UALBANY MEN WIN FOURTH AMERICA EAST TRACK & FIELD CROWN IN PAST FIVE YEARS

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Boston, Mass. - Junior David Parker (Niskayuna) set a school record in the heptathlon, finishing first in the event, as the UAlbany men's track and field team won the America East Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship for the fourth time in the past five years on Saturday. The Great Danes tallied 203.5 points in the meet, breaking the previous meet record of 202 points, set by Northeastern in 1991. The two-day meet was held at Boston University's Track & Tennis Center.
Parker, who tallied 4,914 points and qualified for March's IC4A meet, won the heptathlon's 55-meter hurdles in 8.16 seconds and the pole vault with a height of 15-feet, 2.75-inches, and tied for first in the high jump with a leap of 6-feet, 4.75-inches. The previous school record in the heptathlon was held by Fred Frese, who registered 4,849 points in 2004.
The Great Danes earned three other victories in track events, with sophomore Pat Weider winning the 200-meters in 21.57 seconds and sophomore Jean Juste taking the 55-meter hurdles in 7.52 seconds. In addition, Weider was a member of the first-place 4x400-relay team, which also consisted of sophomore Andrew Overbaugh, freshman Nick Lemp and senior Junior Burnett. The relay registered a time of 3:16.99.
Burnett finished second in two individual events, clocking in at 6.42 seconds in the 55-meters and at 21.63 seconds in the 200-meters. Elsewhere, freshman John Moore (Fonda-Fultonville) finished second in the 800-meters in 1:50.83, his best time as a collegian, while Lemp came in third in the 500-meters in 1:05.40. Another school record was set by the 4x800 relay team, as Jared Jupin (Shaker), Ricardo Estremera, Joe Belokopitsky (Shaker) and Moore placed second in 7:38.73.
In field events, sophomore Mike McCadney won the triple jump with a leap of 49-feet, 1.75-inches. Sophomore Freddie Wills, who won Friday's long jump, finished second in the high jump with a distance of 6-feet, 7.5-inches, and came in third in the triple jump with a leap of 46-feet, 7.25-inches. Wills, who totaled 27 points, also had a sixth-place finish in the hurdles. Junior Renauld Buck placed second in the shot put with a throw of 50-feet even.
"I told our team that it was a privilege to coach them and that they have continued a winning tradition," said UAlbany coach Roberto Vives, a member of the America East coaching staff of the year. "It was a team effort all the way, especially to score that many points in both the long jump and triple jump. David Parker has become a bonafide multi-event athlete after competing in the heptathlon for the first time just two weeks ago. Freddie Wills had an exceptional meet by scoring in four different events."

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AMERICA EAST CONFERENCE INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
1. UAlbany 203.5, 2. New Hampshire 128.5, 3. Boston U. 114, 4. Binghamton 92, 5. Maine 79, 6. UMBC 74, 7. Stony Brook 64, 8. Vermont 23, 9. Hartford 1.