Lee Berube may be running against the clock in this race as he holds the top seed time (14:35.76) by 34 seconds ahead of the next entrant. Berube has the potential to break the meet record of 14:34.98. Oswego’s Dylan Hardwick is seeded second (15:09.78) followed by Brockport’s Matt Avery (15:10.16).
60-meter hurdles: Buffalo State sophomore Chris Rones holds the top time (8.38), ahead of Oneonta freshman Rob Farrell who clocked an 8.53. Rones was the 2011 champion in the 55-meter hurdles. Oswego’s Daquan Colemen finished fourth last year and ranks third entering Sunday’s meet.
4x400-meter relay: Oneonta finished last in 2011 but enters the 2012 meet as the top seed. The Red Dragons time of 3:19.36 also ranks eighth in Division III. On Oneonta’s heels will be the Cortland Red Dragons who have a seed time of 3:20.18.
Distance medley relay: Geneseo is the defending champion in the event and has the season’s top mark, notching a time of 10:06.60 which ranks 13th in Division III. Cortland ranks second with a time of 10:18.07, while Oneonta is third (10:29.68).
High jump: Finishers second to seventh from 2011 return this year but it is Cortland sophomore Brandon Loomis sitting first. Loomis cleared a height of 1.99 meters and is followed by Geneseo freshman Luke Taverne (1.91m). Only 10 athletes are entered to complete so the podium will probably look very similar to last year.
Pole vault: Cortland has won the pole vault event the last nine years and returns Ryan Pericozzi, 2010 and 2011 champion. Pericozzi ranks second in the event (4.95m) behind Brockport’s Zach Ferrara (4.96m) who set a new conference record in the even on Feb. 4th at the Hamilton College Invite. Fredonia’s Broncho Rollins, runner-up from 2011, also returns for a shot at the individual title. The meet record in the event is 4.88m and 2012 could be the year for a new standard to be set.
Long jump: Geneseo has the top two competitors in the event, including senior Wenley Louis who leads Division III this season with a leap of 7.77 meters. Louis won the SUNYAC title in 2010 and hopes to regain the top spot on the podium. He will have to face off against teammate and defending champion Nwana Okafor who enters the meet with a jump of 6.96 meters.
Triple jump: The last five years have featured a different school winning the triple jump, but Oswego hasn’t been one of them. Senior Daquan Coleman could change that stat as he is tied for the top spot in the league with a distance of 14.06 meters with Fredonia junior Andrew Charsky. Coleman finished fifth last year, while Charsky could make a big improvement from his 14th place mark.
Shot put: Brockport senior Dustin Colgan is the top returner from the 2011 championship after a third place finish and he currently is seeded second in the event with a toss of 14.96 meters. Colgan ranks behind Cortland junior Justin Torres (15.12m) who finished sixth last year.
Weight throw: Brockport lays claim to each of the last seven weight throw champions, and looks in position to take a eighth straight with the top thrower in the conference this season. Senior Dustin Colgan has the top performance (16.69) in the league by almost a full meter over Oneonta freshman J.D. Roth (15.79m).
