University of Albany's Schoen and Cummings Break School Records on First Day of America East Conference Track / Field Championships: UAlbany Athletics

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Orono, Maine – UAlbany’s Luke Schoen won the pole vault and Laura Cummings won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with record-setting performances to lead the Great Danes on the first day of the America East outdoor track and field Championships at the Beckett Family Track & Field Complex on Saturday, May 3. The men’s team is in second place with 60 points, while the women are fourth with 27 points. New Hampshire leads the men’s competition with 75 points and Boston U. is in first on the women’s side with 56 points.

Schoen led a pair of Great Danes in the top-3 of the pole vault. Schoen, a sophomore from Bohemia, N.Y., recorded a program and conference-record and NCAA East Regional-qualifying leap of 17-feet, 3-inches to become the first Great Dane to eclipse the 17-foot mark. Freshman Michael Dempsey tied for second in the event by crossing the bar at 15-feet, 9-inches. In the long jump, Valete Graham finished first with an IC4A-qualifying leap of 24-feet, 0.25-inches and Kyle Nadler took second with an IC4A-qualifying distance of 23-feet, 6.75-inches. Freshman Wilfredo de Jesus Elias placed second in the hammer throw with an IC4A-qualifying distance of 181-feet, 7-inches.

In preliminary heats, four UAlbany men advanced to the finals of the 110-meter hurdles. Nick Assini recorded the top time, finishing in an IC4A-qualifying time of 14.78 seconds, while Jean Juste had the second-best time with an IC4A-qualifying 14.81 seconds. Garrett Askew (14.95) and Anthony Assent (15.43) also advanced to the finals. In the 400-meter hurdles, Andrew Overbaugh (55.31), Joe Greene (55.64) and Assini (55.80) advanced to the finals. Seniors Dieuseul Joseph (10.97) and Raphael Jean-Baptiste (11.20) qualified for Sunday’s finals of the 100-meter dash. Sophomore Jeffery Barnes turned in a time of 22.05 seconds to advance to the 200-meter dash finals, while Torshiro Jenkins qualified with a time of 22.50 seconds. Senior Drew Harrison recorded a time of 49.29 seconds to advance to the finals of the 400-meter dash.

On the women’s side, Cummings raced to a school-record time of 10:33.60 to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Cummings, a junior from Bay Shore, N.Y., eclipsed the previous school record of 10:34.62 set by Jessica Ortman at the 2006 America East Championships. In the hammer throw, freshman Kadine Johnson finished fifth with a toss of 142-feet, 11-inches, while sophomore Sineaid Corley placed seventh with a distance of 139-7. A pair of Great Danes scored points in the javelin throw as Ashley Lewis (108-5) finished sixth and Isabella Katsarelis (105-1) placed eighth.

In the 100-meter hurdle trials, junior Kamilah McShine turned in the top time of 14.30 seconds to advance to Sunday’s finals and qualify for the ECAC meet. Freshman Christen Griffin finished in 15.15 seconds, also qualifying for the finals. A trio of Great Danes qualified for the 400-meter dash finals. Junior Jenn Gurrant registered a time of 58.30 seconds, classmate Melissa Lee finished in 58.40 seconds and sophomore Octavia Clarkson crossed the finish line in 59.17 seconds. Gurrant also turned in an eighth-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 17-feet, 9.75-inches. Freshman Rebecca Kelly qualified for the finals of 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:03.56.

Day two of the America East track and field championships continues on Sunday, May 4 at 9 a.m.

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Women’s Team Scores (through 6 events)
1. Boston U. 56, 2. New Hampshire 42, 3. Binghamton 27.50, 4. UAlbany 27, 5. Maine 23.50, 6. UMBC 22, 7. Stony Brook 18, 8. Vermont 17.

Women’s Individual Results
3,000 Meter Steeplechase: 1. Laura Cummings (UAlbany) 10:33.60, 2. Carolina Cortes (Stony Brook) 10:41.77, 3. Jessica Cickay (Boston U.) 10:43.26. 10,000 Meter Run: 1. Andrea Walkonen (Boston U.) 34.42.03, 2. Erin Lagasse (Boston U.) 36:32.80, 3. Latricia Rozeboom (New Hampshire) 36:36.92. Javelin Throw: 1. Corinne DiPietro (Vermont) 137-8, 2. Quiteelia Boyd (UMBC) 135-10, 3. Jennifer Hitchcock (New Hampshire) 122-8. Hammer Throw: 1. Ashley Fauntleroy (UMBC) 164-9, 2. Rebecca Even (Maine) 158-8, 3. Ashlee Lathrop (New Hampshire) 155-4. Pole Vault: 1. Rita Ciambra (New Hampshire) 11-11.75, 2. Carly Gross (Binghamton) 10-10, 3. Kiki Gifft (Binghamton) 10-4. Long Jump: 1. Tahari James (Boston U.) 20-3.50, 2. Whitney Ford (Boston U.) 19-2.50, 3. Edwina Clarke (Boston U.) 18-11.75.

Men’s Team Scores (through 7 events)
1. New Hampshire 75, 2. UAlbany 60, 3. Binghamton 42, 4. Maine 29, 5. Boston U. 23.50, 6. UMBC 17.50, t7. Stony Brook 10, t7. Hartford 10, 9. Vermont 6.


Men’s Individual Results
3,000 Meter Steeplechase: 1. Eric Ashe (Boston U.) 8:51.33, 2. Alex Felce (Stony Brook) 8:53.45, 3. Miles Bartlett (Maine) 8:53.69. 10,000 Meter Run: 1. Jordan Horwitz (New Hampshire) 30:41.69, 2. Wesley Dinnan (New Hampshire) 30:47.97, 3. Brent Powers (New Hampshire) 30:54.92. Hammer Throw: 1. Justin Halleck (Binghamton) 185-0, 2. Wilfredo de Jesus Elias (UAlbany) 181-7, 3. Justin Hidalgo (Binghamton) 166-11. Javelin Throw: 1. Michael Simon (New Hampshire) 197-10, 2. Daniel Poirier (Maine) 192-10, 3. Steve Paternoster (Hartford) 179-6. Long Jump: 1. Valete Graham (UAlbany) 24-0.25, 2. Kyle Nadler (UAlbany) 23-6.75, 3. Kevin Ralston (Binghamton) 23-2. High Jump: 1. Jeffery Ramos (Maine) 6-6, 2. Patrick Casey (New Hampshire) 6-4, 3. James Mildenberger (UMBC) 6-4. Pole Vault: 1. Luke Schoen (UAlbany) 17-3 (School Record, Meet Record, IC4A, NCAA Regional), t2. Kris Yelverton (Binghamton) 15-9, t2. Michael Dempsey (UAlbany) 15-9.